The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-29
SENATOR RAWIINS' TILT
IN UNITED STATES SENATE

The following account of the protest
raised in the senate by Senator Rawlins
against the election Of Thomas Kearns
as United states senator from Utah on
the ground that his election was the re-
suit of d deal with the Mormon church,
is compiled from the Congressional
Record for Jan. %.
Senator Rawlins got the l!0or at the
opening of the session and asked to
have read and referred to the commit
tee on privileges and elections two
articles. one a dispatch to the Wash
ington Post of this morning. the other
an article in the Salt Lake Daily Trib-
uue. a Republican organ in my state
Senator Chandler objected on the
ground that it was not the proper man
ner to bring the matter 20 the atten-
ton of the senate. The matter of read
ing the articles was put to vote and
Mr.. Rawlins' motion lost.
The regular order Of business pro-
ceeded for a time and MI RaWlinS
again secured the floor and demanded
that he be heard on a point of personal
privilege.
Mr.. RawIins-I will state in sub
stance, without reading, what l intend
ed to present. There has been pend
ing a sena tOTial election in my state
The Republicans in the legislature have
the majority: the Democrats are in the
minority The election relates to the
question of filling an existing vacancy
in the senate. There have been much
controversy and many charges as to the
preva Ience of pOlygamy and church
domination in politics in my state
Those questions we have had to meet
time and again here. The Salt Lake
A. T,cdea-NTr President. 1 rise to a
parliamentary inquiry
The president pro tempOre-The 6ena-
tor from Massachusetts viii state his
parliamentary inquiry.
Mr.. Lodge desire to know If a
question of personal privilege has been
disclosed.
The president pro tempOre-In the
opinion of the chair it has not
Again the regular order of business
was resumed and again Mr.. Rawlins
secured the floor. He said he cOnsld-
cred the articles Of such a character
that they should be presented to the
senate for consideration.
He then read the article
from the Tribune of jan .,
in which it was claimed that
as a result of a deal Win the
Mormon church the authorities of that
body had ordered the election OF
Kearns to the senate. He followed this
bv reading a dispatch to the Washing
ton Post announcing the nomination or
Kearns by the Republicans. The read
ing of these documents was followed
bv a lively tilt between Senator Raw
Inns and Senator Hale. Following are
a few extracts from the debate:
Mr.. Rawlins-Mr. President, the SEN
ator from Maine (AdT. Halcl and the
senator from New Hampshire my
Chandler) are both very desirous. as
they may properly be, 20 protect the
due order and deCOrum OF the proceed
ings of the senate. and ] appreciate IN
a way the spirit which Doubtless
prompts them to make their remarks
and to take their. action this morning
but [ am satisfied that If either OF those
senators stood under similar circum-
stances in his relation to his state as
/ stand to my state. and a gigantic
wrong was about to be contaminated
and he could under his sense of public
dlltv BY calling attention 10 that pre-
vent It, ne might properly. IN the sen
ate or anywhere else, raise his vpiee
in order that such a wrong migat be
thwarted.
do not expect the senate now and
here to take cOgnizance of TINS matter
but ] take CogniZance OF It. 1 call lhe
attention Of the senate and OF the
country To it, and I invite the atten-
! ton of my people at home to 1t. IN
vite the attention of the members Of
/ both branches of the legislature OF my
state toit; and DO it now at ne thresh-
old OF an election in order mat they
may understand the nature OF the
charge that has been made and thai
I they are on trial before the public con-
/ science of the country.
! Mr.. Hale-The senator said that we
ought TO take cognizance of what Is
going on in Utah, and that there ought
/ a. be a voice from washington. Thal
/ is the very thing there ought not 10 De
Mr.. Rawlins-Mr President, II Il