Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-26
57TH CONGRESS-.
TiI|man's and McLaurin's
Names Restored to Roll.
Settlement Of Their Standing Will
Be Made by the Senate.
That Body Adjourns Before Any Ac-
ton Could 30 Taken.

Washington, Feb. 25.-The NEST i'm
portant development today in connec-
ton with the Tillman- McLaurin cpl
sode of last Saturday, was the act Of
President Frye. President pro tempore
of the Senate, in ordering the clerk of
the Senate to restore the names of the
two South Carolina senator's to the roll.
If the present plan is carried out, this
action will be followed by the adoption
by the Senate Of resolution, before
vote on any other subject is taken,
practically endorsing the action of the
President pro tenn. in ordering the
names erased and suspending the two
senators for some definite time
The order of Senator Frye for the
restoration of the names to the roll was
issued almost Immediately after the
Senate convened, today, and was the
result OF a general conference among
the Republican leaders of the Senate.
When asked for an explanation of this
order, Senator Frye said:
I'm my rulings, yesterday, I believe
that l was strictly within parliamentary
law; that senators in contempt are not
entitled to recognition either to speak or
to vote, and that logically their names
should not be called. l still adhere to
that opinion, but DESTROYS of shifting the
responsibility from the Chair to the Sen
to the roll the names of the two sena-
tors from South Carolina"
When asked if the result of this action
would be the recognition of either of the
senator's to vote or speak Senator Frye
replied that it would not. and that was
question which must be decided by the
Senate He declined. however, to stale
how the question would be brought to the
attention of the Senate.
The Democratic senators also spent
the day in a general discussion of the
situation. They were unanimous in
their Characterization of Senator
Frye's ruling as arbitrary and an
nounced their purpose to resist, by pro-
lOnged debate if necessary, any further
efforts to enforce the ruling. Sena-
tor Turner, acting for his Democratic
colleagues, prepared a resolution de-
claring it to be "the sense of the Sen
ate that the names of Senators Till
man and McLaurin should be restored
to the Senate rolf and that those two
senators ARE entitled to vote on all
questions coming before the Senate"
The resolution may not be. pressed,
owing to the action of the majority.
The adjournment Of the Senate for
the day was decided upon the morning
conference of the Republican leaders.
The announcement Of Representative
Crump's death had reached the Senate,
yesterday, but was withheld until to-
u fCv.
were informed of this fact, they were
only too willing to use the announce
ment to secure an adjournment, and
their Democratic colleagues were just
as willing that it should be so used.
All senators recognized the fact that
the Senate is under some serious ten
sion and all felt that both time and
temper might be saved by stopping for
"a hours for a general conference and
exchange of views over the situation.
Inquiry in other quarters developed
the fact that there had been a confer
ence of the Republican leaders in Sem
atOr Aldrich's committee room during
the forenoon and the extent of Senator
Frye's ruling and especially it's far
reaching effect. not only in/this case,
but as a precedent, had been very ex-
haustively discussed, the construction
being that the action of the President
Fro Tempore in striking the names Of
the South Carolina senators from the
roll and his refusal of request to have
their names called was beyond prece-
dent in the Senate and not entirely JUS
tified.
On this account it was decided that
this particular phase of the question
should be taken up by the committee
of privileges and elections. Senator
<co~.:z.o5 -,