The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-03-02

The Vice President.7-Does the Senator
from Georgia yield?
Mr.. Hill.-Certainly.
| Mr. Mahone.--I understood you to say
that l accepted a commission from one
party and came here to represent an
other. Do l understand you correctly?
| Mr. HILL understand that you were
| elected as a Democrat
Mr.. Mahone.-Never mind answer the
question.
Mr.. Hill-Yes l say you accepted a
commission, having been elected as
Democrat. That is my information.
Mr. Mahone.-I ask you the question:
| Did you say that l had accepted a posi-
ton from one party and came here to
represent another? That is the ques-
ton.
Mr.. Hill.-Oh, l said that will be the
case if you vote wit hthe Republicans
You have not done it yet, and / say you
will not do it.
Mr.. Mahone.-If not out of order in this
place, say to the gentleman that if he
undertakes to make that statement it is
| unwarranted and untrue.
Mr.. Hill should like to ask the gen
| tleman a question: Was he not acting
with the Democratic party, and was he
not elected as Democrat to this body I?
! Answer that question.
Mr.. Mahone.- Quickly, sir. l was elected
as readjuster. Do you know what they
| are?
The Vice President raped with his
| gavel.
Mr.. Hill understand there are in
| virginia what are called Readjuster
Democrats and Debtpaying Democrats, or
something of that kind, but as / under
stand they are all Democrats We have
nothing to do with that issue. We are
not to settle the debt of Virginia in the
Senate Chamber; but l ask the Senator
again, was he not elected to this body as
a member of the. National Democratic
party?
Mr.. Mahone.-I will answer you, sir
| NO. You have got the answer now
Mr.. Hill.-Then | conceive that the
gentleman spoke truly when he said that
| do not know what he is. What is he ?
| Everybody has understood that he voted
with the Democrats. Did he not sup
port Hancock for the Presidency? Did
not the Senator support Hancock for the
Presidency, / ask him? CA pause
Dumb! Did he not act with the Demo-
cratic party in the national election. and
self Democrat? That is the question.
Why attempt to evade? Gentlemen,
commend him to you. Is there a man
on that side of the Chamber who doubts
that the Senator was sent to this BODY
as a Democrat? Is there a man in this
whole body who doubts it? Is there a
man in Virginia who doubts it? The
gentleman will not deny it. Up to this
|
of the Chamber or in the country how he
would vote in this case or whether he
was still a Democrat Or not maintain
that he is. The Senator from New York
! seemed to have information that some
body who was elected as Democrat was
not, and | went to work to find out who
it was. 1t seems l have uncovered him.
For months the papers of the country
have been discussing and debating how
| the Senator would vote. Nobody could
know, nobody could tell nobody could
| guess. | have been a truer friend to the
| Senator than he has been to himself |
have maintained always that when it
came to the test the Senator would be
true to his commission; that the Senator
would be true to the Democratic profess
| sions he made when he was elected He
will not rise in this presence and say he
| could have been elected to the Senate as
| a Republican. He will not rise in the
! Senate and say he could have been elected
to the Senate if he had given notice that
on the organization of this body he
would vote with the Republicans. He
will not say it.
The gentleman makes some remarks
about the caucus. have no objection 10
gentleman remaining out of caucus
| That is not the question. / have no OBJ.
lection to a gentleman being indepen-
dent That is not the question. l have
| no objection to a gentleman being a re-
adjuster in local politics That is not
the question. l have no objection to a
man lodging from one side to another
on such question. With that | have
| nothing to do. That is a matter of taste
| with him; but | do object to any man
! coming into this high council, sent here
| by one sentiment, commissioned by one
| party, processing to be Democrat and
after he gets here acting with the other
| party. If the gentleman wants to be
| what he so proudly said, a man, when he
| changes opinions as he had right to do
when he changes party affiliations as he
| had a right to do, he should have gone
| to the people of Virginia and said, you
| believed me to be a Democrat when you
gave me this commission while l differed
/. with many of you on the local question
| OF the debt. | was with you cordially in
| national politics; l belonged to the Ma
tional Democratic party; but l feel that
| 1t is my duty now to cooperate with the
| Republican party, and | return you tho
commission which you gave to me- If
| the gentleman had done that and then
| gone before the people of Virginia and
asked them to renew his commission upon
his change of opinion he would have been
entitled to the eulogy of manhood he
| pronounced upon himself here in such
| theatrical style. | like manhood.
| say once more, it is very far from me
| to desire to do the Senator injury. |
have nothing but the kindest feeling for
| him. He is very much mistaken if he
supposes | had any personal enmity
| against him. have not the slightest. AS
| said before, | have never spoken to the
| gentleman in my life until | met him n /
| few days ago; but l have done what the
| newspapers could not do, both sides haV-
| ing been engaged in the effort for months;
| | have done what both parties could not