Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-03-04

master at Cedar Rapids, Ia, was under
consideration, the senate had an awful.
ly hot time over the charges that were
filed. 1t was alleged that Mr.. Charles
had done everything on earth except
say his prayers and be a good citizen
However, he was confirmed, in the long
run.
But to return to the supreme court
nominations. President Grant NOM
mated Mr.. Williams, of Oregon, to be
chief justice, and Senator Sumner made
such a hot fight against confirmation
that the name was withdrawn. Thea
Grant nominated Caleb Cushing to be
chief justice, but there was bitter op-
position. Finally Secretary of State
Fish went personally to the senate and
begged for Cushing's confrma ton
The opposition was melting away
gradually, when Parson Brownlow
sent to the clerks desk and had read a
letter from Caleb Cushing, dated
President of the Confederacy," rec.
ommending Archibald Roane, and say
ing: 'He resigns his position in the
attorney generals office from senti-
ments of devotion to that which alone
he can feel to be his country, namely,
the confederate states. l most heart
lily commend him as gentleman to
your confidence and esteem"
And that ended Cushing's nomina-
ton. Senator Conkling had been
championing Cushing's cause; but he
quit, promptly. The nomination was
at once withdrawn.
Twenty years later President Cleve-
land experienced similar difficulty. He
nominated William B. Hornblower to
be associate justice, but Senator Hill
prevented his confirmation. Then
Cleveland nominated Wheeler II. Peck
ham, and Senator Hill made an awfully
bitter fight, claiming that Peckham, as
we'll as &ornblower, had been instru-
mental in defeating state tickets; so
this nomination was defeated. Then
Cleveland nominated Rufus w. Peck
ham, and he was confirmed.
While the corridors are awesome
with dignity, the senate in executive
session sometimes becomes turmoil
This is especially so when friends of
the administration are urging the con-
firmation of some nomina ton which is
particularly Objectionable to an indi-
vidual senator. 1t is narrated that
when man whom Senator Pettigrew
had cause to dislike, if not hate, was
nominated to be postmaster at Sioux
Falls, Senator PettiSrew resorted to the
use of language SO forcible that some
of the older senator's stopped their
ears in dismay. But that was Petit
crews hardest fight; and he won out.
Then, after Stanley Matthews had
been senator for six years. and his
name was sent to the senate for po-
sition on the supreme bench, all of the
enemies of lifetime began buzzing
like bees in tar barrel, and Matthews
only squeezed through the executive
session by majority of one.
Until the close of this session Of the
congress, at noon of March 4. there will
be many executive sessions of the sem
ate, for the president must make nu-
merous nominations, all of which will
require senatorial concurrence. The
red lights will be shining over the doors
and the uniformed officials will be
there, and what is said in executive
session we viii never know.
There is at least one untarnished
| free masonry which cannot be be-
trayed. And the red lights will con-
tinue to shine. SMITH D. FRY.