Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1903-02-27
Mr.. BUTLER UNSEATED.

and James j. Butler the democratic
sitting member from the Twelfth
Missouri district, was unseated, despite
his G, 600 plurality on the face OF the re-
turns. George G. K. Wagner, the re-
publican contestant, was seated in his
stead. The deed was accomplished amid
scenes of excitement such as the House
has not witnessed since the memorable
DAYS of the Fifty-frst Congress, when
party feeling ran high and the Hall
resonnded with denunciation of the
"hieh-handed methods" of the majority.
By a programme of flbuster, decided on
at caucus yesterday morning, the dem
ocracts succeeded in postponing the in
eyitable for half day, demanding roll
call after roll call, attempting at last to
break quorum. The Speaker, however,
counted the necessary number OF men,
bers present, and at 7:15 O. clock the reso-
luton unseating Butler was declared to
have passed. The closing chapter was
dramatic. Mr. Dalzell, of Pennsylvania,
who was in the chair, declined to
recognize demand for division, and
Mr.. Richardson, the minority leader,
stood in his place and denounced his
course in unmeasured terms, amid the
ieers of the republican side. Mr.. Rich
ardson denounced the chairs action, cry
ing out that it was ''tyrannical, unheard
of, unfair and unjust" The republicans
ieered, but he continued to inyeigh
against the chairs action in loud tones.
When the vote on the resolution declar-
ing Mr.. Wagner entitled to the seat
was taken similar scene followed. A
division was allowed, and the chair de-
clared the resolutions adopted-l6l to
2-declining to entertain the point that
no quorum was present. This still further
aroused the ire of the handful of dem
ocrats on the floor. 81 did not believe
the chair would be guilty of such an
action" cried Mr.. Richardson, while Mr..
Williams dem, Ill., from his seat shout
ed that the Speaker had put proxy in
the chair to DO it. Mr.. Wagner, the
contestant, was then escorted to the bar
of the House and sworn in. Then the
Speaker resumed the chair and Mr..
Payne, the majority leader, moved re-
cess until today, and on that demanded
the previous question. 1t was ordered
-169 to-5 the Speaker this time over
ruling the point of no quorum. BY a
vote of 173 to the House then, at 7:l5
D. m, took recess until today.
One of the events of the day was the
speech of Mr.. De Almond in denuncia-
ton of the action of the republic
can majority. After reviewing the
history of the case, in an at
tempt to show that the republicans were
not justified in throwing out the entire
vote of the forty-one precincts because
frauds we're found to have been COM
mitted, and pointing out that Mr..
Wagner was neither nominated for
Congress by the republicans nor elected
by the voters of the Twelfth Missouri
district, he said
"And now we have here the farce,
the shameful spectacle, of an attempt to
nut that man into the House, to draw
$40, 900 salary, to draw two mileages,
to draw two allowances for stationery.
In all the proceedings, not only in the
United states Congress, but in the wide
world over, in history of election con-
tests, no other case so base, so low, so
mean, showing such utter want OF
decency, and all pretense of right, SO
thoroughly colorless of anything except
iniquity and wrong, can be found; moth
ing in baseness and hypocrisy, moth
ing in meanness and deceit, nothing in
bitter partisanship and cant, to match or
to be compared with this case.
take the seatif you choose to take
it steal it, if you choose to steal it.
Rob the man who was elected il you
choose to rob him. Throw upon the
people of that district, who twice have
returned Mr.. Butler to Congress, the rep
resentation of a man whom they have
repudated. Bring this man in here ;
associate with him upon terms of equal
ity for the remaining days of this session.
Welcome him to your bosoms as man
not at all entitled to the seat, but man
fully entitled to political fellowship with
those who wonld steal it for him-the
recipient of stolen goods placed upon a
precise par with those who stole the
goods.
"The gentleman on the other side
suggests that time has been frittered
away. Ay, the time has been well en-
ployed which has been used to delay the
hour of the preparation, the compile
ton of this iniquity. And let gentle
men understand that until the 4th
day OF March until the Speaker
from the chair declares this House
adjourned sine die, there will be
done on this side whatever can be done
decently, under the rules of fhe House,
in accordance with appropriate legislative
procedure, to carry to the country the
fact, to stamp upon the record, to show
to future generations that we are not 60
ing to tolerate or condone this kind of
larceny.
'Take the seat and pay for i'll Take
the seat and be accountable for the
wrong that gives it to you'll Gather all
that you can by what you get out of
WAGNER gather all that you can by
what you get out Of this act; but pay the
penalty; answer the responsibility. If
legislation fails-if time which you think
ought not to be consumed is consumed
i'll roll calls-recollect when you vote to
steal Mr.. Buffers seat that you are
voting to kill the measures that will be
killed in consequences of that act. J."
coon ADVICE