Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

498 SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886.
whig legislative caucus, and Aslimun received fifty-four votes, but
Edward Everett's ninety-eight was a majority over all the opposition
candidates. Much was said at the time about the pious desire of
Benjamin F. Butler, during the secret ballot debate in 1853, to
"knife" George Bliss. The position was briefly this: The whig
majority desired to repeal the secret ballot law, which attempt the
anti-whigs opposed on general principles, and also because the elec-
tion of delegates to the constitutional convention was about to take
place. The House, on the 19th of February, held an exciting session
which was protracted late into the evening, the majority being bent
upon passing the bill at once, and the opposition filibustering for
delay. The repeated rulings of the Speaker declaring dilatory
motions out of order was the occasion of Mr. Butler's knifing desire.
When the circumstance was subsequently printed, an explanation was
published to the effect that Butler simply meant that he should
" lilve to put the knife to the rulings of the Speaker." When the
roll had been called, late on the eventful February 19, by the use of
the previous question, and the bill had been passed and the House
adjourned, Mr. Butler sought out Mr. Bliss and said, "You will be
sorry for your action this day to the longest day you live." The
Speaker replied, "I have not many years to live." "Thank God
for that," was the excited rejoinder of Butler.
When the State Constitutional convention of 1853, of which E. D.
Beach was a member, had long passed into history, Henry Wilson
said, with much irony, that not one in fift}^ could remember whether
Beach was or w^as not a member, so insignificant a part did he form
of its deliberations. The record does not bear out the distinguished
republican's sarcasm. Mr. Beach joined in the debate on several
subjects, and made the motion to limit the representation iu the
Lower House, ou which there was a heated discussion. His associate
from Springfield, Chester W. Chapin, was the silent member of the
delegation. The struggle over the basis of representation culminated
over the plan of Benjamin F. Butler, which was described as a com-