Article I, section 5, of the United States Constitution gives each house of Congress power to judge the elections, returns, and qualifications of its members, and to punish members for "disorderly behavior." Between 1793 and 1990, more than 200 senators faced challenges to their credentials based on their qualifications for office and alleged irregularities in their elections; or discipline for offenses ranging from public corruption, to giving aid and comfort to the Confederacy, to bringing dishonor upon the Senate in myriad other ways, or for pure political spite. As researched and written by staff of the Congressional Research Service, these are their stories. The arc of the book, each case told in chronological order, traces not only the tenor and politics of the times, but the evolution of the Senate's own thinking about what it means to be a United States Senator. - Summary by Joanne Turner.
Chapters
1 Introduction. I. Elections: Election laws, Senate election procedures and committees; types of election cases 49 min 2 Introduction. II. Discipline: Procedures, laws, and committees; types of disciplinary cases 17 min 3 Case 1. Albert Gallatin (PA) (1793-94) 9 min 4 Case 2. Kensey Johns (DE) (1794) 5 min 5 Case 3. Humphrey Marshall (KY) (1796) 6 min 6 Case 4. William Blount and William Cocke (TN) (1796) 7 min 7 Case 5. William Blount (TN) (1797) 8 min 8 Case 6. Uriah Tracy (CT) (1801) 4 min 9 Case 7. John Smith (OH) (1807-08) 12 min 10 Case 8. Samuel Smith (MD) (1809) 6 min 11 Case 9. Stanley Griswold (OH) (1809) 4 min 12 Case 10. Timothy Pickering (MA) (1810-11) 8 min 13 Case 11. Jesse Bledsoe (KY) (1815) 4 min 14 Case 12. James Lanman (CT) (1825) 7 min 15 Case 13. Ephraim Bateman (NJ) (1827-28) 6 min 16 Case 14. Elisha R. Potter v. Asher Robbins (RI) (1833-34) 8 min 17 Case 15. George Poindexter (MS) (1835) 7 min 18 Case 16. Ambrose H. Sevier (AR) (1837) 6 min 19 Case 17. John Ruggles (ME) (1838) 5 min 20 Case 18. Benjamin Tapper (OH) 1844 7 min 21 Case 19. John M. Niles (CT) 1844 7 min 22 Case 20. John M. Clayton (DE); Spencer Jarnagin (TN); Walter T. Colquitt (GA) 1846 9 min 23 Case 21. James Shields (IL) 1849 8 min 24 Case 22. Thomas Hart Benton (MO) and Henry S. Foote (MS) 1850 8 min 25 Case 23. Robert C. Winthrop (MA) 1851 6 min 26 Case 24. David Yulee v. Stephen Mallory (FL) 1851-52 8 min 27 Case 25. Archibald Dixon (KY) 1852 7 min 28 Case 26. Samuel Phelps (VT) 1854 7 min 29 Case 27. Jared Williams (NH) 1854 7 min 30 Case 28. Lyman Trumbull (IL) 1855-56 10 min 31 Case 29. James Harlan (IA) 1855-57 9 min 32 Case 30. Henry Lane v. Jesse Bright; William McCarty v. Graham Fitch (IN) 1857-59 9 min 33 Case 31. Simon Cameron (PA) 1857 7 min 34 Case 32. James Shields (MN) 1858 5 min 35 Case 33. Henry Mower Rice (MN) 1858 6 min 36 Case 34. Clement Clay (AL); Robert Toombs (GA); Jefferson Davis & Albert Brown (MS); Stephen Mallory (FL); Judah Benjamin (LA) 1861 10 min 37 Case 35. Frederick Stanton v. James Lane (KS) 1861-62 11 min 38 Case 36. James Mason & Robert Hunter (VA); Thomas Clingman & Thomas Bragg (NC); James Chesnut, Jr. (SC); AOP Nicholson (TN); William Sebastian (AR); Charles Mitchel (AR); John Hemphill & Louis Wigfall (TX) 1861 13 min 39 Case 37. Waitman Willey & John Carlisle (VA) 1861 7 min 40 Case 38. John Breckinridge (KY) 1861 7 min 41 Case 39. Waldo Johnson & Trusten Polk (MO) 1861-62 7 min 42 Case 40. Jesse Bright (IN) 1861-62 10 min 43 Case 41. Benjamin Stark (OR) 1862 11 min 44 Case 42. Lazarus Powell (KY) 1862 8 min 45 Case 43. James F. Simmons (RI) 1862 6 min 46 Case 44. William Fishback; Elisha Baxter; William Snow (AR) 1864-66 15 min 47 Case 45. R. King Cutler & Charles Smith; Michael Hahn (LA) 1864-66 9 min 48 Case 46. Joseph Segar & John Underwood (VA) 1865 8 min 49 Case 47. John Stockton (NJ) 1865-66 11 min 50 Case 48. David Patterson (TN) 1866 10 min 51 Case 49. Phillip Thomas (MD) 1867-68 12 min 52 Case 50. John Jones & Augustus Garland; Alexander McDonald & Benjamin Rice (AR) 1868 8 min 53 Case 51. William Marvin v. Thomas Osborn (FL) 1868 7 min 54 Case 52. Richard Whiteley & Henry Farrow v. Joshua Hill & H.V.M. Miller (GA) 1868-71 18 min 55 Case 53. Adelbert Ames (MS) 1870 10 min 56 Case 54. Hiram Revels (MS) 1870 6 min 57 Case 55. Ossian Hart v. Abijah Gilbert (FL) 1870 7 min 58 Case 56. George Goldthwaite (AL) 1871-72 7 min 59 Case 57. Thomas Norwood v. Foster Blodgett Jr (GA) 1871 13 min 60 Case 58. Joseph Reynolds v. Morgan Hamilton (TX) 1871 5 min 61 Case 59. Joseph Abbott v. Zebulon Vance & Matt Ransom (NC) 1871-72 13 min 62 Case 60. Powell Clayton (AR) 1872-73 11 min 63 Case 61. Samuel Pomoroy & Alexander Caldwell (KS) 1872-73 15 min 64 Case 62. Francis Sykes v. George Spencer (AL) 1872-76 14 min 65 Case 63. Ray v. McMillen; McMillen, Eustis & Marr v. Pinchback; Spofford & Manning v. Kellogg (LA) 1873-80 23 min 66 Case 64. Credit Mobilier scandal 1873 23 min 67 Case 65. Lewis Bogy (MO) 1873 5 min 68 Case 66. David Corbin v. MC Butler (SC) 1877-79 18 min 69 Case 67. LQC Lamar (MS) 1877 7 min 70 Case 68. John Morgan (AL) 1877 5 min 71 Case 69. La Fayette Grover (OR) 1877-78 6 min 72 Case 70. Stanley Matthews (OH) 1878-79 8 min 73 Case 71. Charles Bell (NH) 1879 9 min 74 Case 72. John Ingalls (KS) 1879-80 6 min 75 Case 73. Elbridge Lapham & Warner Miller (NY) 1881 6 min 76 Case 74. Henry Blair (NH) 1885 5 min 77 Case 75. Henry Payne (OH) 1886 9 min 78 Case 76. David Turpie (IN) 1887-88 7 min 79 Case 77. Daniel Lucas v. Charles Faulkner (WV) 1887 6 min 80 Case 78. Wm Clark v. Wilbur Sanders; Martin Maginnis v. Thomas Power (MT) 1890 9 min 81 Case 79. Geo. Shoup, Wm McConnell & Wm Clagett v. Fred Dubois (ID) 1890-92 12 min 82 Case 80. Robert Davidson v. Wilkinson Call (FL) 1891-92 5 min 83 Case 81. Horace Chilton (TX) 1891-92 7 min 84 Case 82. John Allen (WA), Asahel Beckwith (WY), Lee Mantle (MT) 1893 11 min 85 Case 83. Joseph Ady v. John Martin (KS) 1893-95 9 min 86 Case 84. Henry duPont (DE) 1895-97 12 min 87 Case 85. Henry Corbett (OR) 1897-98 9 min 88 Case 86. Marcus Hanna (OH) 1898-99 6 min 89 Case 87. John McGraw v. Nathan Scott (WV) 1899-1900 9 min 90 Case 88. Matthew Quay (PA) 1899-1900 7 min 91 Case 89. William Clark (MT) 1899-1900 9 min 92 Case 90. John McLaurin & Benjamin Tillman (SC) 1902 9 min 93 Case 91. Reed Smoot (UT) 1903-07 10 min 94 Case 92. Joseph Burton (KS) 1904-06 7 min 95 Case 93. Charles Dietrich (SD) 1904 5 min 96 Case 94. John Smith (MD) 1908 5 min 97 Case 95. William Lorimer (IL) 1910-12 14 min 98 Case 96. Isaac Stephenson (WI) 1911-12 11 min 99 Case 97. Clarence Watson & William Chilton (WV) 1912-13 6 min 100 Case 98. Henry Clayton & Franklin Glass (AL) 1913-14 8 min 101 Case 99. William Jackson v. Blair Lee (MD) 1913-14 7 min 102 Case 100. William Chilton v. Howard Sutherland (WV) 1917-18 7 min 103 Case 101. Robert La Follette (WI) 1917-19 9 min 104 Case 102. Henry Ford v. Truman Newberry (MI) 1918-22 13 min 105 Case 103. George Peddy v. Earle Mayfield (TX) 1923-25 8 min 106 Case 104. Burton Wheeler (MT) 1924 7 min 107 Case 105. Daniel Steck v. Smith Brookhart (IA) 1925-26 13 min 108 Case 106. Magnus Johnson v. Thomas Schall (MN) 1925-26 6 min 109 Case 107. Holm Bursum v. Sam Bratton (NM) 1925-26 6 min 110 Case 108. Gerald Nye (ND) 1925-26 8 min 111 Case 109. William Wilson v. William Vare (PA) 1926-29 26 min 112 Case 110. Frank Smith (IL) 1926-28 14 min 113 Case 111. Arthur Gould (ME) 1926-27 6 min 114 Case 112. Hiram Bingham (CT) 1929 10 min 115 Case 113. Joseph Grundy (PA) 1929-30 6 min 116 Case 114. J. Thomas Heflin v. John Bankhead II (AL) 1931-32 11 min 117 Case 115. George Pritchard v. Josiah Bailey (NC) 1931-33 8 min 118 Case 116. Einar Hoidale v. Thomas Schall (MN) 1932-33 7 min 119 Case 117. Huey Long and John Overton (LA) 1932-34 14 min 120 Case 118. Dennis Chavez v. Bronson Cutting (NM) 1935 12 min 121 Case 119. Henry Hatfield v. Rush Holt (WV) 1935 11 min 122 Case 120. George Berry (TN) 1937 7 min 123 Case 121. John Neal v. A.T. Stewart (TN) 1939 6 min 124 Case 122. Raymond Willis v. Frederick Van Nuys (IN) 1939 5 min 125 Case 123. William Langer (ND) 1941-42 12 min 126 Case 124. Clarence Martin v. Joseph Rosier (WV) 1941 10 min 127 Case 125. John R. Neal v. A.T. (Tom) Stewart (TN) 1943 4 min 128 Case 126. Theodore G. Bilbo (MS) 1946-47 14 min 129 Case 127. D. John Markey v. Herbert R. O'Conor (MD) 1946-48 7 min 130 Case 128. Tom Sweeney v. Harley M. Kilgore (WV) 1947-49 8 min 131 Case 129. Frank E. Hook v. Homer Ferguson (MI) 1949 7 min 132 Case 130. Millard Tydings v. John Marshall Butler (MD) 1950-51 9 min 133 Case 131. Joseph R. McCarthy (WI) and Wm Benton (CT) 1951-53 17 min 134 Case 132. Patrick J. Hurley v. Dennis Chavez (NM) 1952-54 17 min 135 Case 133. Joseph R. McCarthy (WI) 1954 13 min 136 Case 134. Pierre E.G. Salinger (CA) 1964) 7 min 137 Case 135. Thomas J. Dodd (CT) 1966-67 22 min 138 Case 136. Richard L. Roudebush v. R. Vance Hartke (IN) 1970-72 6 min 139 Case 137. John A. Durkin v. Louis C. Wyman (NH) 1974-75 18 min 140 Case 138. Edmond A. Edmondson v. Henry L. Bellmon (OK) 1975-76 11 min 141 Case 139. Herman E. Talmadge (GA) 1978-79 20 min 142 Case 140. Harrison A. Williams, Jr. (NJ) 1981-82 14 min 143 Case 141. David F. Durenberger (MN) 1988-90 17 min
