ateful recollection and a pleasurable, and I
trust a pardonable, pride for the gallant, intrepid band who have
honored me with their support in this contest. Without any
disposition to criticise or find fault in the slightest degree,
but only as an excuse in so far as that may be necessary for
enlisting in a cause than has been crowned, not with success, but
with defeat, let me say to these friends that when we entered upon
it I did not foresee some of its features. I was not aware then,
as we have since come to know, that we have had to fight, not only
the Republicans of Ohio who were against us, but, because it was
grand old John Sherman on the other side, and with him the whole
United States of America. The Senator has said he don't want any
more contests like this. I thank him for the compliment, and vouch
to you that I don't want ever against to cross swords with a
Sherman."

The 52nd Congress met on the 7th of December, 1891. The credentials
of my colleague, Calvin S. Brice, in the usual form, were presented
and upon them he was entitled to be sworn into office. If his
right to a seat was to be contested the grounds of the contest
might be afterwards presented, when the case would be decided on
its merits, but, until it should be determined by the Senate that
he was not duly elected, he could perform the duties of a Senator.
I was urged to object to his taking the oath of office on the ground
that he was not a resident of the State of Ohio when elected. This
I declined to do, but simply gave notice of his alleged disability,
so that it would not be waived in the case the legislature or
citizens of Ohio should establish the fact that he was not an
inhabitant of that state when elected. This was not done and no
attempt was made to contest his seat, but I was reproached by
unreasonable partisans for the neglect to do so.

The annual message of President Harrison, sent to Congress on the
9th of December, strongly recommended the aid of the government in
the construction of he Nicaragua Canal. He highly commended the
McKinley tariff bill, and said that its results had disappointed
the evil prophecies of its opponents, and, in a large measure,
realized the predictions of its friends. He referred to the large
increase of our exports and imports, and, generally, gave a hopeful
view of our financial condition. He recommended that the experiment
of purchasing 4,500,000 ounces of silver bullion each month, unde