The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-02-27

he l14aAoA Do8Rn oeaetsU.
We have in previous articles aiieosa 70
the disgrs ceful conduct Of the Democratic
members Of the Indiana Legislature. in
their bogus election of Fitch and rs-eisesion
Of Bright 10 the u. 8. Senate. When The
Constitution demands that the Lesislsiarss
Of 1sAtss shall elect U. s. Senators. these
Democrats designated . caucus In whicA
neither House nor Senate had quo-
rum present, and whish wss held while the
Senate was actually in regular session at
sao,hsr place. sse Les,slstxre, and the act
Of this caucus an act Of the Legislature =.
Thus Informally assembled. - We have said
without a aaorum of either body Of the
Lesislature present, they went through the
mosioas Of ele,uas Bright and Fitch 10 .he
Us. Senate. ~he Democratic officers
gave Fitch his &C, sdeniials," armed with
which he went to Washington City, and de-
nsnded hi. seat. The Democratic U, 6.
Senate which had jus, oustsd Mr., Harlan,
Of ,hn State, because a quorum 81 the lows
Senate was no, present when he was elect
ed, and which had before il all the facts OF
the bo9us election Of Fitch. with the for
mai protest Of the Indiana Senate against
HE admission. permitted Fitch to take his
ssst-thus sustaining. 81 least for the time
being, the inf NOUS action OF the Indians
Democratic leaders, and sddng outrage
upon outrage. The consequence OF Adj
hitting Fitch will most probably be, thar
there will be nc decision in his case I'LL AZ
Ter the sSjournmen, Of the Indians Legisls-
,urs. The y. S. Senate can then decide
that Fitch and Bright are not legally emit
lied to their seAts. Thus vacancy will
be oecasioned in the Indiana Senatorial
representation during the vacation Of the
Legislature. When this occurs, the Gov
ernor mas the power TO ali the vacancies BY
appointment Consequently, that Infamous
political backyard who has just been
elected Governor Of Indiana, viii have the
power TO send Fitch and Bright back again
for at least two years. ~ the sessions of the
Ler.sla,urs are biennial Thus will the
Democracy OF Indiana have secured two
Senators through this Outrageous bogus
elecuen.
Unprecedented and tisgrscsful e. was
tie eourss Of The Democratic members Of
me iadisns Legislature, II has received the
enhancement and defence Of nearly every |
leading Democratic paper in The country -
Nothing could better illustrate the foul cor
rspuon Of that party, which al its pleasure
tranples upon oil honesty and deesney
when political end 10 10 BE gained But
there 10 one exception 70 the course oil the
Democratic press on this subject, which for
its ysry singulariy we wish to place on re-
cord We are not sure but what this pa
PEI, the Chicago Times. has become honest
on this one occasion through necessity. IL
attempted to defend the Dem ocracy of In
dana, and even pot forth some very decided
misrepresentation Of the election affair
ba, vas cornersd on all sides BY lite Repub-
kcsn contemporaries. Finally, il came oct
in The following article to which We invite |
the perussl Of Democrats. especially |
Democratic editors, and most particularly !
the editors Of the Democrat
For our life we can see No disaHe ton be. |
tween the first election Of Harlan in lows, |
AID the election Of Dr.. Fitch in Indiana -
The fact that Or. Fitch received the votes
Of . majority Of the aggregate member. of
the two branches, does not in the least help /
the validity Of his election. 1.-THE Senate
Of the United States shaii consis, Of two
Senators from each State, chosen By TIE
Legislature AUsef," says the Constitution Of
the United States. The Legislature of the /
State Of Indiana consists OF House having
one hundred members. and Senate OF my /
menbers. Both Houses mus, participate In |
the election. If a man were 10 receive the
votes OF ill the members of the House, and, /
therefore. two-thirds Of the aggregate num-
bsr Of The sntirs Legislature, he would not
be elected, unleas the Senate took part in
that election. We believe tina, NO branch
Of the Legislature can be present aud take
part in any election OF United States Sen
stors. usless q majority Of the members be
there and participate in its proceedings. -
The Constitution Of each State declares
thai less than quorum shall transact no
Canlueets uusees W nlloufh anu 10 compel !
The attendance Of stsent meubsrs.
IT then, there was not present al that
eleetion q mslcrity Of the Indiana Senate,
we regard the case "a in all respects like
that Of the election Of Harlan. which cleo.
ton we think was most properly declared
void
In making this correction we have been
governed BY wba, we think 10 our duty 10
our readers We think the proper rule ID
si.oass 10 maintain the night. whether by go
doing we suffer present loss or not. When
the Republican members Of the Illinois
Legislature violated their osths by voting
for Lyman Trumbul for United States Sen |
stor. the Chicago Times was the first. and
psrhsps the only Democratic paper in this |
Stats, which maintained that that election |
vas 9 valid and constitutional one We |
thought 20 then. and ssid 50, though we
knew Of no event that would have gwen US |
more Joy, than q legal cause for ejsc,ing
him from q seat to which be il . oisgrace.-l
And now, while il would afford US the high |
es. qualification to believe Messrs. Fitch |
and Bright the fairly elected Senators from
Indiana, we cannot forego our honest con.
victions of what we consider 10 be Just, and
cay thar we think they have been so elect
ed. II may be and doubtless 10, OF very
mall consequences 10 4sssrs. Fitch Gno
brigh, aad their friends what our judgment
of the esse 10, but, humble a. we are. we
wish that upon the columns of our own pa. /,
rsT. TO have g record OF maintaining but I
what is right. and never submitting 10 what |