Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-01-29
The Case of Messrs. Slough and
Caldwell in the House of Rep
rcSentntiVeS of Ohio.

= CAl lii TIC mousse O4 k6CDs
rcSentntlVeS of Ohio.
We have heretofore refrained from
much editorial comment upon the re-
cent difficulty in the Ohio House of
Representatives, for the reason that we
preferred awaiting the time when the
testimony in the matter, as obtained by
committee of investigation, should be
made public.
The committee has reported, and their
report and the testimony is now before
the public.
We, upon examination, find that Mr..
Caldwell, in his manner and language,
was insulting toward Mr.. Slough. Re-
viewing the whole testimony no other
conclusion can be arrived at, and we are
not at all astonished that a gentleman
of spirit would feel the disposition to
resent it.
Mr.. Slough, it appears, desired to
avoid the only alternative left him, and
gave Mr.. Caldwell an opportunity of dis
claiming a design to insult him prior to
inficting chastisement upon him. Mr..
Caldwell, instead of such a declaimer, by
his manner and language, added to the
insult already given, so that, unless dis
pOoCo " oULII tdLlClN W IAc lIlSulb,
heaped upon him, Mr.. Slough had no
other alternative than to call him to ac-
count for the indignity.
The affair occasioned no stoppage in
! the business of the House, no extraor-
binary excitement, and was unknown,
save to Il few in the immediate neigh
borhood of the parties.
Now, that Mir. Slough, as a gentle
man of spirit, could lave done less than
he did, will not be said, except by that
class of non-resistants who believe that
no language will justify a blow. We do
not believe in such doctrine. We think
that there is language, and a manner
which can be used, which are equivalent
to a blow, and believe were such Ian
guage and manner are used, a blow is
Unsuitable. W. cannot but believe that
such is the case in this instance.
The only reasonable objection to Mr..
SlouSh's conduct in the premises, grows
out of the place where it occurred. If
it was proper that Mr.. Slough should
resent the insult given at all, there was
no other time than the instant in which
to do it. If it so happened that it was
in q hall set apart for legislative purpo-
ses, in almost every instance, amid the
excitement most persons would possess,
that fact would be forgotten, and the
person guilty Of 4 dissertation of the
sanctity and Il breach of the rules of the
! place. could only make the dmcnac hon
0ru6ie to relieve him of the odium Of the
act. Mr.. Slough took an early occasion
to apologize to the House, and made Il
I fill cnA manly ocln a-1n,1,ran,o ~ HI
conduct.
Now, We think, in the absence Of a
positive rule prescribing 4 punishment
for Mr.. SIough's ofense, that he has
done everything that could be properly
done in the premises; he has done all
hat is ever required Of an offending
member of a dclibcrativc body, or of Il
court Of justice, and any action, further
than that which has already been taken,
looks very much like an abuse OF power
and the manifestation of a vindictivc
feeling far more ccnourabie than the
conduct of Mr.. Slough Itself.
The fact, as presented by Judge Cha
ncy in his remarks, on Thursday last,
in the House, gave evidence of the cor
rcctncss of our position. lie said: That
in an experience of sixteen years in de
Lucrative bodies where ~rencontres, as
~saults, challenges, and even death itself
has occurred, he in this case Was called
upon for the first time in history to vote
on the question Of the expulsion Of a
fellow member.
In such cases the. custom is to require
an apology from an offending member,
and sometimes to appoint a committee
of investigation to report the facts, not
so much for the benefit of members as
for the use of the public.
We observe that an effort has been
made-rcsolutions to that effect having
been offered-to cxpel Mr.. Slough. We
hope that the good sense of the members
will prevent this unprecedented course;
we cannot believe that the precedent
thus established will tend to prevent
such occurrences, nor in auy other way
do good. Again: We do not believe that
such extreme measures will lose to his
constituency his services. That he
would be returned, as an act of justice
to him by his constituency, which he has
so we'll and ably represented during his
legislative career, We have not a shadow
of doubt.
We leave the case for the present, and
await the action of the House before re-
turning to the matter again.
Statesman.