The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-04-21

Wnosg FAULT Was IT?-Dr. Sage, the
independent and impartial American Senator
from Switzerland county, whose efforts to
stay the factious course of both parties, made
him conspicuous member Of the last legis-
lature, has addressed the following letter to
the Vevay Reveille, stating clearly the cir
cumstances that led to the failure Of the i'm
portant bills in the Senate, and placing the
blame where it justly belongs. His testimo-
ny will be conclusive with impartial and
moderate men Of all parties. If the Judgment
of the people be against the Republican lead
ers it will be because they justly merit it.
II they be condemned as the original authors
Of our troubles, Gov. Willard is assuming
a fearful responsibility, and will be held ac-
countable for their continuance:
ALLENsvILLE, April 10, 1857.
see you have committed an error in your
last issue, which think should be corrected
as believe all parties should have Justice
melted out to them, especially in matters Of
so much Importance as those about which
you were speaking. You say "yet the Dem
ocratic party is responsible for this state of
AFFAIRS" and again, 1.-The record proves that
the Democratic majority in the Senate pre-
vented the transaction of all this important
business" meaning the failure of the Tax
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Appropriation and other
important bills, which passed the House, but
were not reached in the Senate. Now the
reverse Of this is true. 1t will be recollccted
II by those who read the proceedings of the last
Senate, that the Miller and Shyrock contest
cd seats was laid over until two O'Clock on
the last Saturday Of the session, by the con.
sent of all parties. and made the special order
for that day and hour. But when the hour
arrived, the Democrats refused TO take it up.
bnt were clamOrous from that time until the
close OF the session, and were continually
making motions to take up those very bills
that JAILED to pass; thus showing desire 10
pass upon the most important legislation OF
the State; but the Republicans who hid a
majority In the Senate, (and not the Demo
Gratis, as you have ~, refused to the last to
let any business be done until the said con-
tested seat was decided; thus showing that
they considered that one case OF more impor-
ta-ce TO the people of the State than the
passage of those bills. / did not then. no,
do now, by any means justify the Demo
Gratis IN refusing to come to n direct vote upon
that contested seat but then held that il
was the duty Of the Republicans TO permit
those bills to come up and be enacted into
laws when they saw that il was inpossibl,
to force a vote upon the other case. fad
they done 80, the State would not now b.
placed in the condition il is. That seat !!
not yet decided nor have we those laws. In,
{ enactment Of which will require a specia
. session of the Legislature; but which nigh
: have been passed had the majority in tn,
, Senate permitted it.
D The Senator from Floyd County. Mr.. Game
had gone home SICK thus leaving the ioin
vote Of the Democrats and Americans i'm tn
r minority, there being twenty-five Republican
= in the Senate. As general thing, the Amer
leans acted and voted with the Republicans
but for one, when found that the Democrat
would not let vote be taken in the Mile
case | considered it of far more importanc
4 that those essential laws should be enacted
: and | acted and voted accordingly with til
. Democrats to bring them up and pass them
: While the Democrats did wrong in not lettin
the Miller case come to n vote. the Republi
r cans did q far greater one, in not permittin
those bills 70 pass and become laws. whe
they must have known that if il was not don
. the wheels of the State Government must b
n greatly retarded if not entirely stopped
}, Besides, as party move, it was an error, 70
# as 'the record shows" they prevented fnall
the passage of those laws, while the Demc
d Gratis were pressing them forward, and anx
l. ious to pass them; and thus, with the are
e cord" before the people. they will in futur
canvasses gain victories, when, had the RC
publieans acted more wisely, it would, dout
o not, be otherwise.
IS Yours, &c, PS SAGE.
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