Randolph County journal. [volume] (Winchester, Randolph County, Ind.) 1855-1862, 1860-04-19

the validity Of that election and the
action Of the Democracy, we will al.
low Mr.. Douglas to judge. He voted
that it was q fraud. Having some
idea that the election was oDen to such
charge, the Democrats determined to
try and ratify it by regular election
ifthey could in any way possible. To
this end they resisted every effort at
any decision of the two other contest
ed seats in the Senate, which were fill
ed by Democrat from Fulton County.
MIR. Hugh Miller, and another Demo
crat from Clark, Mr.. Leroy Woods
Both had been referred to the proper
committee. examined and reported on
for weeks. and stood on the file ready
to be disposed of at any moment
The Republicans tried repeatedly to
get them up and have them decided.
The Democrats resisted always. At
last, while the Democrats were away
at their little game" of selecting U.
). Senators by vote of one House
only, their being no official evidence
or notice that quorum was not pres
ent in the Senate. the case Of Woods
was taken up aud decided The Dem
ocrats refused to recognize the decision,
though they were unlawfully absent
at the time. When the other contest
ed case was taken up they resisted it.
Lieut. Gov. Hammond ruled every
point made so as to give full effect to
their tricks to avoid vote. At one
time by his help, and by breaking a
quorum, they actually stopped all
business five days, while the Republi-
cans were urging the necessity of clear
ing up the work and getting ready for
the important appropriation bills that
were to come from the House. We
suspect that Mr.. Hendricks never
heard of this fact. And we suspect
that he never heard of another fact, that
Heffren, Harrington, Brown of Shelby,
Wallace. Hostetler, and Drew, de-
clared repeatedly that they never
would allow the Miller case to be de-
cided. and they wonld defeat all legis-
lation if it were attempted. This dec
laration was heard by hundreds of
men. 1t was repeated a number OF
. times. And it has never been denied
or repudiated, though referred to bv
us and others a hundred times. Thus
blocked mp in the way to business, the
Republicans asked the Democrats to
agree on some particular day when
they would take up the case. They
did agree, and fixed Saturday. the
last working day of the session. That
day came. and the case was called mp.
The Republicans begged that it might
he put to vote at once, as the whole
thing could be ended in five minutes.
No. the Democrats refused. The Re.
pnblicans pressed vote, and the Dem.
ocrats broke a quorum. Thus the
matter was pushed off further and
further by the revolutionary proceed
ings of the Democrats, in violation OF
their solemn agreement. too, till it
was too late to reach the revenue and
; appropriation bills. The Republicans
tried every way to get the difficulty
) settled. They proposed to take it mp
on Monday, when the Senate could
not, under the Constitution, transact
any other than contested cases and
business relating solely to their own
body. The Democrats refused, though
their duty required them to be pres
ent at that time. The Republicans
then proposed that both Miller and his
contestant should 60 back home, and
. let the people decide between them in
another election. The Democrats had
done exactly the same in a similar
case from Rush, in the House. where
they had majority. But they would
not agree in the Senate to what they
enforced in the House. Then some
Democrat said if any Republican
would resign his seat, Miller would dc
so, and the case could be disposed o.
in that way. Weir of Laporte, Re
publican. accepted the proposition. and
the Democrats backed ont. Thu,
every proposition from either side. Land
every effort to get this case ont of the
way in the regular order of business
was defeated by the Democrats. and
thus the revenue and appropriation
bills were pushed off till they could
not be passed. This history is the ex.
act and absolute truth. as every mar
knows who saw that stormy session o.
the Legislature. II any set of men or
earth were ever responsible for the de-
feat of any measure, the Democrat.
who declared that they would defeat
all business, and did defeat all busi
, ness, rather than allow the Miller CASE
to be decided. are responsible for the
failure Of the revenue and appropria