Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-07-11
The CITY Council.

disagreements between the Democratic and
Republican members of the City Council,
In order that all the facts In the case may
be before the public In compact form. In
80 doing, we will necessarily be compelled
to repeat much that is already known to Q
majority of the people Of Columbus! ~
M The public are aware thatour City 0oun-
Gil is composed of nine Democratic and
nine Republican members, aud consequent
ly, no Organization can be had without a
proper spirit of mutual concession and
compromise ;f0r there is no law to our
knowledge by Which ninem Republican
members can, compel an equal number Of
Democratic members to come e3under their
rule, and ptce yesrsa, especially when they
are equals Ia the eyes Of fhelaw. There is
and there can be no law, inopr Republican
form of Government, by which one man
can assume to himself to domineer over q
body Of hien who are his equals in all re-
spectsT Sat least, morally, intellectually and
othcially.q gsli0 hUA ciio0 80 .9riA y
The bluster, therefore, that has been made
on the streets and elsewhere that nine
Democratic members would be brought up
to time, and such other threats, is mere
bosh, and any manwith but thimbletul
of brains might have known better. With
these preliminary remarks, we proceed at
once to state the facts why the City Govern
ment is not organized. s.ao ed1 ri l1s
1st, Our City Charter requires majority
of all the members elected to pass an ordi-
nance, and In all appointments of officers,
like majority shall be necessary to a
choice. -fA 5N '.,'i ohl H'"li hlI.i DOM
With this provision In the law, and In the
absence of two Democratic members, one
ofwhom was kept out of the Council Cham
Der by Mr.. Comstock himself, with a pre-
concerted plan in order that he might re-
ceive majority Of those voting, Mr.. Com
stock received eight votes out Of the eigh-
teen Councilmen elected two less than a
majority. 1t was trick, to say nothing OF
the violation of the Charter, which every
member of the Council is sworn to up-
hold. We feel confident no gentleman,
be he Republican or Democrat, will defend
such trick, unworthy of any honorable
man, even If legal gentlemen should differ
as TO- the proper construction OF the law
The Democratic members protested against
this yiolatlonof the Charter and these nn+
gentlemanly proceedings !, They might
have submitted to the trick, had they, not
believed that the law which they had
sworn tosupport would thereby be violat-
edo Before they came TO any definite con-
clusion as to what course to pursue in re-
gard to their future actiOn,a they consulted
a gentleman Of acknowledged legal abili-
ty, and requested his written opinion as to
the legality of Mr.. Comstock's election
That opinion, already publishedswas clear
and able argument against Mr.. Comstock's
PRETENDED election, and that the proceed
ings were Illegal. n ,di s.01ae rt.r5i.iq
I'd. Thereupon the Democratic remembers,
before the first meeting of the Council, adj
dress a note to Mr.. Comstock Informing
him again, as they had done before, of their
belief of the illegality of his election, re-
diesting committee of conference to set
tie the difficulties, which was refused. ~
I Sd, The Republican members proposed q
committee OF conference, and the Demo-
cratIU committee met a Republican CON-
mittee. The two committees mutually
agreed that the question of the legality Of
Mr.. Comstock's election should be left to
Judge Thurman on the part Of the Demo-
cratic members, and to Henry c. Noble on
the part of the Republican members, with
the power to call in third man in case
they could not agree. But as one Of the
referees objected to this mode OF settling le-
gal questions, itrwas understood, as the
Democratic members supposed, that the
whole question OF settlement would be left
to the two gentlemen-one Democrat and
the other Republican, both, being gentlo-
men of ability who are highly esteemed
BY the, public as good citizens and first
class men in, the legal profession. They
agreed and submitted plan to organize
tile City Council, whichwas accepted byall
the Democratic members, but rejected by
Mr.. Comstock. III. .gai - o,ro dloi.c "t
4th. Before and after the plan had been
submitted by Judge Thurman and Henry
G. Noble, the Democratic members assured
Mr.. Comstock and the Republican commit
tee that sufficient number of Democrats
would vote for Mr.. Comstock, or any other
Republican nominated, and legally elact
him; and also agreed to the, most liberal
termsto the Republicansin In the constitution
of committees and the election Of Officers.
Mr.. Comstock rejected any and all PROPOSE
tions, unless che Democratic members
would agree to stnltify themselves by. adj
mitting his election to- have been legal
when not one Of them believed that it was
So. Nor was this all ; henot only demanded
the right to say who the Republican officers
should be in case ofan organization, but
also assumed to dictate to the Democratic
members In the selection of their officers,
Satisfied that Mr.! Comstock did not mean
that the City Government should be organ
lied, unless the Democratic. members sub
mitted to his diesation in violation of law,
right and justice, they proposed, sla last
resort TO protect the public interest, that
every member Of the Council should resign.
This, too,l Mr.. Oomstock refused to do. d
The following is d copy of the ereeignation
proposed BY the Democratic members, and
refused by Mr.. Comstock and six other Re
publican, ,membersq Two Republicans and