The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1869-05-21
.ERAUp AND EaRcE-

that the people OF the foyai states
+ should not be deprived Of the priyi-
lege Of regulating the elective franchise
ia their own way, legislatures were
elected in those states, containing, in
most cases, large radical majorities.
q These naiorities are now welded by
a. the conspirators as instruments offraud
in preventing the people from inter
fering with the success of the plot to
81 make the XVIII Amendment part of
go the Federal Constitution. These ma
torities are made to usurp the right of
American freemen to settle this great
question for themselves. Nor is it less
. apparent that force is to be superad-
ded to fraud in carrying out the internal
programme. Morton's bill, passed at
the last session of Congress, makes it
condition precedent to the admis-
sion of Virginia, Mississippi and Texas
to representation in Congress, that
@ these states ratify the Amendment.
Although declared by the U. S. Su-
preme Court to be in the Union, the
a people of these states, with the bayo-
nets of the federal janissaries pointed
at their breasts, are told that they will
be kept out of the Union until they
agree that this black radical patch shall
be put upon the Constitution. Three
# states are thus TO be forced to give
their assent to the Amendment. In
the legislature Of Indiana, the radical
majority is rot sufficiently large to
hand over that body to the conspira-
tors as an instrument in their hands.
the presence of three-ffths of the mem
bers in either branch of the legislature
to form q quorum. More than two
ffths of each house are democrats, and
these democrats, in accordance with
their constitutional privilege resign
a and leave the legislature without a
quorum. From the instant that there
is not a quorum of members present,
the legislative body is powerless to
transact business. Nevertheless, the
radical members and Senators in this
indiana legislature, proceed, without
quorum, to pass a resolution ratify-
ing the XVIII Amendment! And
this lawless proceeding will, doubtless,
becertiied to the Department of State
at Washington, by the radical Cover
nor of Indiana, as ratification of the
said XVIII Amendment by the iegis-
lature Of that State! In this way, by
the employment of fraud and force the
game of the radicals is to be won.-
But the cards are handled Sc clumsily
that the trick is transparent to every
body. Even the stolid eqaanimity of
the philosopher Of the Tribune is dis
turbed by the awkwardness of the
play. In Saturdays issue Of that pa
per, Greeley toquita
I'VE confess that the mysteries of
Indiana legislation are TO deep for us.
in number, resigned; the Governor
gave notice to the House Of their resig-
nation; the point of order was raised
that this leftthe house without quor-
um but the remaining members re-
fused to sustain it, and proceeded to
adopt the XVIII Amendment. We
is7s prefer to await further details as to the
whole novel procedure before rejoicing
over the adoption by another State"
Forney, too, though revelng in the
beauties of such artistic chicanery as
Morton's bill, is disgusted with the
bungling Indianians, His gorge rises
at the very thought of the indexterity
of the performance. In Saturdays
Press, he speaks as follows;
CONNECTICUT, which has just ratified
the fifteenth amendment, was, it will
be remembered, one of the doubtful
States. and its favorable action almost
instires the success of the measure
Before the people there is no doubt OF
the issue How alone the democracy
can successfully oppose it is shown in
the case of Indiana, from which state
we have this week more dtscredltable
and disgraceful news"
ta In his supreme disgust at the want
ofart ON the part of his fellow conspir'
ators in Indiana, he admits shat the
democrats of that state successfully
oppose" the Amendment, and thus
virtually acknowledges the futility Of
the attempt at ratification by the
quorumless legislature. The ''success
of the measure" he tells US, is
almost assured. This is another
way of telling his readers that it is
doubtful. But he consoles his dupes
by pretending TO think that "before
the people there is no doubt of the
issue" We agree with him. The
issue is now before the people Of Penn
sylvania, IT is defined with singular
sharpness. 1t is an issue with double
edge, and both edges will cut radical
fingers. Fraud is one side of 1t; force
the ether fraud in the action of the