The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-09
The nemocratIc PanIe d IndIana.

The RESIGNATION of the Democratic
members Of the Indiana Legislature,
leaving that body without a quorum,
and rendering an ADJOURNMENT neces-
earv. i az Illustration of the scrip
tnrai saying that The wicked flee
when no man pursueth." The mere
nbantoya OF the fifteenth article of
amendment 10 the Constitution, not
Vet officially submitted to the States,
was sufficient to drive them in terror
out of the State House and into re-
tirement. They did not stay upon
the order of taeir going, but went-at
once. leaving tho Appropriation bills
unfinished and legislation IN the sad
dest disorder. OF course writs for q
snecial election to fill the vacancies
thus made will Immediately follow,
md an extra session will be called,
for the machinery of the State cannot
be blocked because a parcel Of pam
icky legislators fed In dismay before
thew we're menaced by the dreadful
aspiration Of impartial suffrage.
What they are to gain by this bolt
it is nOt easy to understand. Even If
reelected L q man. or their places
filed by equally sound Democrats,
the political complexion Of the Legis-
lature will not be altered. There will
be the same number OF Republicans
In the body as before. and the same
dreadful question to pass upon; and
should a few Republican members
happen to be returned, (and such
thing is not impossible they would
be in a more desperate condition than
ever.
This BOLTS almost unprecedented
IN the history of legislation. but the
events that are nearer presidents than
any others. are those that are furnish
ed BY the Indiana Legislature Itself,
which has repeatedly been broken VI
on Senatorial and other exciting ques
tions. Had the members waited til
the question of ratification had been
taken up, and no other way of defeat
ing it but by resignation been open tC
them, then the proprlety of Tesignlng
would have been In order. It serves
to show, however, the intense horror
our modern Democrats Lave Of equa
laws for all men. They must have
one law for a white man, another f0l
the black man, aud a third for tn,
Asiatic, and another for the red men
Men must be legislated into castles
and their hlSneSJ lQeal OF QemOcraIl'
government is to- have some one OF
more classes of men disqualified anC
put under their feet. They want
somebody to trample on.
These Indiana Democrats know
very well that it viii still be In theil
rozer to protect the ballot by sucf
qualifications as may be necessary tt
Its conservation, but the problem how
they could guard it without cutting
off a large body of their constituents
is not easily solved. To fix upon !,
basis of either property or education
would weaken the rank and file. L
might keep n%inety-fve per cent. of the
negroes from the polls, but how many
Democrats would also be deprived o
the privilege. If they could limit the
law of suffrage IN its operation to the
colored people. the fifteenth article
would go through without a dissent
ing voice; bat to be compelled to
make the law impartial in its effect
staggers the Democratic intellect, and
produces the widest CONSERVATION
Still, they will have to come to it
Cincinnati Commercial. 8