The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-03-05
The Legislative BOLT.

The telegraph announces that, yes
.terday forenoon, thirty seven mem
bers of the Indiana House of Repre-
sentatives and seventeen Senators, all
Democrats, had resigned their seats,
thereby dissolving the Legislature
and defeating the most important
legislation. The bolting members,
however, with a prudence that shows
their disinterestedness, first passed
one appropriation bill so that they
could draw their pay All the other ap-
preparation bills, including the allow
ances necessary to keep up the chari-
table Institutions Of the State, were de-
feated, with a great deal of other very
important legislation. The pretense
for the action of the boiling m m bers
is, that had they not done so, the
negro suffrage amendment to the Con-
stitution of the United States would
be approved. They will have to prove
that statement to the people, or be
held to rigid responsibility for their
revolutionary proceedings in defeating
necessary legis ation. What are sthe
facts? The Governor received a copy
of the proposed amendment, a few
days age, and as was his duty, submitted
it to the Legislature. Its cousidera-
ton was then fixed for Thursday
yesterday afternoon at two o'clock.
On Tuesday evening, as we learn from
the Indianapolis Journal, the Repub-
liean Caucus resolved that they would
not press the amendment. A vote
was taken in the Caucus, and it was
found that the proposition lacked two
votes of the number required to
pass it. Therefore. the Democratic
members resigned, not because
such action was necessary to
defeat the suh.age amendment, but
tolpreVent the amendment from even
coming before the Legislature for
consideration. We regard this as an
emiuently original way of defeating
measures which the minority dislike.
If the Democracy intended to resort
to- such tactics to defeat legislation
which they did rot like, they had bet
ter have resigned their commissions
before taking their seats. They GER
tainly had every reason to believe
that great many propositions would
come before the Legislature that
would be distasteful to them. Mr..
WRLBoRN has already given evidence
of very decided ability in preventing
legislation which his party disapprov-
elssW by the necessity, then, of resign
1ng in anticipation of measure which
the Democracy had it in their power
to defeat, or at least delay, until
they had developed a determination
on tie part of their opponents
to pass it iu spite of them
Then they could have resorted
to the extreme measures which
they adopted in advance of all danger
These facts will require the attention
of the gentlemen when they come be
fore their constituents for an ap
proval of their conduct.
Theresult of the action of The bolt
ing Democrats will be an extra ses
sion of the Legislature, and an orde
for new elections to fill the vacance
occasioned by their designations. w
suspect some of the gentlemen will
have hard task to make their con
duet justi6able in the eyes of thei
constituents. By their bolt they hav
put the State and various counties t
needless expense, of thousands c
dollars. They may be able to con
vince them that the money will b
well spent, but we doubt it.