The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1870-04-28

uuctu qulbe hurry IN that body
The chair (Mr. Hitchcsck presiding,
ruled it out of order on the grount
that it contained language impugnin.
the motives of members. Mr. Hughe
demanded a clearer decision by th,
Chair, or rather more distinct enun
ciation that the minority had no righ
to protest. During the debate, section
10 of article 2 of the Constitution wa:
read, which says: "Any member o.
either House has the right to protest
against any act or resolution thereof
and the protest and the reasons there.
for shall, without alteration, commit.
ment or delay, be entered upon the
journal" Still the House determined
by a vote of 40 to Al decided to sus-
tain the Chair, and to deny the minor
ity their clear constitutional privilege
of having the protest entered upon the
journal without alteration, commit
ment or delay.
The following is the protest of the
Democratic members:
We, the undersigned, Representa-
tiyes of the General Assembly of Ohio.
protest against the ratification of the
Fifteenth Amendment to the Consti-
tuition of the United States by this
House for the following reasons:
1t was passed by a vote of 81 to 55
against the known and expressed wish
of the electors of this State. after me-
gro suffrage had, upon submission to
direct vote of the people of Ohio.
been rejected by over $4,000 majority.
Ihls result was obtained by a series
Of frauds, contrived TO deprive the
people of the right to control the
elective franchise within their own
State. Four Representatives from
the county of Hamilton, which. in
1857, gave over 5000 majority against
negro suffrage, and in 1869 repeafed
the verdict by over 1900 majority for
George III. Pendleton, for Governor.
voted for the ratification of the pro.
posed amendment, in utter disreeard
OF the Will OF the very voters who
elected them. Chosen as non-parti-
sans to this body, they betrayed their
constituents by the most shameful
party votes to retain in their seats.
without investigating the cases, two
members to aid in forcing through the
proposed Fifteenth Amendment, one
OF whom, s. e. Blakeslee, sworn in at
the organization by the Secretary of
state, in gross violation of law, claim
ing to represent the county of VIII
hams, which is not entitled to separate
representation under the existing an
portionment; and the other. Elijah
Glover, of Scioto County, presented
certificate of election showing by a
paper attached to it, containing his
resignation of the office of Commis-
sioner OF Bankruptcy, that he was not
eligible to seat in the General. AS,
sembly under the Constitution of
Ohio, because at the time of his cleo
ton he held an Office under the au-
thority of the United States.
By the votes of these two men the |
proposed Fifteenth Amendment was
passed, and all action in their cases
postponed by the manufac-
tured majority on this floor, until that
subject was disposed of.
An effort to obtain decision in the
case Of Rlakeslee before the vote ON
The Fifteenth Amendment was defeat
ed by the vote of Blakeslee himself in
violation Of all parliamen tary law, un-
der the ruling of the Speaker made to
sustain himself upon an appeal taken
rom decision ruling out of order a
declaring that Blakeslee had
no right to seat in the House.
The seat OF Glover returned by a
7ote of twenty-three majority, was
contested on the ground that he was
elected by fifty negro votes, confessed
y cast for him, tWo-thirds of whom
we're not legal voters, even under the
ieclslon of our Supreme Court on the
question of preponderence of white
blood. Thus, the Fifteenth Amend
nent Nes forced upon the people of
Jhlo by illegal votes of the persons
whom it was intended to enfranchise.
,efore they had any right to vote. In.
Iced; it was fitting that this measure.
by a Congress who secured
J two-thirds majority by excluding
nough members, and then in defianee
4 ali law proceeded by military ooer- s
lon to force the so-called ratification !
hrough mock Legislatures, created at :
vii to register the edict, should con-
ummate their triumph over popular {
liberty by such means, 9
IL is not our purpose to reargue the :
peslOn, simply to record the facts s.
he people in future will decide how
ar change IN the Constitution. of the i
United States, thus obtained by force 1
nd fraud combined, is of any VALIDITY,
)f the thirty States claimed to have
led notifications of the proposed Flf-
zenith Amendment, Indiana never i
atified, New York rescinded its rati- a
cation before three-fourths of the a
tates we're claimed to have ratified, :.
nd Georgia is not yet admitted to
representation or recognized as having Q
ne rights of State in the Union. 40
nat the twenty-eight States are still g
7anting to give validity to the usurpa-
on. revolutions never go backward
nd the party of Capitalization will q
ct learn to their cost that their own t,
recedents will finally work out their D
)
r. Cpckerill, D.J. Callen,
Hm. Shay, w. Milligan, .
Pm. Armstrong, John L. Hughes. Il
saac Austill, T. w. PecljnnaI,ob n
7. r. Wilson, VIM. T. Cessna !,
ames Robinson, A. Soule, :,
). G.. Kile, j. Chase. II
. II, Gaison, John G. Marshall 8,
ason McVay, John Battelon. Il
7. T. Conklin. I'D. Deyore. =
gorge S. Baker, EN-. Walker. - :,
ohm Seitz, John Kisor. y
ohm A. Weyer, Llewellen Baber, a
lias Ellis, NV. Ream.
z 2 Ghafer Tow; CoIh.-