Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-01-28
THE RATIFICATION OF THE
AMENDMENT.
Scene in the House.

Tile ClHCluuaJl COluIleTCldl gives Tile
following account of the House pro
ceedings during the closing hours
Of the debate on the Fifteenth
Amendment:
Shortly after nine o'clock the
House went into committee of the
Whole, and Mr.. Babel concluded his
speech on the Fifteenth Amend
ment. 1t occupied about two hours
in all, and went over the entire
ground of difference between the
two political parties s.nd during his
speech it was evident, from the lit
tie groups gathered in various parts
of the hall, discussing the matter,
that the speech was not without eff
feet upon the friends of the measure.
Messrs. Mower and Sterling fol
lowed in favor of ratification, after
which the committee rose and the
House took recess.
Colonel Dodds opened the after
noon debate, and advocated hes
proposition to submit the question
to popular vote, citing the result
in various counties, especially Ham
ilton, two years ago, as evidence
that the people opposed it. He in
stanced Lawrence County as having
voted down negro suffrage by 1.30O
majority. He appealed to his con-
stituents from Hamilton County to
know how they could vote for the
Fifteenth Amendment against the
will of the majority of their constit
uents. Mr.. Cooper, who declared
in favor of the Amendment, receiv
ed 275 votes less than MIR. Pendle
ton. He informed the House that
one reason why the people of Ham
ilton County had defeated the regu
lar Republican nominations was the
nominees were known to be in IA
vor of the Fifteenth Amendment.
Mr.. Enochs replied that he had
made the issue squarely in
Law1e ence County, and was elected
by five hundred majority, to vote for
ratification
Mr.. Bradbury said that he had
been Intercepted by the voters Of
Gallia County upon this question,
and had announced his purpose to
vote for ratification. He thought
he understood the wishes of his
constituents, as well as these gen
tle1nen from other counties, who
were so willing to assume guardian
ship over him.
That the galleries and the area
outside the members seats was
thronged with spectators seemed to
stimulate all the younger members
to desire to display their oratoric
al abilities, SO that when the hour
for closing the discussion arrived
there was no end to the result for
recognition by the Chair. Messrs.
Cessna, McVey and Mott crowded
close to the heels of each other in
the rush to get in speeches on the
Democratic side.
The time fixed for the committee
to report the resolution to the
House arrived, but Mr.. Acker, the
fourth Democrat recognized sue
cessively by to the chair, took the
floor and held it till 4 o clock. Mr..
Ball, Democrat, followed, and spoke
) vigorously on the necessity of the
House deciding the contested elec-
ton cases before voting on the res
olution.
Objection was made by Mr. Dick
son to this course of talk, as not In
order upon the resolution to ratify
the Fifteenth Amenment.
The>ehairman of the committee,
Mr.. Parr, decided that the discus
sion was in order.
Mr.. Ball continued, with frequent
Interruptions, by Callen on one part,
assisting him in strengthening him
self in his positions, and by Repub-
licans on the other, asking ques-
tions. By this time it was evident
that the Democrats had determined
not to allow vote on the main
question to night. While Mr.. Ball
was speaking, half dozen men
were moving lightly about on the
Democratic side in whispered con-
situations, followed by motion
that the committe rise and ask leave
to sit again, coming from that side,
and voted down by party vote
Mr.. Ball gave way to Mr.. Callan,
whose revolutionary blood appeared
to be very thoroughly STIRRED, and
who announced the purpose of his
side to stay in committee, where
they had greater advantage than in
the House unless the committee
could rise with some sort of agree
ment favorable to further discussion
:, by his fellow Democrats, who, if
forty or fifty, or seventy, desired
to do their duty to their constitu-
ent by speaking on the question,
ought to have that right.
Considerable excitement was Wis
ible in the hall, and as Mr.. Bali still
held the floor, there seemed to be a
chance to make good his threat, 1t
was now dark, and the hall had
been brilliantly lighted.
A motion by Mr.. Dickson, that the
committee rise and report, was tender
ed, but was unacceptable to Mr.. Ball,
unless unlimited license to continue the
discussion was promised his side. The
scene presented was lively. Acker,
+ Douds, Cochran and Callan were gath
cred around Ball in the center of the
broad aisle, in front of the desk Baber
, occupied a seat close by, holding him
self bach as powerful reserve. Fin
ally Mr.. Ball, with undiminished good
nature, gave way again to Mr.. Cailen,