The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-19
THE LIEUTENANT GO'
SHIP.

The "faptsstic tricks OF the i1'eu.en
49,, covsrror Of Ohio afford striking
ar.mU,s of how an unprincipled and
;rr..nonsible partisan in that office may
ohnss the will and outrage the sense OF
tle people, and should make the menu
hers OF the West Virginia Convention
pause before voting to establish so
dangerous an office here.
The Ohio Senate elected last fall was
politically q tie, there being eighteen
Democrats and eighteen Republicans
elected. Lieutenant Governor MUELLER
gave casting vote in favor Of the
Republican candidates for Clerk and
other officers at the organization OF the
Senate He presided. by virtue of his
office over the Convention OF the two
uonses for the election Of an United
States Senator. Mr.. SHERMAN was the
Republican caucus nominee and General
MORGAN the Democratic candidate.
After the roll had been called and
before the result OF the voting had been
announced, one Of the Republican
members changed his vote from SEER
MAN to Governor Cox This was per-
mitted by Mr.. MUELLER, and the vote
so recorded. Another and another
Republican made similar change and
the Democrats, seeing that by giving
their vote to Cox he would have a
majority over SHERMAN, sprang to their
feet almost with one accord and
demanded to have their votes also
changed. All this was before the result
Of the original ballot had been an
nounced, but Governor MUELLER refused
to permit the change and, in defiance o.
The wish of a majority of the members
declared SHERMAN elected.
A similar outrage was perpetrated by
the same officer last Friday. The seat
Of a Democratic Senator named KEMP
was contested by Klpu"!ican Senator
named SAYLER, the ground OF the COZ
test being that the votes of the inmates
of the Soldiers Home at Dayton, which,
if counted, would have elected the lat
ter, had been excluded in accordance
with a decision OF the Supreme Court
in a former case. The committee was
divided in sentiment and motion was
made to postpone the consideration Of
the majority report. The Lieutenant
Governor decided the motion out OF
order and an appeal was called for;
and he then decided that the sitting
member, Mr.. KEMP, should not vote
upon the appeal, Notwithstanding he
had repeatedly ruled that Mr.. KEMP
had the right to vote upon all questions
up to the moment when the final and
direct vote upon the contest should be
taken. The Democratic Senators left
the floor, leaving only the eighteen Re-
publicans in the Senate, less than
vuorum, and they with MUELLERs help
voted KEMP out and SAYLER in.
Lieutenant Governor MUELLER's
whole career as President OF the Ohio
Senate has brought disgrace upon HIM
self and his friends, and he is no less
heartily despised by those whose dupe
he is than by those who are the victims
of his knavery. We refer to the matter
in the hope that his case may point a
moral" for observance by the Constitu-
tloual Convention in this State and lead
the members to strike from the proposed
constitution all that relates to fhe use
less, unnecessary, and dangetous office
of Lieutenant Governor. The Senate
can get along as Bow bettGr without
this office than with it, and the people
are in no danger of having their own
desires thwarted and decisions reversed
by an official who represents no con-
stituency and is governed by no motive
other than the qualification OF his own
will