The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1872-02-27
THESPIR!T OF DEMOCRACY4
Taesday. February ~, gs72.
| From the Ohio Statesman, 18th inst. ]
The SenatOriaT Outrage.

EHe SehasOftaI Outrage,
The scehes in The Senate yesterday,
on the high handed conduct of the pre-.
siding officer OF that body in ruling That
Senator Kemp, whose seat was contest
ed, had no right to vote on prelilnin
ary question, were diseracpCnl in the
extreme. Aud, indeed so far was this
arbitrary conduct carried that Senator
Kemp was deprived even of tie right
tohave his name called an6 his vote re.
corded on g motion to adjourn.
r,s.e No principle of parliamentary law is
better. settled than that the member
wllosesseat is contested has the right TO
vote apto .the moment that the fual
, vote is taken. And Lieutenant Govern
or Mueller, on different occasions with
IN the last week, has acted on that prin
ciple, and decided that Mr.. Kemp had
the right, and, in opposition to the pre-
test Of his political friends, recognized
that Senator'S right to vote in fixing the
time when. the contest was to be acted
upon, as full and complete as thst of
any other Senator. But yesterday,
without single reason given for the
change of opinion, that official decided
that Senator representing one thirty
sixth part of the people of Ohio had
not the right to vote even on an adjourn
ment, hecause the adjournment might
stave of for a single night the outrage
of depriving him Of scat to which he
WAS legally elected.
The secret of that charge it is in our
power TO give. Up to Tuesday night of
this week Lieutenant Governor Mueller
held the right of the sitting member to
he full and complete. Time and again,
to Senator ScbsT, TO Senator Boesel,
and TO others, lie said that his mind on
that subject, after the examination of
!, the authorities, was fully made up, and
Aia pledge. of honor was fully given to
these gentlemen that his rulings woa,d
pbe; in accuriance with parliamentary
law He had, he said, given evidence
3 OF his convictions in the decisions he
had already made on that subject, and
. to these decisions he would adhere.
Tuesday night, at a late hour, he was
called from his room where he was en-
tertaining some friends, and taken to
the room of Senator Jones of Trum-
hull, where secret caucus was in sess-
ion Among those present were Gov
ernor Moves, Senator Jones Of Trum-
bull, Easement of Lake, Bcavis of Guy.
ahoga, and Others, and then and there
Lieutenant Governor Mueller was in
structed and coerced to change the cur
rent of his rulings. and he had not the
nerve to rebel against the orders OF the
men whose dirty work he was ordered
to perform. On yesterday he obeved
the orders with the meekncss Of span
: iel, who but knows how to obey the
hand that feeds him. So far did he
carry his subseryiency that when but
eighteen Senators voted he declared
John d. Kemp no longer Senator, and
:. that James Say'er, who received mi
nority of the votes cast at the Octo bel
election, was entitled to the seat. The
Senate is composed of thirty six Sena
! tors, majority of whom is necessary
: to form quorum; and thus, with less
than quorum, man who had taken
e an oath to support the Constitution oi
the State, and With impartiality to per-
form the duties of Lieutenant Governor
sand presiding officer of the Senate, de
clared majority of the voters of Pre-
:, bic and Montgomery counties incapable
of electing their own Senator.
The scene that ensued, during these
proceedings, beggers description. Ths
Democratic Senators retired to an ad
joining room to consult, and when
few returned they refused to vote or te
aid in the consnmmation of the outrage
Lieutenant Governor Mueller is ,
German, and when elected everybody
supposed that he was possessed of tina
.sproverbial honesty for which the Ger
man people are famed. He forms th'
.zexceptien TO. that rule, for no one who
has watched his course can ascribe It tt
ignorance Knavery seems to be th'
dominant characteristic of the man
and vet. to do him justice, he is not ut
terly lost TO feeling, for when Senate
Schiff, bonn in the same Fatherland, re
preached him with violation of hi'
word Of honor, pledged to him, be lef
sfhe chair Of the Senate, covering unde
the exposure, and sought refuge among
zthe men who had used him to his owl
disgrace.
Mr.. Schiff addressed the Chair twic
before he was recognized. Then Mr
.Brinsmade moved a recess. Mr.. Schi1
again claimed the floor, and asked to b
heard. He then said;
rs Mr. PRESIDENT: desire to say tina
in your rulings to-day, upon the ques
ton whether MIR. Kemp shall be entities
to vote upon preliminary questions, ha
brought disgrace not only upon your
self, but upon me, and all that class
people to which you and I belong. Yo
have violated youl word of honor. an
lam sorry that / ever became acquain
, ted with you. Here the Lieutenan
Governor vacated the chair, without &C
jouyning the Senate, and what becam
of him no one knows, and few care.
When Senator Boesel, also Germa
born, smarting under the disgrac
brought upon Germany by the recreaI
CIV of one of her sons, placed in pos
ton without merit of his own, sustain
ed the assertion of Senator Sckiff as
MueIler's violation Of his pledged hor
or. the humiliation of the dupe of th
Radical leaders was full and complete
Mr.. Boesel said:
"Gentlemen, the President o. thi
body has conducted himself to-day in
manner most despicable and dishono
able. He has repeatedly told me in tt
presence of others that he would ru
that Senator Kemp had the right to vol
on all preliminary questions, and dec
ded SO on yesterday on five different o.
casions. TO day he has-[a voice
"chawed his words" proved himse
to be totally unworthy of belief, and hi
furthermore conducted himself in sue
a manner as to make me blush that |
came from The same country l did,