The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-07

lar, illegal and revolutionary, because it
was done without a reference to. and re-
port from, a committee on credentials. IF
this was Illegal and revolutionary, then
does every legislature convened In Yer.
mont commit illegal aud revolutionary
acts? Turn to the journal Of our general
assembly, and you will find member after
member admitted to their seats and sworn
In as members without producing their
credentials" and that, too, before an cleo
ton Of speaker. If auch action IS lust,
right and legal 10 Vermont, pray tell us
why II il not in Louisiana. This faucied
defect WAS, afterwards. cured, If there was
anything to cure, by adopting repor, Of
the committee on credentials which certi-
fed to the election of these very members.
There Is no question, either, that q Quorum
Of representatives were present and voted
on the election of permanent, speaker,
that Mr.. Wilt received majority Of the
votes cast, and that the permanent organi-
zatlon was thus completed, as 1t Is claimed.
Taking then the constitutional provisions,
the conceded facts, the precedcn,s both IN
Louisiana, Vermont and elsewhere and we
submit that the Wilt legislature was prop
erly and legally organized and that KEEL
logs action is revolutionary and IN out
rage ON the rights of the people.
Whist grounds has the Hahn legislature
to stand upon II Is true that the mem
bcrs thereof We're duly returned by the re-
turning board, and had priD,a fncis right
to seats 1t is true, moreover, tina, aonc of
these members were so returned by fraud,
perjury and forgery. one member admit.
ting, under oath, that he was not elected
by the people but by the board. But con-
ceiirs that all members claiming to act
were legal representatives of the people,
what then ? mot less than a majority Of
the members" being required for quorum,
the Wilt Legislature having more than q
majority Of the members, does it not fol-
low that the other body could have had no
quorum, possessed no power to organize,
and thai the pretended election Of Cover
nor Hahn WAS Illegal This is reasoning
from the facts established relative to the
Wilt legislature, and the conclusion would
seem TO be irresistible that their proceed.
ings were revolutionary aud illegal. This
conclusion moreover, is borne out by ad.
mitted facts. As certified to by the return
ing board, the republicans had two ma
'rity, but not a quorum. This majority
they lost by the arrest of one Of their mum.
Der, and the refusal of three others to ap
pear. Further, 1t appears from count OF
the votes given for Hahn that less than @
quorum voted, and the state constitution
expressly declares that the house shall not
transact any business, except to adjourn,
unless there is quorum present and
voting.
Upon these facts. we submit the ques.
ton which was revolutionary and illegal to
our readers, be they republicans or demo-
Gratis. Save in Louisiana and Washington.
this has ceased to be party question--it is
question above and beyond all parties ;
right Of American citizens to be governed
by officers of their own choice being called
in question. We had the right to expeci
that the President and others in authority
would delay action Until the committee OF
congress had made their report They are
on the spot. arc able and impartial, have
the power Of the nation at their back, and
their report, whatever it might be, would
have been accepted. Instead, however, OF
awaiting their report, the legal legislature,
as we conceive it TO be, has been forcibly
elected from the state house BIZ the army
of the Union, and ''sham aud deluson, -
as Carpenter would call it, returned by "a
fraud and wrong" as Mr.. Speaker @ Hahn
puts it, installed in its stead. What answer.
shall be made to the people for this :
What excuse will the republicans in Con
gress make for inaction, If inactive they
are' 1t will not do to say that order Is
restored, for so il was in Warsaw and the
result was that Poland was dsmembered.
If order can only be maintained in this
way, then will the people again speak
their rebuke, the republican party will be-
come name of the past, and the party OF
the future will be known by new name.
AS republican we ask Congress to give
this matter immediate attention, to right
this great wrong. to redress and punish this
crime against Louisiana, this outrage on
the right of suffrage, this armed inteif fer
encc with the integrity and independence
Of state governments