The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-01-22
MONT. and Rsher [Whirl Of Huron and


of order. which the point Of order was
sustained, but permitted debate thereon.
At this time the speaker did attempt to
declare Ford elected Governor, but be-
fore he completed the task he was hoot.
ed and laughed down. Scared out of his
wits, he left the chair, nearly knocking
down the Speaker of the House, and left
the Chamber, minus both hat and cloak.
His folly in attempting to decide by his
mere declaration who was elected before
the result was known made him the
laughing stock of both sides of the
House. The House journal, kept by
Stanley Matthews, Clerk, and attested as
correct by him, has this, and nothing
more, on that subject.
After debate the Speaker of the Senate
rose and proceeded to make an all
nouCement Of which the noise and con-
fusion which pervaded throughout the
hall, the Clerk could hear but the follow
ing, to.wit: "That he agreed in the
main with the Senator from Fairfield,
Mr.. Whiteman, and that the Senators,
having performed the duty for which
they came into the Hall of the House of
Representatives, would now return to
the Senate Chamber" which we're the
beginning and concluding sentences. --
Whereupon the Senators withdrew from
the Hall of the House in disorder.
The House the same afternoon passed
a joint resolution to raise COMMITTEES to
canvass the votes for Governor, which
was agreed to by the Senate, and Messrs.
Swift Democratic Free Soiler), Goddard
(Whig), Ewing james Fl. Ewing, Dem
ocrat,) and Beeyer (Whig) were appoint
ed on the part of the Senate, and Messrs.
Letter, Norris, Morris and Roedter
(DemnCrats) and Marsh, Riddle, Gid
dings and Bigger (Whigs and Free
Soil Whigs) on the part Of the House.
This CommiJtee Oh the % of January
made lengthy report, which was pre-.
sented in the House by Mr.. Letter Dem.
oCrat). The report gave reasons why
certain informal returns should be re-
Ceived. The report summed up the re-
suit as follows: For Seabury Ford, l48,-
756 votes for John B. Weller, 148, ,445
votes, Scattering, 742 votes, electing
Ford by 3l1 votes. The same report was
made in the Senate, and that settled the
question. Mr.. Letters report, as did also
that of Mr.. Swift, for they were identic
al, concluded as follows:
I'm conclusion, your Committee beg
leave to report back Senate joint resolu-
ton relative to appointing Committee
to wait on the Governor elect with one
amendment, to.wit. Strike out the word
the and insert 'Seabury Ford" so that
when amended it will read: To wait on
Seabury Ford, Governor. elect, &c" The
amendment was agreed to in both
Houses, and the vexed question was
then fairly settled and Ford was Cover.
nor.
The object the man who attempted to
write "Old-Time Politics" in the Cleve-
land Herald had in view in writing his.
tory which was not history was that he
wished to show that the mere declara.
ton of the presiding officer of the SEN
ate, when the two Houses were in Joint
convention to count votes, that A B had
received the highest number of votes,
&C., was elected, would make him elect
ed whether he was really elected or not.
This was in the future to be used as a
precedent in the election of President.
Had the last Presidential count in Con-
gfess. when Tilden was allowed to be
counted out, been conducted with fair.
ness as was that in Ohio, in the famed
contest between Ford and Weller, it
Vould have produced different result.
The Committee went behind the returns
furnished, examined the whole subject,
ust as Senator Hoar promised it should
30 done at Washington by the Supreme
Court Commission, but which dliunde
vas not done, and President Hayes has
he unenviable reputation of being the
irst usurper in the Presidential mansion.
Pray Heaven he may be the last, for an.
)ther such outrage may well make many
ioubt the disability of the Republic.
President Hayes, it seems, gave his
version of the Ohio count on Governor,
doubtless using it as his MAN Friday"
Briggs did, as sort OF apology for his
,wn wrong doing. l have not seen what
le said l knew not of it except what is
in the extract from the Her
I'D letter above given, and hence cannot
how, as in the case of Briggs, how he
las distorted facts and perverted his
ory.
Seabury Ford, while Governor, made |
many friends. He was man of sound |
ense. While Governor, the cholera
Droke out in the Ohio Penitentiary. The |
Governor was absent. To be used IN
Extraordinary cases, he had left q small
lumber of blank pardons with Mr.. Gal
oway, the Secretary Of State. The scene |
q the Penitentisry and in the city was |
earful. Galloway could not withstand |
he piteous appeals for liberty; and he |
Oon exhausted the pardons and wrote
o Ford for more. This the Governor re.
used, but wrote Mr.. Galloway that he
you'd visit Columbus immediately. He |
lid 30, went to the prison, examined the |
loEpltal and patients, and assembled the |
onvtCts and told them that no pardons
7ould be issued while the cholera was in
be prison; that TO those who behaved |
yell, nursed the sick and aided in
leaning the prison, pardons on the rec
of the officers would be
reely granted when the danger was
asssd. Even those who had homes to
o to could not be half as well nursed or
tended as in the prison hospital, and |
hat the appearance Of single man in
neighborhood who was known to have
zen in prison and pardoned because of
be cholera would create alarm and per-
APPS produce the much. dreaded disease.
he men were satisfied. The effect in
be city was good, and the heroism and
ood sense of Governor Ford were much
He left Office with the
ind feelings and good will of the entire
ommunjty as a sensible and honest
Governor 1t is pleasant thus to speak |
'ords of deserved praise of one who was
life long political opponent Cincinnati
inquirer. +.
REPUBLICAN RECORD.
Tho T. ~ 4