The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-09-05
FORGOTTEN CLEAN OF DEMOCRATIC
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Boosting largely Of the glory achieved by the
Democracy before the war, we are forced to
infer was meant to set the party chorus to
that tune-in part, at least. It will prove a
troublesome tune to construct ''harmonies"
to. We have already indicated several points
of especial interest in the Democratic record
j which, it is greatly to be feared, will fit no
music that the party can learn. There is still
another, which we shall point out now, for
gotten by most who might remember it, and
never recalled by Democrat with his own
good will The second article of the State
Constitution, in which Mr. Voorhees, finds all
the virtues Of Christianity and most of the
wisdom Of Omniscionce, says No person
holding lucrative Office or appointment un-
der the United States, or under this State,
| shall be eligible to seat in the General As
semblyn Before that infallible Democratic
instrument was six years old the Democratic
party in the Legislature did its best, or
worst, to break it. But for the resolute resist
ance Of the Republicans they would have done
it. Mr. Leroy Woods, a Democrat in whom
was, of course, no guile nor hunger for Office,
was elected to the State Senate from Clarke
county in 1854 He served in the session of
| '55, when the Democratic Senate refused to go
into an election of United States senator,
because the Peoples party held the House and
a majority on joint ballot, and the Democrats
believed that they had the sole right to all the
i Offices In fact, they acted good deal like
the House of Lords in England if their
right to the Offices was property obtained by
inheritance, and it was piece of intolerable
impudence to dispute it.
In 1856 Mr. Senator Woods accepted the
office Of ''moral instructor of the States
prison, at Jeffersohville, with salary of
5000 year. He drew two-quarters of his
salary Immediately preceding the second
session of his senatorial term in 1857, and
! filed his receipts. He knew, and his party
knew, that his eligibility and right to his seat
ended with his acceptance of a second '1ucra-
tive Office or appointment" He knew he had
no more business in that second session than
be had in the city council of the New Jerusa-
lem. But he was a Democrat Need we
dilate on the inevitable implications of that
pregnant factf It is all history now. He did
not resign, of course. He came to the Senate
and took his seat, of course. He wouldn't
have been Democrat if he hadn't. The Re-
publicans told him he had no right there
drawing his senatorial pay and his moral
Office pay, too. There was satirical touch
in that association, and some of the shrewder
Democrats felt it. But he meant to
get all he could, and hang on to both treasury
dugs as long as any power of suction was left
in him. He stuck and sucked, and his party
stood by him. The infinite wisdom Of their
own Constitution paled its glories before the
wolfsh appetite of the double office holder,
and they said, in effect Our Constitution
does not mean to destroy the eligibility, or
impeach the virtue of very hungry man.
just what Mr.. Voorhees, said, substantially
when he voted for the salary grab. The Re-
publicans however, had majority in the
Senate that year, and sent the case to the
committee on elections, who reported, by a
majority, that Mr.. Woods had no right in the
Senate, and concluded with resolution de-
claring his seat vacant The Democrats fought
4
off action on this very practical application of
their Constitution till they made one unlucky
misstep, which the Republicans took instant
advantage Of.
There were two national senators to elect in
| 1857. Mr., Bright's second term was nearly
| out, and the term that should have been filed
| in 1855 was vacant by the action of the De-
mocracy in postponing the election, as already
remarked. DIR. Graham N. Fitch was filing
| it by appointment. To elect those two sena-
4 tors was the chief object of the Democracy,
and one reason for keeping Woods in his seat
while he held the other Office. The Repub-
licans were not ready to go into joint conven-
ton for this election. The Democrats Of the
Senate, without any vote or authority, went
into joint convention with the Democrats Of
the House anyhow. An adjournment without
action was made to certain day, at 2
o'clock in the afternoon. When that
time came Acknowledgements Ham
mond announced that the hour
for the little private Democratic comedy had
arrived, and marched out, followed by the
Others leaving the Republican majority in
the Senate chamber. Mr.. Bender Of Wayne,
was at once put in the chair, the session Of
the Senate continued unbroken, the report
Of the Woods case taken up by consent,