Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-01-28

stand by the Democratic Senate.
(. The Republican eonspirators al Columb ps
succeeded in ousting nine Democratic meua-
bers Of the general assembly because they
had The votes TO do it, Nov these same con
pirators. headed by the celebrated thief
Noyes and notorious Bateman, are putting
forth efforts to obtain possession of the
Senate. Through revolutionary and high
handed rulings of Bob Kenned y, the dude
Lieutenant Governor, a fit tool in the hands
of such noted conspirators, the four Demo
cratic Senators from Hamilton county are
debarred fromexercising theirconstitutional
rights, and in this manner the Republicans
rurnp minority expect TO override the Demo-
cratic majority.
The ruling of the Lieutenan II Governor on
Friday was without constitu tional or statute
warrant, and without parliamentary pre-
cedent. Its purpose was to put the Republi-
can candidates from Hamilton county in
without fair and thorough mves tigation.
The dispute about the Hamilton county
Senatorships was in the hands of the Com
mittee on Privileges and Elections, where it
naturally belonged, and that committee was
about to proceed to thorough investigation.
The object of the revolutionary proceeding
was to take the matter out of the hands of
the proper committee and put it before the
Senate at once, so that the presiding officer
might Immediately carry out theprogramme
to override the constitution, the law and the
rules of the Senate, and administer his office
so as to insure the admission of the Republi-
cans. The Democrats court investigation
into the Hamilton county frauds, while the
Republicans oppose it, knowing full well
that thorough investigation would show
damaging testimony against the rascality
practiced by Noyes and his thugs in order to
carry the election in favor of the Republi-
cans in Hamilton county.
All Democrats and fair minded citizens
should stand by the Democratic Senators
and see that the State of Ohio is not disgraced
as the nation was in 1877. The Democratic
majority is in the right; the Republican
minority has adopted revolutionary proceed
ings to divest them of that right. To give
our readers more clear idea of the situation,
we have published some of the proceedings
in the Senate in our news columns, and ap-
pend the following, taken from the Plain
Dealer, which fairly states the situation in a
clear and concise manner:
There are seventeen Republican and six
teen Democratic Senators about whose
election there is no dispute. There are four
Democratic senators from Hamilton county
whose seats are contested by four Republi-
cans, the ground of contest being the allega-
ton that they were elected by fraud.
Tho fo,1r nar,oorpatin Sapofnrs from, Hop,
ilton county hold certificates of election
properly made out and issued, and hold their
seats in the Senate upon this prima facie
evidence of their right to hold them.
The four Republican contestants from
Hamilton county have filed notice of contest
as they have a rightto do, and the whole mat
ter has been referred to the Senate commit
tee on privileges and elections to investigate
and report. This is the procedure enjoined
and the only procedure ever followed in any
case of contested seat in any Ohio legislature
or any legislative body in this country.
The Democratic Senators, including the
four sitting members from Hamilton county,
have challenged and still challenge the most
and searching investigation into all
the circumstances of the Cincinnati election,
and have not sought and do not seek to de-
lay the investigation. They are willing and
been committed in the late election in
Cincinnati should be shown up. and
that the Senators honestly elected should
have their seats. They have only insisted
that this inquiry should go into all the allega-
tions of fraud in regard to that election and
not stop with part of them, and that the in
vestigation should be conducted according to
the precedents and the rules that have always
hitherto governed such proceedings.
This ia nauooratic DoSiti0n and No ean
did, fair minded citizen of either party can
say that is is not fair and just. 1t is based on
constitution, law and unbroken precedent 1t
seeks no partisan advantage, but justice on
ly. Now, what is it that the Republicans
They propose that there shall be no in
vestigation into the Cincinnati election
frauds any further than may serve as pre-
text for unseating the four Democratic Sena-
tors and putting four Republicans in their
places.
They openly proclaim their purpose not to
for the purpose OF ascertaining
who were honestly elected, but that facts or
no facts they intend to "kick the Democrats
out"
They refuse to allow the investigation to
proceed in the manner that the constitution
of the State and the rules of the Senate pro.
vide, but purpose to go through the farce of
a trial in open Senate, a proceeding for which
there is no precedent whatever.
They assume, arbitrarily and without law
or reason, that seventeen Senators shall, be-
ing minority, be competent to act as the
Senate, and that twenty Democratic Sena-
tors shall submit to the minority.
They propose that attheLieutenant-G Governor,
who is presiding officer of the Senate, may
set aside any parliamentary rule, any pre-
cedent or any rule of the Senate and may de-
clare who shall vote and who shall not.
They propose to summarily eject four
Democratic Senators upon one-sided and
distorted evidence in order to gaina partisan
advantage.
Now, this states the position of the two
parties to this controversy fairly. On the
one side there are twenty Democratic Sena-
tors, with right, justice, the constitution, the
laws, the precedents, the rules of the Senate
on their side, proposing fair investigation
by the customary methods and fair decis
ion in accordance with the facts.
On the other side seventeen Republican
Senators and Republican Lieutenant Gov
ernor arrogantly, unlawfully proposing to
expel four Democratic Senators, without
hearing, without investigation, for the pur-
pose of gaining a party advantage.
Are not the Democrats justified in resisting