Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-14
overwhelmingly IA, 1886.
On,o-Free Institutions.

Onio-Free Institutions.
The world is a good many thousand
Of years old, but up to a very recen
period men had not been able to Prov
that what are called free institutions
were practicable or. to state the propo
sition in other words, had not proved
that they were capable of governing
themselves--had not shown that man
hood suffrage was consistent with q
free, stable, good government.
Has it yet been demonstrated that
the sober second thought Of the people
being always right, they may safely be
left to govern themselves? How does
it happen that the United States Senate
is composed SO largely of millionaires?
How is it that our rulers at Washing
ton have for so many years been aping
the manners Of the courts of Europe,
and following customs which it was
once supposed the people Of this country
would never permit to be introduced
here: How is it, to change the subject,
that JOHN SHERMAN is to-day the
United States senators elect from the
State Of Ohio? Is this fact creditable
to the people of Ohio or the people Of
the United States, or is it calculated to
shake our faith in the perpetuity of our
free government?
Here is q man who for about thirty
years has done nothing except per-
form the duties Of a congressman
never upon salary exceeding five
thousand dollars and yet, though he
was poor when he began his public ca
reer, this man is now a millionaire.
Is it possible that he came by his mo-
ney in a manner that could safely be
recommended to the youth of our land
for imitation by them:
Can we claim that our free institu-
tons are not in peril when we contem-
plate the manner of JOHN SHEBMAN's
reelection to the United States Senate
the other day? How was it done? We
answer that there being a Republican
majority of only three on joint ballot
the Ohio Legislature, and fears being
entertained that two of the Republican
members might refuse to vote for
SHERMAN, and thus imperil if not
absolutely prevent his reelection, the
House of Delegates took time by the
forelock and on the morning Of the day
fixed by act of Congress for the cleo
ton Of United States senator to take
place, turned out nine Democratic MEM
bers Of that house and seated in their
stead nine Republicans, thus rendering
a bolt out of the question, since the
two members no longer had it in their
power to prevent SHERMAN's re-elec-
ton.
These nine Democrats were in effect
expelled from the Ohio House Of Dele
gates by joint resolution. Their cases
were not tried upon their merits, nor
tried at all. A committee Of the House
Of Delegates were sent down to Cincin-
natl, where they remained not long
enough to investigate even one Of the
contested-election cases, made Up re-
port to meet the exigency, returned to
Columbus, presented the report, and
thereupon, without giving any one Of
the sitting members an opportunity to
defend himself or to show that he was
fairly elected, without elaboration,
but with diabolical, JoHN-SHERMAN-
ISL haste-tbose rascally Republicans
unseated or rather expelled nine Demo-
Gratis and seated nine Republicans. The
work was done in short order, SHER-
MANS reelection was rendered GER
tain, and the conspirators no doubt met
together at night and " licked their
chops.'
How long can our free institutions
stand such assaults? What will be i'm
possible to the State Legislature Of
1896 il the State Legislature Of 1886
may without protest commit such
crime as that we have just described:
Suppose that in Ohio the Democratic
Senate had made up a case similar to
the one made up in the House Of Dele
gates by the Republicans, and had uu-
seated nine or ten Republicans by
joint resolution, or even by rica.
roee vote and one at q time. What
would the country have thought
Of the proceeding? Why, If this
precedent is to be followed--as it
surely will be IL the United States
Senate raises no question on the sub
ject--and we are not now prepared to
aver that the Senate ought to raise such
. qusssion--we say, If this case is to
become . precedent, Il viii be neces-
aasy Tor every State so to change its
Constitution ~ to make the Senate con-
sist Of - many members as the lover
house Of the Legislature.
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