Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-10
THE ONO

The Republican remnant OF the Oh'o
Senate in seating GEoRGE HARDAcRE,
Faux KlRCHxER, JAMES C. RICHARDSON
and AMI McGuL. as Republican Senators
from Hamilton county, las, Saturday re-
yiy.6 the Louisiana method OF settling
election difficulties.
Oply seventeen members were present,
two less than q quorum. The plan they
worked upon was this: When a dehberstiye
body meets it is presumed that a quorum
Is present until g roll call for some Pur-
pose shows that there is not. A
bo6v can transact certain business while
there is less than a quorum provided 1t Is
rot officially known tina! q quorum IS not
prt sent. The Republicans then agreed IN
caucus, tomeet, read the Journal OF the
previous mee.iug, and vote the four Re
pubTcan members in 90 q resolution, oy q
viva voee vote. As no Democrat was pres
ent to call for the ayes and nays, or call
attention to the fact that no quorum was
present, the tour Republicans we're voted
in and sworn in a iIHg
This action can be considered nothing
else than revolutionary. While certain
kinds Of business can be transacted with
on, a quorum, that of uuseating members
can not. The Ono Constitution says that
before q bill can be passed, 1t must have q
msj,rity Of the members OF both houses OF
the Legislature, and this must be deter
mined By taking the ayes and nays. The
Senate rules provide that no member
shall lose his seat unless so de-
termined BY a majority OF
all the Senators elected. The tour Demo
cratic members we're deprived Of their
seats By 8 minority last Saturday, which
Of course is an utter violation Of the rules
and OF Law.
This whole business from beginning to
end has been O disgrace to the State OF
Ohio. Men whom the people have elected
to be their Senators, and who are supposed
to be possessed Of q fair amount Of dignity,
have been acting like lot OF
school boys, with the unfsvorable exception
or rather addition Of resortiDg to every
d~isgraceful trick their brains were capable
~ofeyolviug. All the while the tax payers Of
Ohio have been paying for the whistle,
and paying dear for it too. When the
Senate met last fall the Lieutenant Gov
ernor's revolutionary ruling would have
seated the four Republican members with
out giving the Democratic members any
show whatever. The Democratic mem.
bers in order to bring the Rspubicsn's to
terms, kept away so that thsss was no quo
ram present. A compromise investigating
committee was at last appointed. and the
Democratic membeIs Of that committee,
understanding that the investigation was
to be conducted upon the plan that all
fraudulent votes from both parties were to
be thrown out and no precinct rejected IN
less the frauds were perpetrsted oy election
officials, found the four Democratic mem
beers were elected by more than 1000
majority. The Republicans construed the
rules to mean that all precincts where
great frauds were committed either by
officials CT others, were 10 be thrown out,
and so they threw out enough precincts TO
give the Republican members q handsome
majority. But the Democrats we're IN
doubtedly elected BY the people.
The plan pursued by the Democratic
branch of the committee was certainly 3
fair one, and indeed proved this beyond q
doubt. But when the majority report was
to be voted upon the four Democratic
members again stood no show whatever.
Hence the excursion Of the Democratic
members to prevent q quorum.
This action on the part of the Democrats
to prevent q quorum should be considered
beneath the dignity Of Senators. But
owing to the unlairuess and ~unsurpatiOn Of
the Lieutenant Governor and the Republi.
can members, they were driven to it as the
only means to secure fair play. But this
has induced the Republicans to surpass
even themselves and resort to revolution.
The fight nov goes 10 the courts. The
Republicans Of course will have the sd-
vnn,ses in the fight, as the court is on their
side in regard to politics. But however
The courts decide, this revolutionary seton
has brought stigma upon the State Of Ohio
and sets . bad example for law breakers
m Ohio law makers are revolutionary how
Cincnnati anarchists be expected to
% anything slsef