Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-05-06

LAHCAsrxR MAY 8. 1855.
The ohio Revolution.

An interesting case is about coming TO a
crisis in Ohio. 1t is reported, and seems
to be currently believed, that the Demo-
cratic state senators will absent themselves
from the meeting Of their legislative body
30 AZ to break the quorum and prevent
business, rather than allow the Republi-
cans to secure the controlling majority in
the Senate by tho high-handed means they
propose TO that end. 1t will be remem.
bsred that the four Democratic senators
from Cincinnati were returned as elected.
They were necessary to give their party a.
majority; but in Ohio, as in Pennsylva-
mia, the lieutenant governor is the presiding
officer Of the Senate; he is Republican and
apparently is ready to make any kind
of decision for the advantage of
his party. There are, we believe, 81
senator's in all, IL undisputed Republicans,
10 undisputed Democrats and the con-
tested seats. The Democrats holding the
certificates to the latter are sitting mem
bers, and while the right of any one to vote
on his own case is not to be maintained,
the Republicans go much further and dis
pute the right Of any of the contested
members to vote on any of the other three
cases than his own if this position, which
their lieutenant governor takes, is main
tanned they have enough votes TO cast out
the four Democrats and let in the four
Republicans and they mean to do it.
In behalf of their novel claim to pre-
vent men whose seats are contested from
voting on other contests than their own,
they allege that the four Cincinnati mem-
bers are all elected on one ticket and hence
their cases are identical the issue is the
same and the interest of each is like.
There is shadow in this, not substance.
The right of a sitting member to vote on
all questions except those which imme-
diately affect his title to his own particu-
lar seat is recognized by every parliament
tary precedent; and the peculiar circum-
stances of the Ohio case do not change
this. Itmay be and it is altogether likely
the merits of the Cincinnati cases are
Identical; if the Democrats honestly
elected any of their senatorial ticket there,
they probably elected all and the same is
true of the other side. But it could easily
happen otherwise; and no temporary or
incidental conditions should be allowed
to change broad, general principle. The
contested senators are apt TO vote in ac-
cordance with their individual and party
interests; but SO are the uncontested men,
bers of their body-Democrats for Demo-
Gratis, Republicans for Republicans. The
right of any three of the Cincinnati men,
bers to vote on the case of the other one is
too plain in law TO be gainsaid.
If now, under these circumstances, the
lieutenant governor should adopt the rev.
Olutionary course of arbitrarily deciding
these senators not entitled tO'vote, obvi-
ously it will be meet to resist him with the
revolutionary device of breaking the quo.
rum. The stake in this matter is the reap
portionment of the congressional districts
of the state. Without control of the SEN
ate the Republicans cannot effect the ger
rymander they have in view; and the pur-
pose they cherish does not enhance the
character of the means by which they seek
to achieve it.