Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-05-15
a Democratic Conspiracy Fails.

| The democratic attempt TO control Ohio BY
fraud and forgery has come to an ignominious
end Il does not detract from the satisfaction
which this result brings to know that it Is due
partly to the democrats themselves. When
they deserted their seats and left the state the
democratic senators hoped. by throwing the
government into financial disorder, to compel
a compromise and so save remnant OF the
power for which they had plotted and con-
spired last October. Had they remained in
their seats they would have retained show
of right 20 act a. the legal majority in the
Senate 1t vas only by denying the right of
every senator from Hamilton County to vote
on the contested seat cases that the republic
cans could have obtained q majority OF one.
and there was some doubt as to the right Of
the presiding officer to rule in this way. But
BY taking their revolutionary step the demo-
crats placed in the hands of the republicans
the very opportunity needed to right the
wrong and seat the legally elected senators
from Cincinnati.
The democrats have suddenly awakened to
the fact that they have been outgeneraled
They imagined that they had provided
against every contingency by the adoption
early in the session of what are known as the
.'gag rules" These they supposed required
the presence of a majority of the Senate. as
determined by a yea and nay vote, to decide
the contested seat cases. As ii turns out they
demand nothing of the sort unless at the re-
quest of Senator. As no Senator was pres
ent to ask for such vote, there is no record
to show that a majority was not present. In
absence of any law or constitutional require
ment no court can go behind the Senate jour
nal, and the decision on the four Hamilton
county seats must stand. This is the ground
taken by Congressman Gaddes, the democrat
ic representative from the Sixteenth Ohio
District. And the democratic papers, by the
censsre ard abuse they are heaping upon the
runaway Senators, and by admitting that theX
committed an objectionable blunder, are con
ceding their own defeat and humiliation.
Thus ends another attempt of the Northern
democrats to introduce Southern political
methods into this section A like attempt
was made in 1879 in Maine when the Garcelon
conspirators tried to steal the government OF
tnst State. Ii was defeated by the vigilance
of the republicans aided by the cOwardice of
the knaves who had not the bravery to stand
up to the plot after the conspirators had
planned it That ignominious defeat discour-
aged similar attempts until the presidency
had been gained bv ballot-box robbery in ihe
Sout". afl the sympathes OF the administfa
ton had been shown by the appointment to
important ofhces OF Two OF the chlef Maine
conspirators Thus emboldened, the democ-
racv sought last October to steal the State
government of Ohio and a United States
senatorship. The contest has been a long
and severe one. For seven months it has
waged, and complete triumph of the right
has often appeared doubtful, But through
persistent and skillful leading, the Ohio re
publicans have won and indicated the right
of the people to have their votes counted as
cast. Their victory Is the victory Of the party
everywhere, for they have demonstrated
again that the intelligent North will not
tolerate the introduction of Southern political
tactics into this section. -Phiia. Press.