Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-05-27
From sstu-cr n Bee.l
THE RUMP oE.o SENATE.
Statement of Major Dodd on the situa-
tion. .r'
He Sustains the Action Of the Demo
Gratis, and Speaks Out in Meeting.

Senator Dodd was seen, by repre-
sentative of the Bee and asked what
the Democratic Senators had to say in
reference to the Senatorial situation at
Columbus:
"In word, this is the situation"
said Major Dodd: "Had the Demo
Gratis remained in the Senate the same
condititn of things would have resulted,
with this difference, that every act
would have been legalized by the pres
ence of a quorum. BY leaving the Re-
publicans without quorum their acts
a"e legally void. Wbethe' Eepubli-
can Supreme Court will SO find is an
other question. 1t has been held
through long line of decisions that we
are concluded by the journal, but iD ev-
cry case it has been where no question
was raised as 20 the authority TO make
journal. in this case the Republican
rump had 10 light to make, read or ap-
prove journal, in other words its
Journal can have no more force in law
than If made by Kennedy and the Gle; k
alone. II seventeen member could
make lawful journal one could.
There are three or four Democrats vino
are loud in their claims that ihe acts of
the rurp are valid. Geddes is one of
them and his motive was 70 get rid of
Jerry Sullivan, of Holmes county. Ged-
des is a sniveling pietistN who never did
make manly fight against competi-
TOR. He knew, or ought have known,
there is no analogy between the prac-
tice in Congress and the general assem-
bly, of Ohio.
I'VE have constitutional inhibition
where they have simple Jule. Con-
verse is another. He wants the Frank
lin district in the shape in which 1t has
been redistricted by the rump and he
"wants it bad" Converse says, if he is
fairly quoted, that no lawyer claims
"j,e illegality of the rump's acts when
) such able LAWYERS rs Ranney, 10 dan
and others do claim 1t. Like a great
many individuals in both political par
ties down at Columbus, Converse is OPP
pressed with the pnfounded notion that
the State of Ohio is revolving around
him.
"Never in the history of Ohio legisla-
tion, until Kennedy developed, has II
been claimed that the Senate could GO
out from under call without motion
toCiispense with further proceedings un-
der tile call. Kennedy claims.l believe,
that the adjournment of Z 'iday dis
pensed with the call, yet on Friday he
sent out warrants for absent members
under the call of Thursday. He was
not even consistent in his stupidity.
"T wv IS one of those who favored re-
manning and having row. but sub.
mitted to caucus action and am con-
vinced that to leave the rump without
a quorum was the wisest and most poi.
itic thing to do. Ey staying we would
have made valid every act of the rump
We did what has been done a thousand
times by legislative bodies, left them
without quorum to do business. Ia
the single case of the Kellogg legisla.
ture in Louisiana il proved ineffective
to prevent it. 1t is upon such prece-
dent as that, that ou' Republican Su-
preme Court is prepared to validate the
acts If The rump. As to the redistrict'
ing mattef, Democratic Hourse o.
Representatives of course reserve the
right to pass on the election returns and
qualifications of lis own members"