The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1891-01-17
The Alliance Men Take Possession
of the Nebraska State
Legislature.
They Meet at s O'Clock a. NJ, and
Put q Speaker in the
Chair.
Gov. Thayer Barricades His Doors
and Refuses to Give up
His Office.
An Exciting Legislature.

LINCOLN, Neb., Jan. 8.-All tile doors of
the representative hall were closely guard
ed this morning, and none but members of
the legislature, state officers and persons
having business inside were admitted. All
members were Oh hand promptly. although
they found great difficulty in pushing their
way through the crowds that filled the
corridors and besieged the capitol at all
points. The alliance members had taken
possession of the house at 5 o'clock in the
morning. They placed a speaker in the
chair and put a Gordon of assistant ser
geants-at- arms around him. When Lieu
tenant Governor Mickeljohn appeared he
was not allowed to take his seat, but stood
in front of the speaker ready to call the
joint session to order. AT 9 O'clock the
speaker issued all order fer the arrest of
L~ieutenant-G Governor Mickeljohn on Il
charge of misconduct in Office aud breach
of the peace. The ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS de-
fed the officer and was not taken into
custody, Both sides had forces of ser
geants-at-arms within call. and any at
tempt on either side to proceed with the
canvass of the vote would have precipitat-
ed a row To avoid this a committee from
each party was sent with a statement of
the case to the supreme court.
II SUPREME COURTS DECISION.
The supreme court issued a writ of man
damus directing the speaker OF the house
to canvass the returns. The sheriff of
Lancaster county, with deputies and the
bailiff of the supreme court, burst in the
doors OF the house and fought their way
through a crowd of alliance men guarding
the entrance, and the writ was served on
the speaker. A motion to take a recess
until 3 O'Clock was then declared carried
by the lieutenant governor and the demo-
Gratis and republicans filed out OF the hall.
The speaker of the house declares that no
recess has been taken and the alliance
members remained and the roll was called.
The proceedings in the afternoon were less
sensational than the morning. The man
damus OF the supreme court sobered the
radical alliance men and a spirit of m0der-
alton was manifested. After the demo-
Gratis and republicans left the hall, the in
dependents remained, doing some unim-
portant business and making an effort to
amend the rules OF the joint convention to
make the speaker Of the house the presid-
ing officer instead OF the lieutenant govern
or. Adjournment was then taken until 2::30
O'Clock. At that hour the independents
were in their seats, but transacted no bust
ness until the full body was present and
the lieutenant governor appeared and
called the convention to order. A number
OF cOnciliat0ry speeches were made, and
the independents. seeing they could not
gain their point by instituting their cOl-
test before a canvass OF the vote, offered III
further obstruction to business. The
speaker of the house proceeded TO open
the returns and Democratic Governor
Boyd and the full republican state ticket.
with that II exception, were found elect
ed on the face OF the returns. A resolution
was then passed receiving the full alliance
vote n declaring that the canvass had
been conducted under protest and that the
legislature in no wise recognized the cleo
ton of the officers who had been returned
as receiving the highest number of votes.
promptly by Chief Justice COBB. The.
contest will now go on as prescribed by
law. There is a prospect that the legislature
will unSeat every One of the new officers.
Matters were further complicated tonight.
At 8 o'clock Governor-elect Boyd called
on Governor Thayer, and Was informed
that the latter would not give up his office
on the ground that Boyd was not a citizen
Va WIN AyNAOSo kb41A VS&tJ ~ bAS
fore, eligible. Nobody dares to predict
what the outcome will be. Governor
Thayer has barricaded the executive Office
and remains inside, with police and a
company Of militia on guard. 1t is inn
possible to reach him to ascertain his pur-
poses, but it is understood he will remain
governor, if possible, until all questions
affecting his successor are settled.
LINCOLN. Neb, Jan. 9.-The morning
session of the legislature was wasted in
wrangling over minutes of joint conven-
tons which were badly mixed on account
of the confusion in the proceedings.
Governor Thayer applied to the supreme
court for a quo warranto to restrain Gov
ernor Boyd from exercising functions of
his Office. Judge Maxwell stated to Thay-
er's attorney that inasmuch as their pc
tition admits that Boyd is the governor,
their position is %untenable. Maxwell be-
lieves Boyd to be governor and refused
the writ. The supreme court then ad-
journed till Tuesday. The board Of pub
lie lands and buildings is in session and
notified Mayer to vacate the governors
rooms or the board would officially desig-
nate another room TO be the governors
headquarters. Thayer is locked IN his room
with friends and some OF them advise him
to submit peacefully and not have tn be
elected dishOnorabIy. At 1890
Thayer requested the crowd
to stand back from his door,
and said: II will not surrender until the
proper tribunal declares that l SHALL"
BOyd's first official act was to approve the
bonds of the newly elected state officers.
Powers. the alliance candidate. took the