Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-01-16
"a High Old Time"


several OF the State Legislatures last week,
but the doings Of the Legislature and
State officials Of Nebraska were the most
notable, and they were aptly described by
one correspondent as having "a high old
time"
The genesis of the affair is about as fol-
lows. The election returns of last Fall.
showed the election of Boyd, Democrat,
for Governor by majority of l44o, and the
election of the balance of Republican State
ticket by majoriries of about 1000 and the
election of the majority of the Alliance
Legislative tickets.
The Alliance men have a majority OF
eight in the House and three in the Senate;
they claim that the election Of Boyd was
fraudulent, and as the Legislature in joint
session is the constitutional judge of cleo
tions for State officers, they resolved
among themselves to remedy matters.
To do this, they took possession of the
Capitol building at Lincoln, at o'clock Of
the morning of the day Of meeting, Thurs
day last; placed guards at the doors and
allowed none but members elect to enter;
then. they elected Speaker and put
guard around him, then they started In to
upset the whole State election but the
Democrats and Republicans objected to
their methods and some little point was
left to the Supreme Court, which seems to
have been in session. A committee was
sent to the Court for instructions, and the
Court responded by sending the Sheriff
with mandamus on the Speaker to can
vass the returns. The Sheriff and his posse
were refused admittance to the building
and they had to break in and fight their
ay through the crowd to the Speakers
desk
The Speaker refused to obey the order,
and the Lieut.. Gov. who had gained en-
trance by back window, declared the ses-
sion adjourned; the Democrats and Repub-
licans attempted to leave the room. found
the doors locked and guarded; and
the building also began fighting
and Gov. Thayer ordered out the militia
ane cleared the capitol grounds; the 1t.
Gov. was escorted back to the Speakers
desk, and the members assembled, the
returns were canvassed and Boyd was de-
clared elected Governor; then the Alliance
men met and declared his election void;
then Boyd went to the Executive mansion
and demanded possession and was refused
by Gov. Thayer on the grounds that he
Boyd is not citizen of the United
States; then Gov. Thayer put guard of
militia around the building, and the day
closed with the whole city in tu-
multi.
Next day Boyd started another govern
ment in another place and began issuing
orders that were not obeyed; the Alliance
men met and declared that Mr.. Power,
their candidate, was the only legally elect
ed Governor and that he was the only
Governor they would recognize; the Board
of Public Lands and Buildings met and
notified Gov. Thayer to vacate the building
and had the steam and gas turned off, the
Supreme Court notified Thsyer that he
was no longer Governor and that the new
It, Gov would succeed him until Boyd's
eligibility was proved, but he refused to re-
tire; the State Board provided Gov. Boyd
with suite Of rooms and he began business
and Mr.. Powers took the oath of Office and
was recognized by the Alliance members
of the Legislature as the only Governor.
By Saturday things had quieted down,
the militia deserted Thayer and went to
Boyd, and he was recognized by the
officials as the legal Governor.
The Republican members Of the Oregon
legislature, renominated Senator John. b..
Mitchell, Tuesday.
A CORPORATION tax case argued before
tho Suprayua Cont Tuasdav inv0lvps the