The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1896-05-01
Resignation
offered by Councilman Nc
Lain of the Fouth Ward.

Council meeting on Friday eve
ning last was series Of surprise,
and wound up at near midnight
with II greater surprise, in that
Councilman j. d. McLain of the
Fourth Ward emphuticelly offered
his resignation and insisted on the
body Of his colleagues accepting
same. Upon his motion that his
resignation be accepted, and sec
ondrd by Pond, the Affirmative
voted but one and that was Mr..
McLain himself, the negative re.
ceived the other seven.
Mr.. McLain's reasons for re sign
ing are that there are things eX-
ceedingly wrong going on, and he
as hut one to protest against them
is powerless, and he does not wish
to belong to II body guilty of cor
rupt things. The uppermost Of
his complaints were that IA motion
in the form Of Il resolution was in
trOduced at former meeting ask
ing that the legislature transfer
some 100000 from the surface
drainage fund to the sanitary
drainage fund. Mr.. McLain was
much opposed to the resolution,
and when the vote was taken four
were in the affirmative to three in
the negative, and the chair pro
tenn declared the resolution carried.
Mr.. McLain raised the question Of
the legality of the decision as the
law holds that all resolutions,
ordinances, etc, must receive Il
majority Of the councilnien elected
before it can pass. The chair held
that the resolution just passed was
not in the form OLA resolution but
a mere resolving to do something =,
in the shape Of II motion, AMI that
his decision should stand. Mr..
McLain might have appealed, but
Probably to no avail.
However the bill was killed in
the legislature, much TO the graf
ification of McLain and his friends.
But the stumbling block was the
paying Of the lobbying expenses in
Cured by II committee securing
the service Of Senator Lowry to
present the bill for them. Mr.. Me-
Lrin objecte to the paying Of any
expenses incurred by the pro-
mitigation Of an Illegal act. That
the committee that secured the
services of Mr.. Lowry were un-
authorized, and therefore the
attorney himself was unauthorized
and the bill for his expenses was
illegitimate. The matter brou 5ht
on much discussion, and the bill
was paid with Mr.. McIhin protest
ing to the last.
NJ. McLain insists that he will
resign at the next meeting. That
he is but a figure head in the board
of councilmen, and his voice counts
for naught, and he will not suffer
the censure the council is sure t.
bring upon themselves by trampling
law and right in such an unfearing
way. We do not entirely agree
with Mr.. McLlin in his stand in
the matter Of the ruling of the
chair on the alleged resolution, as
the law 10 doubt intends that
things Of permanent nature are the
resolutions Of ordinance nature,
while but passing motion in the
nature OF resolution requires but
IL majority on its passage. And
we also disagree with Mr.. McLain
in his intention Of resisnins. If
there are those things going on in
the council that need watching as
Mr.. McLain alledges, it is his duty
to his constituents in the fourth
ward TO remain there and expose
all rottenness, lift the mask Ind
let the public glare in upon the
wrong doing. We have attended
most all the council meetings and
haven't been able 10 feriit out this
wrong doing, but We are
none the less glad that the keen
sight Of others may pierce the
stencil of wrong. If Mr.. McLain
knows Of such things we insist that
he lift the mask, we would like to
look under it.