The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-12
THE JOINT ASSEMBLY.
Republican Members Refused to Vote
and There Was No Quorum.

and There was NO QuOrums
When the joint assembly convened Speaker
Blanford issued orders that no one other
than members or persons entitled to the
privileges of the floor OF the House be ad-
mitted At 1906 o'clock the doorkeeper an
nounced the Senate OF Kentucky. The
Speaker, before recognizing the Senate, said
with great heat, that the doorkeeper of the
House had full control of the door. Mr..
Bronston declared that the ruling was with
out precedent He shouted: II move that
Senator Goebel be made presiding officer of
the Assembly" A storm of yeas and nays
Worthington appeared and took his seat and
raped for order and succeeded in quieting
things for time.
Senator Sayer arose and made a speech,
in which he implored members never to do
anything that would bring disgrace upon the
State of Kentucky. tCheers) II am afraid
that we have already crossed the Rubicon,
he said LET us go no further" (Cheers.)
Senator Bronston called attention to Rule
IL of the joint assembly, and made the point
that the clerk of the SenateNis the clerk of
the joint assembly, and as such shall call
the roll of the entire joint assembly.
The presiding officer ruled against Senator
Bronston, and said that the clerk of the
House would call the roll of the House,
while the clerk of the Senate called the roll
of the Senate.
Mr.. BIonston then af6ss and said that the
presiding officer should divest himself of lis
partisanship and rule according to law.
"Kentucky's honor Is gone" he shouted.
ut has been trampled under foot. say not
by whom. But there Is yet a chance for
you, sir, to rule fairly"
n q m
which he sustained the position of Senator
Bronston.
that the point OF order was out of order.
Mr.. Lyons, Republican, declared the point
mere technicalty. The whole trouble was
over the question of a disagreement between
the chief clerk of the joint assembly, who is
also the chief clerk OF the Senate, and his
assistant, who is the chief clerk of the
House.
Mr.. Jones, Republican, said that the pre-
siding officer of the Assembly the
bitter. the sole judge of the rules of the
Both clerks were acting under the direction
of the presiding officer of the Assembly,
said Barnett
Mr.. Flippen made the point of order that
the question had already been decided by the
presiding officer, and asked for a call of the
roll.
Speaker B.anford said that If it was the
intention to make the chief clerk of the
Senate the chief clerk OF the joint assem-
bly, for the purpose of counting the vote
of member who has been legally expelled,
ne wished to protest against any such rul-
ing.
After more wrangling the Chair ordered
the call of the roll. Senator Bronston asked
the presiding officer TO repeat his ruling.
each house should call the roll of that
house. The calling of the roll was then be-
gun after the Lieutenant Governor had made
| a strong speech, in which he declared that
he would at all times do what was right.
| The chief clerk, in calling the names OF
the members of the Senate, omitted to
aa1l thnc of Ior
| Republican Senators who had been unseated
| by the Senate majority few minutes before
| going into joint assembly. The clerk OF the
| House, i'm calling the roll sof the House
| members, omitted to call the name of kauf-
| man, Democrat. who had been unseated.
| The roll call showed lSO members present
| with two pairs.
Senator Bronston asked for the reading of
the journals of the two houses. He made
| the journals OF the respective houses should
be read. but agreed that the journal =, of
! clerks of the houses then read the journals
| CT tho respective houses.
| The ballot for Senator was then begun
oo%ay Noe sayer % carroll ar
| Rice, ". n. Speight. Violet and Walker.
| Edington voted for Blackburn. while Poor
| refused to vote. p. G.. Smith voted for s.
| B. Buckner. The names of James, Walton
| and Kaufman were not called. The Repub-
| licans refused to vote at all, with the object
| occurred just before the vote was an
| nounced. The names or absentees were
| called and Flppin, Republican, who had
| been absent arose and started to vote
| Speaker Bianford shouted 10 him to sit down
| and not vote and he was finally induced to
| do so. The Democratic members criticised
| Speaker Blanford for his action He de-
| clared he had right TO do as he had be-
| cause ne was only a member of the joint
| assembly. The ballot resulted as follows:
| Blackburn, "a; Carlisle, 10; Buckner, l. The
| Chair decided that as only sixty-ive votes
| had been cast there was no quorum and
| here m election.
| sembly adjourned at once and the exciting
| events of the day, which were without pdece-
| dent in Kentucy, or probably in any other
| State, were at an end.