The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-03-12
In Attempts to Elect a Ken
lucky Senator
Mr.. KAUFMAN is UNSEATED
But the Contestant Refuses to Take
the Seat
and the Prospects lndicat. Adjourn
ment without an Election

Associated Press Special Wire
! FRANKFORT, KY, March l1.-This, the
eleventh day of March, will be an unenvia-
BILE memory in the history of Kentucky
state politics. Blind craftsmanship and bit.
ter passion usurped the place of cool iudg-
ment and sober thought. At times it looked
as' II there might be an outbreak of mob
violence. When it became known outside
that the house had unseated Kaufman,
the Democrat, and that the senate had I'M
seated two Republicans, James and Wal
ton, the aspect looked so threatening that
many OF the great crowd that thronged
the corridors male a rush to get away.
There was an unseeInly rush for the joint
assembly door, which was guarded by a
large body of armed men. At one time
the explosive point was almost reached.
! That point would doubtless have been
/ reached if the Republicans had attempted
to force the unsea;ed senators into The
joint assembly meeting. Kaufman, the
Democrat unseated by the house, was al
ready in the hall. Senator James, one of
the unseated senator's, got in by strategy.
This left one unseated Democrat and one
unseated Republican in the joint assembly
hall. This made honors about even on
that score and tended to promote peace.
There were revoIvers waiting silent but
ready at the hall door, and had any one
wanted trouble he couIi have had it.
Within the hall of the joint assembly
matters we're made to run smoothly by the
ruling of Speaker Worthington that the
clerk of each house should call the roll for
tile vote of the house. Once under way,
the joint assembly proceeded 10 business
in true parliamentary style. When it adj
I,ck Il
humor.
The breaking of the quorum indicated
that this will be the strategy of both par
ties through the few days that remain of
this session, and that neither party will
elect a senator.
6 fter the house convened this morning
the clerk read the refusal of Dunlap to
prosecute his contest against Kaufman.
The Democrats claimed the very moment
he SO decided that the house had no power
10 unseat Kaufman. A vote was ordered
on the majority report declaring Dunlap
| entitled to the seat held by Kaufman, and
the report was adopted by a vote of 40
! to 40. Ef.
( AS soon as the news of the action of the
house reached the senate Senator Goebel
moved the adoption of an amendment to
| the rules.
the widest excitement the lieutenant gov
ernor put tile motion. The Republicans
voted aye in body. The lieutenant gov
ernor declared the senate adjourned. and
with the Republican members left the
chamber.
The report of the committee on elections
was then read. The 70 | was called and
Walton and James were declared inelig-
BILE to seats in the senate by a vote of 81 to
o. Wild cheers from the Democrats.
When the joint assembly convened,
Speaker Biankford issued orders that only
a. 4 i
ileges OF the floor should be admitted.
Bronston called attention to rule l of
the joint assembly. and made the point
that the clerk OF tie senate and clerk of
the joint assembly shall call the roll of the
entire joint assembly. The presiding
officer ruled the clerk of the house would
call the roll OF the house, while the clerk OF
the senate called the roll of the senate.
The calling of the roll then began.
The clerk in calling the names OF mem.
bers OF the senate emitted to cal! those of
James ana Walton.
The clerk Of tbs house omitted the name
OF x. ifman, Democrat.
The rNi. call showed 80 members pres
ent ws;n I've pairs.
Dat OF for senator then began. Ed
rin-;on Soted for Blackburn. while Poor
refus ed &c vote. P!esmi,h voted for Buck
ner The Republicans refued to vote.
The ballot resulted: blackburn. 81:
cided. as only 60 votes had been cast, there
was no quorum. The assembly adjourned
at once.
Mr.. W. G.. Dunlap. who on yesterday
afternoon Withdrew from his contest of the
seat Of Representative Kaufman, returned
to Frankicrt today and Immediately was
besieeed ty the friends of the Republican
senatorial nominee. who endeavored in
VAN TO induce hun to Withdraw his letter
addressed to Mr., Blanford, speaker of The
house. in which he abandoned the contest.
In an interview Mr.. Dunlap said: My
decision in the matter was made only after
long and careful deliberation. 1t is final
and w: never consent to enter the con-
test again. The house may go ahead and
unseau Mr.. Kaufman, hut it cannot compel
me to vote. will refuse to take the seat
now if the house decides Inc entitled to it.
Of course, in The event the house votes to
unseat Kaufman and puts me in, shall be
in the power of the house and they can
force me 10 go into the joint assembly, but
they cannot force me 10 vote. | came to
Frankfort today, expecting to receive ali
kinds of vi.itcation and abuse and am
pre- cared to stand it. All OF it, however,
viii not change me in the least"
49,