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Politics goes right out the window
Sep. 11th, 2003 09:52 pmno time to turn this into a "real" post, but the texas democrats refusal to cooperate with the state government's redistricting by refusing to attend is hardly new... in fact, i seemed to recall an interesting historical precedent, and some research has turned up the story:
In December 1840, when Abraham Lincoln was a Whig Representative at the Illinois House of Representatives, (Lincoln was a Whig early in his career, he later became a Republican,) He wished to avoid a review of the illinois banking system. The Illinois Democrats wanted to require the bank to switch to a gold standard, requiring the state to make payments in gold instead of paper. Lincoln and most Whigs opposed the gold standard, they knew that an audit would undermine confidence in the paper money underwriting the state government. Lincoln and the Whigs lost the debate and it was clear that the audit would proceed. However, legislature required a "quorum," essentially a demand that members from EACH party be present on any issue before the House, (the quorum only required that members be present, to hear the vote, they need not actually vote. The idea of a quorum kept one party from passing law in the other's absence.) A quorum was required even to adjourn the Legislature. So Lincoln tried to lead the Whig Party out of the building before the session could adjourn, putting the audit in a state of flux until the House met again. But the Democrats barred the door, and Lincoln and the Whigs jumped out of a second story window in an attempt to preserve their stalemate. This attempt failed, since a quorum was later deemed to have been present when the call to adjourn was announced, in other words, they were there, even though they were attempting to leave.
As an interesting side note, Lincoln by no means held the idea of a quorum sacred... During the Civil War, after the south left the Union, Lincoln immediately passed many laws that the southern states had traditionally opposed, and THEN he argued for restoration of the Union.
related links:
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/quiz996.htm
http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo30.html
http://www.burntorangereport.com/archives/000254.html
In December 1840, when Abraham Lincoln was a Whig Representative at the Illinois House of Representatives, (Lincoln was a Whig early in his career, he later became a Republican,) He wished to avoid a review of the illinois banking system. The Illinois Democrats wanted to require the bank to switch to a gold standard, requiring the state to make payments in gold instead of paper. Lincoln and most Whigs opposed the gold standard, they knew that an audit would undermine confidence in the paper money underwriting the state government. Lincoln and the Whigs lost the debate and it was clear that the audit would proceed. However, legislature required a "quorum," essentially a demand that members from EACH party be present on any issue before the House, (the quorum only required that members be present, to hear the vote, they need not actually vote. The idea of a quorum kept one party from passing law in the other's absence.) A quorum was required even to adjourn the Legislature. So Lincoln tried to lead the Whig Party out of the building before the session could adjourn, putting the audit in a state of flux until the House met again. But the Democrats barred the door, and Lincoln and the Whigs jumped out of a second story window in an attempt to preserve their stalemate. This attempt failed, since a quorum was later deemed to have been present when the call to adjourn was announced, in other words, they were there, even though they were attempting to leave.
As an interesting side note, Lincoln by no means held the idea of a quorum sacred... During the Civil War, after the south left the Union, Lincoln immediately passed many laws that the southern states had traditionally opposed, and THEN he argued for restoration of the Union.
related links:
http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/quiz996.htm
http://www.lewrockwell.com/dilorenzo/dilorenzo30.html
http://www.burntorangereport.com/archives/000254.html
