This action met with much public approval. One
newspaper expressed well the feeling of the community by declaring that
the Governor had faced the issue squarely and shown the courage of his
well-known convictions. The Benham _Sentinel_ was practically mute. It
stated merely in a short editorial that it was disappointed in Governor
Lyons, and that he had played into the hands of the demagogues and the
sentimentalists. It suggested to the Legislature to show commendable
independence by passing the bill over his veto. But this was obviously a
vain hope.
The vote in the House against the veto not merely fell short of the
requisite two-thirds, but was less than a plurality, showing that the
action of the chief magistrate had reversed the sentiment of the
Legislature. The force of Stringer's opposition was practically killed
by the Governor's course. He had staked everything on the chance that
Lyons would see fit to sign the bill. When the party caucus for the
choice of a candidate for Senator was held a few days later, his
followers recognized the hopelessness of his ambition and prevailed on
him to withdraw his name from consideration. Lyons was elected Senator
of the United States by a party vote by the two branches of the
Legislature assembled in solemn conclave.
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