The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-10
The Electoral ColIege-Prospect Of DimcuIty
ALead.

AHoad.
From the action of the Florida Legislature.
from the apparent determination of the radi-
Gals to chose the President by manipulating
the electoral vote for this purpose, should the
contest be close one, and from several other
difficulties looming up with regard to this
question, there is some reason to fear serious
consequences. The radical Legislature in
Florida and the Legislatures in some other
of the reconstructed States show an evident
purpose of frustrating the popular vote for
Presidential electors, in case that vote is
likely to be against them, by giving the Legis-
lature the power of choosing electors, as was
formerly the case in South Carolina. Suppos-
ing even the Legislatures have this power
legally-but that is questionable-such an
abuse of authority would be contrary to the
spirit of the constitution, to our republican
institutions and to the avowed principles
of the radical party, which all along
denounced the South Carolina mode of
choosing electors as anti-republican but
worse than that, it might lead to great trouble,
or even to civil war.
Then there are three States-Virginia, Mis-
sissippi and Texas-not yet fully restored and
not likely to be before the Presidential cleo
ton. Are they to be excluded from the Elec-
toral College because their representatives
have not been admitted to Congressp They
will doubtless send electors to the College.
Will it be left to the President of the Senate,
whose duty it is to count the Presidential cleo
toral votes, to say whether these States shall
be excluded or notp Their votes might decide
the election. The contest may be 80 close
that the votes of these three States counted
for Grant and Colfax would elect these candi-
dates, and without them Seymour and Blair
would be elected. In that case would the
radical party and would Mr.. Wade lose the
opportunity of securing the power and patron
age of the government The prize is an
enormous one, and, judging from the antece-
dents of Mr.. Wade and the radicals, we think
they would not lose the opportunity. True,
Congress passed joint resolution, and that
over the veto of the President, excluding States
not reconstructed and entitled to representation
in Congress, which was evidently intended to
apply to Virginia, Mississippi and Texas;
but this resolution could be repealed or
q special act of admission passed between
September and November, or any time before
the counting Of the votes, If that became
party necessity, to secure the election. On
the other hand, should Seymour and Blair re-
ceive a sufficient number of votes, which by
counting those of the three States named
would give them majority in the Electoral
College, would not the President of the Senate,
acting upon the joint resolution of Congress
and in favor Of his party, refuse to count the
votes of Virginia, Mississippi and Texas?
These are some of the complications and
dangers of the approaching Presidential cleo
ton. The President in his veto message of
the Electoral College bill referred to holds that
all the States, though some may not be repre-
scented In Congress, have the constitutional
right to vote for President and Vice President,
and, of course, this includes Virginia, Missis-
sippi and Texas. The democratic party will
probably insist upon this right. We can
imagine, then, what terrible conflict may
occur should the votes or exclusion Of the
votes of these three States decide the election
one way or the other. This is not fancied
danger nor an improbable one. There is q
fearful prospect Of It. The only way to avert
1t is for the people Of the Northern States to
cast such an overwhelming vote for one or
other of the tickets that the election may
not be left to few of the Southern States or
to the contingent action of Congress in any
case.