Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-02-19
Otfor0 1tmotrat.
PARIS. MAINE. FEBRUARY 10, 1869.
A Rock upOn ichich to Split.


arisen IN legislation and the administers
ton of public affairs. One of these is,
the imPerssnt ma.ter Of counting and
declaring the Electoral votes Tor FroSi-
dent and Vice President. The Constitu-
ton simply provides that 1.-The President
OF the Senate shah in presence Of the
Senate and House of Representatives
open all the Certificates, and the votes
shall then be countedn II does not even
provide for convention Of the two
branches, only as 1t is implied in the
words Just quoted In 1872. an act was
passed, pro i,ling for the time of count
ing the votes. as follows;
Congress shall De in session on the
second "Wednesday of February, 1898,
and GA The second "Wednesday in Febru,
airy succeeding every meeting OF the
electors and The said certificates or 50
manv of them a. shall have been receiv-
cd shall be opened, the votes counted
and the persons who shall oil the offices
of President and Vice President aSeer-
tanned and declared agTeeably TO the Con
stitution.r
There seems to be no provision as 10
WIN j. to count The votes. or as 20 who
has authority 10 decide whether The votes
were cast according b. the requirements
OF the Constitution This defect Of the
Constitution was discovered long ago,
- Il. Z. ,.....s.,, II 81, S.,--c,,o TVl,,,,-.
obtained. and IL was found IN be cuSus
oBaiss,ls which required special legislation
to meet. Hence a joint Standing Rule Of
Congress has been in force, providing
among other things, for one contingency,
TO wit:
elf upm the reading ofany such certif-
cate by the teliers. any question shall
arise in regartto c0untmgthe votes there
in specified, the Same having been stated
hv the Presiding Officer. the senate shall
the3e-upOn withdraw, and said question
shall be submitted to that body for H.
decision. and lie Speaker of the House of
Representatives shall in ike manner sub
NIT said question g. tbe House Of Repre-
seniativeS Tor it, decision and no question
shall 10 deci led afiirmatively. aud no
vote obiocieG 10 shall DC counted except
BY the concurrent votes 1.-THE ~ Houses
which being obtained, the two Houses
shall immediately reasonable and the
Presiding Officer shall then announce the
decision VI tbs question submitted. and
upon any such question there shall lie no
debate In either House"
In lS20. vheh Missouri Was admitted,
and in 1882, IN The case Of Michigan. when
questions arose a to the counting of the
votes oc these States, it was precci,ci
thu; difficulty Nigh, arise of "a serious IA
t'rc, and that a few factious spirits might
bring about collision in the government.
IT the two Houses should difT,r and >epa-
rate. and the House refuse 10 send for
the Senate again, or NEE, it. the govern
mert might BE- brou-h, to stand still
Such ~ event was v Ia, the secc>sioui>tS
were seeking for in 1851, 10 prevent he
declaration of Abraham Lncoln's cleo
tion-but by leaving their seats in Con-
greSS they lost their opportunity Had
the scenes Of last "Wednesday week, al
the counting Of the votes. occurred then,
they would have launched the rebellion 1,
upon Us with a mighty power, nasmuch
a. we should have had no yon>t,,u;iouaIy
declared elected President aud Vice Pr,>i-
dent
There was some objection to the count
inE of,hcyotcS of Tennessee and Geor- f.
gia. Whom The first named State was
reached the objection was made and the
Senate thcreuponr,tir,d. aud both branch.
es acted upon the question Georgia Was
lef, TN the last. and there were very
serious objection, entertained by members
Of both branches against counting the
vote OF this State or account OF the reign
Of terror whi'h existed n, the elections.
II, r,pyeS, utatjves hal been admitted to
seats ia the House, bu. it Was not repre-
sentcd in the Senate. To provide for this
state Of affairs, each branch adopted the
following rule;
z irrF trH SJatc. (lhe House Of
Representatives coHcuriug.) That on the /
assembling at the two Houses ON the Sec /
ond "Wednesday Cd February. 1909. for
the counting OF the electoral votes Tor
President and Vice President A. provided F.
by law and the ioint rules. II the count .
ing or emitting u count the electoral
votes if ANY which NAV to- presc nted a.
ofthc State ofGcorgia shall not essentially .
change the result, in that ease they shall
be reported hy the President IL the Sen 1
ate N the tollOWiug manner: We're Tn.
votes presented ~ OF the State OF Georgia
h. Oc counted. thc result would be. for
for Prt>id,b "a ,tv United State. .
votes ;Grot counted. or-fur Pre,i- /
dent Ofthe United States. Votes, hut
an either ca>c,--is elected President of
the United State, and IN the same man
ner for Vice President
This Is according to the precedent Is
tablishedin the case OF Missouri ana Michi-
gan.
When Georgia was called, Mr.. Butler
sent up written objections to the vote be-
ing counted The Senate retired. and
voted to carry out their previous action,
aud that Mr. Buffers objection was not
Ia order Mr.. Wade, the presiding Of
fcer Of the convention, made mistake
in rot 50 deciding at first
The Speaker submitted the question To
the House in this form "Shall the vote
of Georgia he counted, notwithstanding
the objections Of the gentleman from
Massachusetts" and being put in this
mistaken form, large portion Of the