Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-02-13
THE RUTLAND HERALD
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10. 1878.
Counting the votes.


To-day, the fourth and last process OF
counting, rendered necessary by the
cumbersome machinery of our presiden-
tial elections, takes place. The first
was the actual counting of the ballots
for presidential electors, on the evening
of the fifth day of November, in the
several towns and election districts
throughout the country. The second
was the official count in the several
States some days later The third was
at the meeting of the electors at their
respective State capitols, on the first
Wednesday of December. To-day wit
nesses the last scene in the act, in the
opening and counting of the votes as re-
turned by the seyerel State electors to
the President of the United States Sen
ate. Although we run the risk of stat
ing what is already known to many, and
confessing an entire want of originality
in the matter, yet we propose, as a mat
ter of general and timely interest, to
describe the last scene, as it will, I'M
doubtedly, appear. The first step has
already been taken by the appointment
of three tellcrs, one on the part OF the
Senate and two on the part of the House.
Congress will assemble, as usual, in their
respective halls, and at, or soon after,
one o'clock, they will assemble in joint
convention in the hall of the House of
Representatives, Nice-President Colfax
no oh Iir,Cr
officer, and the tellers occupying the
desk of the clerk The Vice-President,
having taken the chair, will announce
that 'the Senate and House. of Repre-
sentatives having met under the pro-
visions of the constitution for the pur-
pose of opening, determining, and de-
claring the votes for the offices of Presi-
dent and Vice-President of the United
States for the term of four years COM
mencing on the 4th of March next, and
1t being my duty, in the presence of
both Houses thus convened, to open the
votes, | now proceed to discharge that
duty" We have put these words into
the mouth of Mr.. Colfax, not because ii
canse they are the actual words used on
the similar occasion four years ago. He
will then take one of the certificates,
break the seal, open the envelope and
hand the certificate to one of the tellers.
The teller, who receives it, will read il
in full The first one opened and read,
four years ago, was that of New Hamp
shire, which gave then as now five vote:
for Ulysses S. Grant. The other tellers
will, in the meanwhile, keep a tally OF
the votes as announced. After the first
certificate has been read in full, if they
appear to be in the proper form, the re-
mainder are, in like manner, handed tc
the tellers and an announcement of the
vote made without the reading OF
the full certificate. If there is objection
made to the counting of vote, as will
be the case in reference to Louisiana,
the rules require that each body shall
retire to their own chamber, and there
separately act and vote on the question,
without debate, and that no vote shall
be counted, after such objection, with
out concurrent vote of both Houses,
taken separately. There seems to be
no provision made in case of a disagree
ing vote, and no provision, in such case,
for its rejection unless it may be i'm
piled in the fact that it cannot be count
ed without such concurrent vote. Here
is one very grave trouble with the whole
system, as at present conducted, Con
gress being compelled, in the case of an
objection being made or of contest, to
vote and act without evidence or debate
Vice-President Colfax, when acting as
sp eaker of the House, four years ago,
deciding that the objection, certificate
or even paper could not be even reaC
for information. The rule also requires
that such joint meeting shall not be dis
solved until the counting of the vote is
concluded, and that in case of disa
greement between the two Houses, il
their separate action. recess may bC
directed not beyond one o'clock of the
next day. What action may be taker
on the Louisiana question it is, of course
impossible to forecast, but it is probable
that, as it will make no difference with
the result either way, both parties vii
consent to let it so by, although they
may do, as was done last year in the
case of Georgia, announce the result il
the alternative. That is, announce the
result as it would be both with and with
out the vote of that State. There is
also, double certificate, we believe,
from Arkansas. The result without the
vote of these States will be for Presi-
dent: Ulysses S. Grant, 2S6; Thomas
A. Hendrick, of Indiana, AZ; B. Gratz
Brown, of Missouri, 10; Horace Gree
ley, 8; Charles J. jenkins, of Georgia,
Q; David Davis, of Illinois, /. The
vote for Vice-President, with the same
exceptions, will be: Henry Wilson,
296; B. Gratz Brown, Az George w.
Julian, of Indiana, 8; Alfred Ii. Col
quit, of Georgia, 5; John NJ. Palmer,
of Illinois, 81 Thomas E. Bramlette, OF
Kentucky, 8 William S. Groesbeck, OF
Ohio, l Nathaniel p Banks, of Massa
chusetts, 1 Willis B. Machen, of Ken
lucky, l. The count having been com.
pleted, the Vice-P President will announce
the result, and will thus finish the presi
Dental election of 1872
Credit Notwithstanding about
Railroads. and Modern Finan.
ciering.