The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1873-01-25
Senator Morton in a New Role.

pected, to find Senator Morton, OF Indiana,
rise in his place IN the U. S. Senate, and In
the most earnest aud impressive manner, cali
the attention of the country to as'artling defect
in the constitution, on account Of which, and
the rascality of his party in some Of the south
ern states, the country has just escaped civil
war IN comparison with which the slate un.
pleasa illness" was n holiday amusement.
There Is, Senator Morton shows, n fatal Omis-
sion in the constitution of the U. s., in that it
does not point oct any method by which a
disputed titled to the Presidency and Vice
Presidency can be legally settled. Therein,
unless it lie corrected, he sees the loop hole OF
future civil war. Monarchy is strong, and
only strong, because there is a clearly defined
legal successor to the crown when the SOW.
ereign dies. In republics there should be no
laches or interregnums. The seat o: every Of
| ficer in the country can be contested with the
| exception of the President and Vice Presi.
dent, and they are the most important OF any.
Mr.. Morton admits that Congress has nothing
| to do with the matter except to witness the
counting of the Electoral votes. It has no
| constitutional right to reject or throw out
States, or make choice between double votes.
Yet in the case of Georgia, four years ago,
congress did usu,p thispower, and would have
| done it again in the case Of Louisiana, and
| half dozen of other southern states, Mr.. Nor
ton finds no scrupe in saying, had it been
found necessary by his own party to secure
| the reelection of President Grant. The con.
sequences had the election been close enough
to render such step On the part Of the house
practicable, none can contemplate without
horror. A civil war thus started would not
be waged between distant and in many re-.
spects dissimiar sections, but the war would
have entered every househould and desecrated
every hearthstone.
What power, exclaims Mr.. Morton, is now
to be exercised by Mr.. Colfax! He has in his
| possession two different Electoral votes from
the States OF Arkansas and Louisiana. Any
that he may choose to bring forward must be
| counted without question. There can be can
no going back Of his action. Suppose he was
q candidate for reelection. He would have
the means thus in his power of electing him
self against the well,under.tood wishes of the
people.
We shall be blind indeed If We do not take
| the lessons of this election as an admonition
to provide manner in which questions Of the
receiving and counting of votes of States may
be legally adjusted and disposed of. All such
questions should be left to the Supreme Court
of the Uulted States. The questions are al
ways judicial, and what other tribunal can 60
properly pronounce upon thema To the Cour,
Nr. Morton proposes to submit them by HI
amendment to the Constitution. He has hit
upon the right scheme in regard to the meth
cd Of voting for Presidents method which
we have always favored. He di.penses with
the Presidential Electors, and has . direct
vote for President in every Senatorial District
in the United State, each district to have one
vote in favor of the man tor whom majority
vote. This preserves the State autonomy. 1,
renders less likely, too, the formation Of sec
tional parties by union of few great State.
against the smaller ones. 1t allows the minor
ity IN every State representation. At present
as the Electors are chosen by general ticket
voted for all over the State, they have none
Is there any reason why the 2so, 900 men WHIT
voted for Grant In Ohio should have oil til,
Electors, and the 23s, 900 who voted for Gree
lev nones Such result would not happier
under Mr.. Morton's amendment.
But whether Mr.. Morton's proposition ID tn
best to meet the case, or still wiser and NOR
effective one can be suggested, there is nj
question but something on the subject sheuls
be done before the adjournment of the presen
congress, SO that the amendment can be acte'
upon by the various State legislatures befor
the recurrence of another presidential cleo
ton.
The Turkish government has commenced