, 1873-01-18


,,r,r,.,d ,,,nn. HIN ;ntrtnsfo injustice to tho
n9s Of 9 present ssG t t. Ro4s Ro1 to sne
' rumiinn cnbat md Intrigue. when an election is
Il vj,t In os1,nd wint in tin ro,nctiy? IIe on
aworod be % wo,,ii % i" clad # so1nn rnoaua could be
devised by which thg nRtion could
oscape tho danger of having tic Hougo
OF Iorroguntntiyog to oleot President.
in nny capo, but il guc}, is to bo tho rcyurt III
cnao no cantli,laLo for tho Presidency gntB a
mniority Of ali yoos, ho would hayo both ifouBos
al Cong{rors meet IN joint, convontiol, anil Zach
Iris would bo in cxact harmony with tho prin-
cpes upon wllic! tllo olootion ID now to DO natlo
BY tic people Of several atatos;; undor tho new
several gatcs ahnll yoto directly for Tho prosi-
don't, eucI1 Btato to lnyo aB many diRtrctH and 60
many yotou ay Il lbs youatop md Roprcaonta-
ot V1 o proaoyvod won @ the eiooon M is thrown in
to Conpross 1t is hard to perceive.
lis object was to point ont to tho Hosato md
country tic dangers thHt lio iu lilo pathway OF
not not remote, but uoar and nrobabio, Which threat
On tio no,,ntrv viii revol'1tol' a11l tic aoyor-
mont mt viii % destruction, nnl 10 ,rgo that lie
path Of duty is tlo patl. Of safety; that now,
tion, we shoail atliross ol,rnoivey to tho remov<
nj Of thoso pnrilo1a oEslr,lctionp that woro hid-
| don to tho eyes OF our fnshers, but hayo bccu
brought to our knowledge by, observation and
| I would say that If tho syntcni Of Electoral
Colleges is to bo continued, eomo mcana
should bo devised by whicJ. tho election
| Of tl,oso Electors in tho States may kg
| contested. 50 that il 1t has boen controlled by
fraud or yiolonco, or If tllcro be Two sets OF
Electors, each caiming tho right to cast the vo:o
Of tho etato, tllore may ho some machinery or
tribunal provided, by which fraudulent returns
could 10 yot aaido or corrcctoG and tle contond-
inc ,;n}1na Of dilforout acts Of Electors bo Ect-
Tia I % In ADVANCE Of lie tno, when tho voto is to
Of tho sonato m1ay no longer bo loft to exercise
tho dangerous 1,oworg tllat scen to hn p1acel in
| his hands by tho Constitution or tlc two housea
Of Congroas BY the operation Of tho twenty.
| nocond Joint RuIo Patriotic mcrt of
ali partics must rejoice Tint ueneral
Grant has boon elected by so largo majorisy
that the Electoral votos Of Louisiana and Arlsau-
sas are unimnortaut to tho result For, witlont
to those Statos must DO permitted to say that
thoy aro surrounded by gucn circunu,tances and
attended with 30 much doubt in tho public mind.
tint tin nnnca ri thn untion woull bo impcrillei
Il tho regnit Of tho rrosit.,,tnl election was 10
10 determined by tllom Tho plan Of dspens
ing with the ELECTORAL College ind clcc:ing tho
ProBidont directly by tho vote Of the
who]o country as ono community, or by
dividing tho Station up into districts, seems
to mo to bo a ro,ncdy for mrny OF tho OWLS and
dangers to which hayo referred, but oven then
tostod and doubtful results in districts or ut
disputed points, and this tribunal should bo IT,
moved as far as possible from tic control Of OK
cited partios This naturally B,lsgoBtB tho Sill
promo Court of tho United States Or tho Circuit
md District Judges of tho Courts of the United
States for such tribunal, Whatever tribunal
miuht bo orentod would require m,lcl, conBdera-
lion in regard to details and the method Of op-
nrntion futo which II IL not important that I
shonM nov ntLompt to onter. lilo injustice
nnd f1nnuor of nuothor election Of President by
tic House Of Representation, voting by States,
aro 80 glarini{, TINT it goomD to n.1
Congress should novor rest until it ll0s consti'
| tutjonaly preHento1 to tho epycral States for
thoir aloption somo plan by which it mny here-
after bo avoided. 1 hnyo therefore PROPOSED
that tho Committee shall take the whole subject
into consideration, with leavo to sit during tho
vacation. and roport to tho noxt session Of Con-
gross the result Of thoir dolibora.ion+ md to
bring forward B1cl, measures ~ may be deemed
necessary, whether in tho forms Of statutes or
amendments, to tho ConJiitution Of tho united
: Btatos.
Al tho conclusion Of Mr.. Morton'B rcmarks
Mr.. THUAIBJL1, Bpoto briefly, agroaing with
Mr. Morton MS 10 some Of tle lefccs and (angofa
Of tho existing Electoral system, but dissenting
A. H. I1f{