The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-12-31


THE NEXT PRESIDENTIAL CoNTEsT.-Tbe
St. Louis Republican and Chicago Tribune
seem to concur in the opinion that there are
reasons for believing that the next presIden
tial election will be very fierce and bitter
struggle, and even for apprehendng that it
will strain the weakest part of our Constitu'
ton beyond its capacity to besr the test. In
addition to the unsettled and menaclng
aspect of the questions left by the war,
the fact that the body which will count the
votes cast for President and Vice-President
in 1876 will be composed of a. Democratic
House and Republican Senate, each pos
sessing power, under what is called "Jolnt
rule" to reject the vote of State
or the votes of several States, aud
thus to prevent decision, ls regarded
as indicating where and how the trial
may come. The Republican thinks that
If the Democrats should lose in the next cleo
ton portion of the conquests they made in
the last, and the Republicans should rally for
desperate attempt to regain position, the
presidential election would, perhaps. be SO
marked by general frauds that counting OF
the electoral votes in joint session would be
equivalent to new election, or new a.!
tempt at election, by body which, in the
nature of things, cannot decide, as the joint
session would he composed of Democratic
House and Repu blican Senate, each having
an equal voice. 1t is true that rightly the sole
function of the joint session is to be present
while the President of the Senate counts
the votes and declares the result; but in
point of fact the joint session has q: sumed
to decide on the legality of the vote of each
State and to reject it for Illegally or inform
atty. In substance the joint session has as
sumed to holda new election, il it chooses TO-,
and to declare the defeated candidate Presi-
dent. This was Republican device to pre-
vent the installation Of Democratic Presi-
dent as long as both branches of Congress
were Republican. But as "one branch of the
next Congress will become Democratic, the
next Joint session will, therefore, be divi-
ded- half Democratic and half Republican,
with each possessing an equal voice in de-
ternning the legality Of each States electo-
raj vote. If the election should be close,
with no great majority on either side, and
if, in addition to this, there should be fraud
or allegations Of fraud in several States.
here is where the strain would fall. The dis.
puted votes might be decisive, and it might
chance that the hostile houses would tie on
each of then-the Republican Senate re-
jectpg the Democratic electoral vote of Geor-
gia as in 1868, on account Of alleged fraud,
and the Democratic House rejecting the Re-
publican vote of Pennsy lyania for the same
reason or preteXt. Under circumstances like
these the votes Of one.third or one-half the
States might 60 uncounted, and either no
decision reached, or the election decided by
the votes of those States which were count
ed. It is not too much to say that an appeal
to arms would be the result. Senator Nor
ton has indicated a civil war as the ever
possible outcome of count of electoral
votes under tue present system, aud the Chi
cago Tribune, in discussing this subject,
points out the same imminent danger"
The system of choosing President and
Vice President through the INTERPRETATION
of electors can only be changed by con-
stitutional amendment to be adopted by
Congress and ratified by two.thirds of the
States. IT az alteration is essential to the
public peace, it should be made at once, SO
as to prevent possible crisis in the next
presidential contest. We do not, however,
anticipate any such difficulty as our con-
temporaries copjIre up.-Balhmore Sun.