The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-12-21
Choosing q President.

struggle, and even for apprehending that
it will strain the weakest part of our con-
stitution beyond its capacity to bear the
test, The constant recurrence OF disorders
in the south, which are thought to war
rant Federal interference, warns us that
the difficult questions lett US by the war OF
ten wears ago are still unsettled and mena-
cling: and the fact that the body which
will count the votes cast tor President and
Vice President in 1875 will be composed OF
a Democratic house and Republican sen
ate, each possessing power, under what Is
called the joint rule, to reject the vote OF
a state, or the votes of several states, and
thus to prevent decision, indicates when
and how trial may come. 1t is not the
habit Of long dominant PARTIES, IN a coun'
try controlled to far greater extent by
parties than by its polity. to submit meek
ly to defeat; the Democracy did not
yield quietly in 1861, and the Republican
party may not yield quietly in 1876. 1t
still holds the senate, and still controls the
executive-in this case an executive who's
at the head of the army, and who does not
scruple to use it, in the south, at least, on
very slight and slender warrant. Ii the
Democrats should lose in the next election
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 count
ing of the electoral votes in joint session
would be equivalent to new election, or a
new attempt at election, by a body which.
in the nature of things, cannot decide for,
as we have said, the joint session would be
composed of Democratic house and a
Republican senate, each having an equal
voice. 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
eide on the legality of each state $ vote, and
to reject it for illegality or informali,y. In
plain words, the Joint session has assumed
to hold new election if it chooses to, and
to declare the defeated candidate Presl-
dent This was Republican device to
preve 1t the installation of Democratic
President as long as both branches OF con
gress we're Republican, But one branch
of the next congress will become Demo
cratic the next Joint session will, there
fore, be divided half Democratic and hall
Republican--with each possessing an equal
voice in determining the legality OF each
states electoral vote. If the elections
should be close, with no great majority on
either side, and if, in addition to this, there
should be fraud, or allegations to fraud IN
several states, here is where the strain
would fall. The disputed votes might be
decisive, and it might chance that the hos
tile houses would tie on each of them-the
Republican senate rejecting the Democrat
ic electoral vote of Georgia, as in lS6S, on
account of alleged fraud, and the Demo.
cratic house rejecting the Republican vote
of Pennsylvania 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 counted.
1t is not too much to say that an appeal to
arms would be the result. Senator Nor
ton has indicated civil war as the ever
possible outcome Of count Of electoral
votes under the present system, aud the
Chicago Tribune, in discussing this sub
ject, thus points out the same imminent
danger:
1t has been proved that $4,000 fraudulent uatur
alization papers were issued, and voted upon III
New lofk City at the election Of 1865 Those IN
the hands OF l20OO repcaters carried the city
WhelmiHg ely against Grant and the Republicans
TIE city carried the state Thus fraud IN one local
ity diminished Grants honest majority o the elcc
toral votes by siXty-siX. 1t took thirtyhree vote
from him and gave them to seymour, who had re-
Cyiyed a minority of the legal vote-. A. 1t happen
he could stand this loss of New York by fraud. Bu
il he had needed the real vote New FORK gave him
and hal then been cheated ont of Il, would the ne
publican party have submitted to the glazing ont
rag II il had not civil war would have been III
eyitable.
III corruption in New York threatens to wrest
Philadelphia threatens to counterbalancc it. Meth
er party can afford 10 win by fraud The trench
doue struggle of 1876 must be fought fairly, or a
civil war such as the world has never seen-a war.
not of states with sta but OF state county city,
township, ward, and individual againt individual
ward; township, city, county ana state,-may come
Our first century is 10 end with politictl crisis
We shall be wse If we take care that the shock Of
conflict shall not be too great
This is no fanciful alarm; it is a picture |
OF real danger. Our absurd system OF |
choosing President aud Vice President
through the INTERPRETATION of electors who |
never meet in council, who are under no
obligations to vote according to the instruc
tons OF their constituents, who, in fact, |
sometimes vote contrary to those instruc |
tons, and VIII pse votes, after being cast, |
are subject to Judicial review bya Joint SEES |
sion returning board which may count them |
or reject them at its pleasure-this system |
is the weak spot in our national polity |
That it has not broken down under the ex |
elements OF the purer and more patriotic
days of the republic is no guaranty that it
will stand the pressure of the selfish pas
sions that will be brought to bear on 1t two
years hence. The electoral system is fool
lsh and dangerous enough of itself; but
its absurdity and dangers are doubly ag
gravated 10y the JOINT rule invented by
the Republicans in 1868 to keep a fairly
elected Democratic President out of office.
hat rule stands to this day, notwithstand
ing tue perilss which distinguished Republi
cans themselves have pointed out as the
possible fruits of itand it is the law un-
der which the electoral votes cast in the
next Presidential election will be counted,
unless some new method shall be devised
a new method can be secured only through
constitutional amendment to be adopted
by congress and ratified by two-thirds of
the states. 1t is of much importance that
whatever change is made-whetner for
election Of Presideht by the people at large, |
or BY states, or by congressional districts
shall be made at an early dly; otherwise |
will come too late, it, Indeed, it comes at |
all, to prevent the possible crisis 10 the |
next contest. The attention of the last |
congress and of the present one was earn
estly called to the subject and several meth |
obs proposed to take the place of the pres
ent one but the Republicans have per
Ihi'teu the country 20 approach within two
years VI "nat may be a critical contest
WITHOUT even an attempt to insure the pub |
lie peace against the predicted dangers
Ii the present session shall adjourn with
Il