The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1875-01-27
Presidential ElecriOns---A Threaten.
ed Danger.

The discussion of Senator Morton s
proposed amendment to the Consti-
tuition, which provides for change in
the mode of electing the President
and Vice President, devel6ne some
rather startling facts in regard to our
present system. These facts can harl-
ly be called new, though the possibly
resulting dangers are for the first time
put prominently before the country.
The remarks of Senators Morton,
Thurman, and CoDklin, and the points
made by them in the consideration of
this question, are but briefly sum
married. in the teleeraphic account,
but the dangers to which they allude
can be easily calculated in detail by
considering their suggestions for a
moment. The Constitution provides
that the electors of the various States
shall transmit to the President of the
Senate the votes for President and
Vice President. The President of
the Senate (the Vice President) shall
in the presence of the Senate and
House of Representatives, open all
the certificates, and the votes shall
then be counted, The persons hav-
ing a majority Of all the electoral
votes shall be President and Vice
President.
Now, it will be observed that the
opening of the Gel tiGeates is to be in
the presence of the Senate and House,
but these bodies have nothing what
ever to do with the counting. The
power is in the hands of the Vice
President. Senator Morton alluded
to the fact that since the organization
of the government there had been six
several times when the Vice Presi-
dent, charged with the duty, was a
candidate for reelection. He there
fore counted and announced vote in
which he was directly interested. In
each of these instances there had been
no question as to the fairness OF the
announcement, but this might not al
ways be the case, and two or three
times there had been signs of trouble.
1t has happened sometimes that two
sets of electors have claimed authority
from one State. Heretofore, the ad,
mission or rejection of either the one
or the other could not alter the gen.
eral result But suppose it were 9TH
erwise? Suppose the result depended
on the electoral vote of one State, and
from that came one set of electors ia
vorable to the Vice President and his
party, and another opposed to him?
The temptation to decide fayorably to
the friendly electors would be exceed :.
inply strong, and one which weak or
ambitious man might easily yield to.
Strange enough, no tribunal is pro-
yided for the determination of con-
test on such questions, it appearing
that so far as the Constitution is con-
cerned the decision of the Vice Presi-
dent is conclusive.
Another danger pointed out is that
occasioned by the death or absence of
an elector. Now the vacancy may be
filled by the other electors. If il
should happen that these were evenly
divided, the death of one on either
side would enable the majority OPP
posing to cast the entire vote of the
whole State as they desired, thus, if
they so willed, DISTINGUISHING one half
the citizens of any State The last
objection which Mr.. Morton makes to
the present system, Enough not one
arising from the Constitution, and
therefore easily remedied, is, it seems
to us, the one from which danger is
just now most to be feared. The
twenty-second joint rule of Congress
provides that if any question shall
arise in regard to counting the vote,
the Senate shall withdraw. and the
question be submitted separately to
both houses by their respective pre-
siding officers, and mo question shall
be decided afirmatively, and no vote
objected to shall be counted, without
the concurrent vote of the two
houses When we read this rule we
are amazed that no trouble has here
tofore arisen under it. Certainly
nothing could be more loosely or care
lessly drawn. 1t will be seen that the
proceedings are to be interrupted
whenever 'any question shall be
raised in regard to counting the VOTE
The question may he utterly frivolous,
for that matter, though of course the
aim would be, if an attempt were
made to profit by the provision, to
make the objection a plausible one.
We can imagine in an event now
approaching us when the existence of
this rule will be fraught with great
danger, and we mention this without