, 1876-12-27
THE CR1s1s-.A SUGGESTION.
10 III. Editor Nf The Tribune,

KNOX County, ILL.,, Dec. 23.-To determine
who shall have been elected President the Con-
stltut!on provides amendment XIII, Sec. y that
the votes having been duly transmitted, re-
ccved, md opened, 'shall then be counted; tho
person having the greatest number Of votes for
President shall bo the President, II such NUM-
ber be majority OF tile whole number OF Elect
ors appointed, md II no person hayo such 1na-
iority, then, from the persons having the high
est number, =. "the House Of Rep
reaentativca shall choose immediately, by BAL
lot, the President" To authorize tho House
of Representatives to elect President, then,
the fact must appear, ba recognized, and ae-
know1cdged by It, Tint "uo person has IT.
esiuttl tho rotes Of majority Of the aatots number
Of Electors appointed. But this Is not admitted
by any one, and in tho nature of things cannot
In tho present Issue bc fact, for only two cat-
received majority OF the votes Of the Electors
legnlly chosen and honestly entitled to act ps
such. One-half or thcrcabouts Of Congress md
Of the people deny that "no person " had such
agreo ii tho dcnIul q "no person :" had sucll .
majority, but assert that, instead Of Hates. TIL
tlcn Ind II. Can the House Of Representatives
then clatn, constitutional right to MT In such
case, the question being not whether any persoa.
received q majority, but .nhieh of two persons
tior was tainted With fraud alt through (and
therefore should be held vofd), is to put
# very mildly. A review OF 1t suggests ut once
Chlnee But can the Investigations Of partisan
committees of Congressman or other men wllosc
spols, patronage, retention Of office, and politt-
cal hopes, depend un1n tue success Of their
eanataate, trace out tug fruuas and give us the
nuns present cunv!ctions7 Who believes til
Under the clrcuInetances what should be done
to satisfy tho people, rcbuke cf{ectually the
s1s Of p1puft so1tpton dsperse = the
gather and break, may ovcrwhelm with ruin our
whole system OF popular goyernmentl
Let Congress pass joint resolution dcetar.
Ing that It ls impossible to decide that either
did or did not rccetvc majority Of tho votes
OF legally chosen Elcetors and provide that a
new election shall be holden within reasonable
t!mei and also submit, for adoption at once by
providing for u direct election by the people OF
President u1ll Viee-Prcsidcnt OH tho buckaew
plan, or something lilke It. Such action would
undoubtedly oe heartily approved bY TIC people
vote, would avoid sucl! complication il
tho FUTURE, mud thus "from thu .nettlo
danger pluck the flower Batcty.n Can the to!-
ttlrIaus In Congress rise to tho height Of patrl
otism aud statesmanshp necessary to do thlst
should demand action Of them IN thts direction,
unless better cln bo proposGd. eau q moro pol
itic step, under present conditions, be taken by
your political party, MI; Editor mot mlne, ~
the way) than to lead Off in this movement II
II does not, nor unitcs III It, but suffers itself to
bo tempted by It's coi,trol Of the Sen
ate to declare Hayes to have hecn
elected President, It will hayo achieved
less tluu ryrriIc victory, and
will dcscrvcdly havc sealed It's political damna-
tIon.
To remedy the wronga that may DO done. q
class OF men who should bo stigmattzcd as
public enemies threaten war; not wnr Of Bcc.
tions, as before, hut war with every nlan's hand
against Ills ncishbor. Let the people reue,,,.
ber THAT civil war means plumber, conaagsat[on,
assassination, and ruin oycEyWhcrei- mnrtlnl
law over tho whole ll,,d; not either Hayes OF
Tilden in tho White House, distributing
Post~Oaiccs md Gnugcrships, but t'tl,a
man on horseback," perhaps hnlf n
score OF them, III dcspotlc command;
! and when exhaustion ut length shalL bring
| peace It will bn only that peace TINT Is found
where tyranny sits cnthroned on the grave Of
| liberty. Tim that We can better endure one
more term u modified Grauts1n, or four ycars'
experience Of .hlorrIssey's Pet, tho lit repre-
sentative Of ylllalny III politics, Of greed, mean:
| ness, and bascness III human laturc. And let
| tho people lenotlncc Woo anti vengeance upnll
those, however high, who would i,nbruo our
hands In each otflcr's blood to mako successful
tile frauds uud outragcs Of either party.
| An DLD FAnMER,