The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1876-11-22
[coMMuN1cArED.]
C0UNTING THE ELECTORAL VOTE.

one TO secure his eleC1iou, Lay 20
1865 conceded to him and needs all the
10 votes from Florida, South Carolina
and Louisiana to elect him. There
are likely to arise grave and serious
questions in the count of the votes
of the electoral colleges from these
three States, and most probably from
Louisiana in the event of our being
counted out by the Returning Board,
which may shake this nation to its
very foundation.
The Constitution of the United
States does not seem 20 have provi-
ded for any such contingency as has
arisen, and the Republicans claim
that the 22nd Joint Rule, which
made some sort of a provision for the
difficulty, and would have satisfied
the people has been abrogated and
abolished. The XIIth Amendment
to the Constitution provides that on
the 1st Wednesday in December, the
electoral colleges of the States shall
meet at the Capitals of their respec-
tive States, cast their ballots for
President and Vice-President sepa-
rately and shall transmit their votes
sealed, to the President Of the Senate
of the United States; that on the
End Wednesday in February, the
President of the Senate in the pres
ence of the Senate and House of
Representatives shall open these
sealed packages "and they shall then
be counted;" but does not say how
or by whom they shall be counted.
The 22nd Joint Rule gave either
House the right to object to the coun-
ting of the vote of any State, but if
that rule is no longer in force, and
partisan spirit should prevail, we
see abundant room for controversy
and trouble in the count.
The trainers Of the Constitution
failed to provide for the case where
any State should send sealed to the
President of the Senate the votes Of
two separate electoral colleges. In
1872 Louisiana did send two sets Of
votes, but as Horace Greedy was dead
and it made no difference anyway,
there was no trouble about the mat
ter. Now, however, the eight votes
of Louisiana may elect the President
and if the Returning Board should
reverse the verdict of the people who
have given Tilden over 1000 majority
in this State, it will be the duty of
the Tilden electors in Louisiana to
meet according to law, cast their
votes for Samuel j. Tilden, and send
them sealed to the President of the
Senate. The Hayes electors if coun
ted in by the Returning Board, will
do the same, and on the second Wed
nesday in February the President of
the Senate will have to open two sets
of electoral votes from Louisiana,
somebody will have to decide which
set shall be received and counted, or
whether either set shall be counted
and the whole thrown out. Hayes
must get them counted for him in or
der to be elected, for without Louisi-
ana's eight gotes, with Florida and
South Carolina he would still be 7
votes behind Tilden. If they are
thrown out entirely, then will come
another constitutional question.
Whether Tilden with a majority of 7
over Hayes shall be declared elected
or whether he must have a majority
of all the electoral votes. Without
the vote of Louisiana, and with Flor
;. ida and South Carolina against him
he would have 1874 votes, or one short
of majority of the 369 electoral
votes of all the States. This would,
however, not be a question which
would affect the result, as, if it was
decided that he still lacked the one
vote and Louisiana was thrown out
entirely, then the election of a Presi-
dent would be thrown into the Demo
cratic House Of Representatives, who
by the Constitution must select the
President from among the three can.
didates having the highest vote,
They would, of course, choose Til.
den, and the present indications are
that the Democratic House will YET
have to elect the President.
The trouble will come when the
question has to be decided as to what
shall be done with the electoral vote
of Louisiana. The Republican Sen
ate, DESTROYS of electing Hayes will
, contend that without the 22nd Join
} Rule, the two Houses of Congress