The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-12-19
VOL. 8.
Ghe 8ulletin.
RANDOLPH CATCHES EDMUNDs
AND M atom

AND MOaHON.
When the Republicans were claiming
that it was treason TO go behind the
board seal of state in counting the cleo
toral vote. they referred to the action OF
senator Mason in 1867, who while acting
as president of the senate presided in the
joint convention Of that year when the
vote for Fremont and Buchanan was
counted. 1t will be remembered that a
great snow storm prevented the electors
OF The state of Wisconsin from voting on
the day provided by the constitution, and
IL was claimed by members OF both the
senate and house that the vote Of the state
was not legal, rs il certainly was not. Re-
ierripg to this tact ia the history OF the
counting Of the electoral vote. Senator
Edmunds, the distinguished Radical
senator from Vermont, said in The sen.
OF the senate, had decided that no obec-
ton to the right OF the presiding officer
TO. count the vote could be even enter
tanned; that he had the right to decide
stitutonal vote: that he declined to SUBJ
NIT the question Of his right to thus
count and decide to the joint convention,
and said distinctly, The only thing
in order IL to count the votes he
being the counter. Mr.. Morton,
the distinguished senator from
indiana. agreed with Senator Edmunds in
his statement Of the Wisconsin matter,
aud all the Republicans have been pre-
senting ii as "A conclusion OF the argu-
ment in reference to the manner OF count
ing the electoral votes. "ln the absence
OF Joint rule" they are asserting, 1--WE
must fall back upon the constitution.
and the manner of counting the votes
under the constitution has been deter
mined by the ruling OF Mr.. Mason, pres
ident of the senate, when the Wisconsin
vote was counted in 1857
But all the hopes OF the Radi-
Gals, based upon the Wisconsin precedent,
have been knocked down. Senators Nor
ton aud Edmunds have misrepresented
the Wisconsin matte = most grossly. Sem
ator Randolph, of New Jersey. has con-
victed them of this crime, aud closed
their mouths efiectuaily. In late speech
in the senate. Mr.. Randolph referred to
the position OF the senators from Yer
mont and Indiana on the Wisconsin
count OF 1857, and proved them to be en-
tireiy mistaken by quoting President OF
the Senate Mason's own words IRON the
Congressional Globe.
Mr. Mason said The presiding off,
Ger considers that the duty Of counting the
cote has aerolrsd upon the teIlers Uider the
concurrent order 0 { the too hoaees that the
tellers should determine for themselves
In what way the votes are verified TO
them"
When the vote o. Wisconsin was OBJ
Jected 10, one OF the tellers said Il
suppose, Mr.. President, the proper way
would be for The telers TO report the
facts TO the cony ention of the two houses
and let them decide" To this sugges-
ton the vice-prcsident responded as toll
lows: "The presiding officer so considers"
Senator Randolph then proved that
Senators Douglas. Seward. Crittenden,
and others, were vehement IN assert
ing that the president Of the sen
ate had no right 10 decide upon
the validity or invalidity OF an electoral
vote, and that Vice President Mason
said: "Ihe presiding officer is utterly
unaware that he has assumed the exercise
OF any such power"
In the conclusion OF his speech, Senator
Randolph gave the finishing blow to the
Republican claim about the Wisconsin
vote, by quoting the following from re-
marks made by Vice President Mason on
that occasion. He said:
The presiding officer desires 10 say,
as he thought he had distinctly stated
whilst presiding oyer the two houses in
the chamber of the house of representa-
tiyes, that the conception of the senator
from Georgia is entirely erroneous in the
judgment OF the presiding officer. The
presiding officer did not undertake 10 de-
eide whether the vote of the State of
Wisconsin was a good vote or bad vote.
The presiding officer upon that matter
did no more than recite the fact which
was reported TO him by the tellers. pur-
suant TO the concurrent order OF the
two houses. The presiding officer did
no more than announce that the vote OF
Wisconsin had been given to John c.
Fremont. Whether it was a good vote
or bad vote he did not undertake TO
decide"
Finally, Nice-President Mason declared
that he chad not undertaken to decide and
had not decided whether the vote Of the
state OF Wisconsin had been given to
John =. Fremont or not, a power that
the chair utterly disclaimed and never as
serted"
This chapter from the history OF the
wisconsin count dumbiounded the
Radical senator's but il will not, we fear,
drive them from their determination TO
back Nice-President Ferry in his revo,u-
tionary determination TO do the counting
himself and pay no attention TO either the
wishes or objections of the house or SEN
ate.
PASS MORTON'S hill