Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-12-20
The First Question.

1"cP>>ltN Tor dttPrmlnlnT 0y "tp lil' illfth
o,l Of counting the cleo oral vote. There
is no question now before the American
prople equaling this in imp rtance. II
should have precedence, in Congress- OF
all other measures. The importance of it
is not 50 much in tn" particular method.
t. in adopting some method. As the Con
Slituion and the laws now are there i no
provision for counting the electoral votc,
OF declaring the result The Senate has
decided that the joint rule on the subject
is no longer in force, AID Il, Il matte OF
parliamentary practice that decision is un
donbcdly right. \ joint rule can 10
more bind SUI 5 'quent Congresses than an
agreement Of \ and b yesterday can bind
{ and ID to-day Ii binds the Houses that
Iassrntcd to it, bat it can b nj no one else
Yet bad us this rule was in is method. i;
was still Il method Of counting the cleo
than nothing. The 5, nate hlving refused
to be governed by it, i, bound by every
consideration Of public duty to drop all
questions of party advantage until it h;,>
agl ecl to propose some far measure to
the House Of REPRESENTATIVES to take the.
place of the rule thus Abandoned This be-
c. mes all the more is duty. since, by its
independent action. Ga, it had the power to
do) and not hy the concurrent acti n of
the two Houses. the lule i, no longer
operative. The body that frs declines TO
follow the Practice which has been adopted
for three successive presidential c'c .,on:.
takes Il very grave responsibility, unless
! 1t, ut the same time. makes sure. either bV
a new jcnt rule, or by Il law. that So1ut
method Of counting the electoral vote Just
east is in force by the second "Wednesday
Of February next.
For what will be the condition of things
then if no rule OF law is adopted prior to
that time? There can be but one result.
in that case-that is, there can he but on,
result unless one party. or bo}h parties are.
ready for usurpa.ion. Neither HAYES Tor
Iidcn can be con>ttutiunalv counted in
II, or DECLARED to be. president. The Con-
Stitnti"n dc>i-nAtes no body or person IT,
count the vo Is. Ii lod@c> that power no
whore. Whether this WAS intentional rr
unin.cnlional make, no difference. II i,
fact, All the same. The pres..nt Of the
Senate may open the certificates, but if lie,
attom} + to count The votes h" trau>crnd>
any authority OF power r,l,o~c,i in him Nv
the Constitution; in bri. +. lac hccome, 4
u-urpcr. ! he Srn3te cannot alone do i.
for The sam" reason ihat is president can.
not the Constitution gives that body nc
such power Neither can the House tu. ::
'IN" r'a-"n- h" Constitution makes Ne
tW" Houses witnesses Of the urrnin. It
the certificates, hut. in the absence. Of law
or IuI :. her power and iuv end there.
And IT the woes cannot be counted. and
no On" can be- declared elected, after L. e.
fourth of March there i'll. of course. I.;,
vacancy in the Office of pres idcnt. all tie.
hen President OF the Senate becomes l.,
law president Of the United States until =
new election cal. BE- had nest Nuvcul cr.
1t i no answer to this vir.v to say thar
tn" power to count the votes must rc~i,I.
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