The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1876-11-04
Counting the Votes.


Concern is expressed in some quar-
ters, says the N. Y. sun, about the
method of counting the votes for Presi-
dent aud President, upon the idea
that the election will he close and may
be attended with possible danger. This
anxiety Is misplaced, and these fears
may be dismissed. In the first place,
Mr.. Tilden's majority of States in the
electoral college, and of the popular
vote, too, will be so large as to furnish
no pretext fer dispute.
In the second place, the Constitution
provides the only existing mode by
which the election shall he formally veri-
fled for after all, it is nothing more
than a verifcation Of result already
determined. That clause in the Con
stitution is explicit enough, when not
broken into fragments. 1t says, Article
H., Section
the electors shall meet in their respective
States AMI vote by ballot for two persons, Of
whom one at least shall not be an inhubitant of
the same state with themselves. Ana they
shall maze list of all the persons voted for and
Of the number OF votes for each which list they
shall sign md certify. and transmit sealed to
the sent OF the Government Of the United
states, direct to the PTesident of the senate.
| The President of the Senate snail. In the pre-.
sence of the Senate and House Of Representa-.
| tives, open all the certificates, and the votes
| sbal then be counted"
The act of March I. 1902, was passed
to carry this clause into effect. 1t pro-
vides how the electors shall he chosen,
when they shall meet, and to whom
their certificates shall be sent. Also,
that Congress shall be in session on the
second Wednesday in February for
the purpose of counting and declaring
the vote" The practcs has been for
the two Houses to meet ir joint session
on that day, and for the Senate to ap-
point one teller and the House two, to
record the votes as read from the certi
ficates Of the electors, which had been
previously " directed to the President
of the Senate"
On the 9th of February, 1865, the Re.
publican Congress adopted joint rule
which placed 1t in the power Of either
House to raise objection to the counting
of any vote, and declare no vote oh
jeeted to shall be counted except by the
concurrent votes of the two Houses" Il
is easy to see that, with a Republican
majority in the Senate and Democra.
tic majority in the House, very serious
difficulties might arise in high part!
times like the present.
This joint rule is nov dead, as th'
House at the last session refused to re
adopt it, and with very good reason. 81
the count will take place under the con
stitutional provision above cited, unles
the two Houses should come to al
agreement as TO another mode, which !
hardly probable. While no trouble
to be apprehended, the desperate Re
publican leaders who have control o
the Senate will stop at 10 means With
reach to retain power. Hence 1t is de
sirable, not only to elect Mr.. Tilden, ,bu
, to elect him by so overwhelming vot
, that the corrupt and reckless manager
, at Washington will be awed into sub
{ mission and silence, and the Admins
tration of Grant will go down into di'
: grace, without the voice Of disturbin
B faction to distract public attention.