Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-11-10
CORNING the Vote.
(From the New York Sum-

eSSNAA~eNoSSA S--o
''Graphic' on Monday, and not since
disowned by him:
IF New 7 ork should happen to go Dem
ocratic. the probability if that there would
be a disposition on the part OF the Repub-
licans to throw out the votes OF those
Southern States which were carried for
Tilden by the intimidation of the blacks.
[ have heard the suggestion made that it
would be moral perjury in Vice President
Ferry and President Grant if they should
consent to allow the electoral vote OF
States to be cast for the restoration
Of the Southern Confederacy When they
knew that a majority of the people OF
these States had been practically d:Sfran
chised, and when they had in their hands
the legal proof of that fact.
CHOW, if the Presidential election should
turn upon the votes of say Mississippi,
South Carolina, Florida, or Louisiana, it
would be impossible to avoid a desperate
dispute between the two legislative HOu-
SEES of the Government. The way is already
prepared, by the declarations OF Republl-
| can Senators, for Mi. Ferry acting Vice
President, to assume the entire response
bility of counting the electoral votes. The
House will not, of course, consent to this.
| The next thing is the position of President
Grant Grant is the Commander in-Chief
|
States. The very practical question would
arise whether he would sustain Mr.. Ferry
| in the Senate. I imagine that the weight
Of inference is that he would. Perhaps he
| would do it by proclamation. That is
what in the Spanish American republics
are called pronatac5asnientos. The situa-
ton will be exceedingly difficult if not
hazardous. Trouble would come upon us
in a mere dangerous shape than it did six
teen years ago. There is d sort of Next
can miasma in the political air."
Now, what does this extraordinary de-
claration of Mr.. Hastead mean? What
does this cool headed man, prominent IN
the councils of the Republican party, the
friend Of Hayes, and the strongest news
| paper advocate of his election III the west,
intend to convey 10 the people of the
! country? It is simply this: IT Hayes IS
| defeated, the Republicans Wit Begin neD
ciuiI Uar They proclaim through Mr.
Halstead that they will refuse to accept
the constitutional decision OF the ballot
| box, and that, following the example OF
the shareholders in 1861, they will revolt
against the President chosen by the people.
| (From the New York Herald.)
The first move toward positively rejecting
the vote Of any State was made in the
| House, December 10, 1854, when MI. Will
son offered JOINT resolution declaring
certain States chose in rebellion) not
entitled to representation in the electoral
colleges, and that no votes from them
should be received or counted. This was
adopted, and votes from only thirty-iive of
the thirty-seven States were counted. No
votes were offered from the States in rebel
lion.
In 1869, the question of the regularity or
legality of counting the vote of Georgia
was brought up by Senator Edmunds, who u,
on the 9Th Of February. offered a concur
rent resolution, reciting that whereas the
questions is now pending whether the
State of Georgia is entitled to represent Ia
ton in Congress, because not yet reorgan-
lied: Resolved, That if the vote Of Georgia
| shall not essentially change the result,
they should be reported thus :-"Were the
votes Of Georgia to be counted the result
| would be for for President,
votes if not counted, for - for PreSi-
! dent, - votes but in either case ---
is elected President of the United States"
The Senate passed this resolution, 81 to
/. q. Subsequently Senator Trumbull moved
TO reject the votes of Louisiana, but the
motion Was lost. There Was mucn confu
sion and wrangling, but finally the count
was completed, and the tellers announced
294 votes, including Georgia, of which AS
would be majority but excluding Geor,
| gia, there We're 2S5 votes, and 143 was q
majority. AS Grant had 2l4 and Seymour
only II, or 50 With Georgia, the result Was
fixed beyond Cd, il, and the presiding officer
declared Ulysses 5, Grant duly elected.
THE LAST AEETING-THE TWENTY
SECOND RULE.
The last joint session for counting the
! electoral v0Jes Was on lie 18th of Feb
ruary, 1o72. Again there was difference
over the votes OF the reconstructed States
although their reception or REJECTION could
not make tie sll. n esq difference. On this
occasion the somewhat tWenty-second rule
passed February 6, 1861 Was used to stop
debate and questioning while Ill joint
session. The Substance OF t;is rule is DIS
Ii upol the reading OF any such certi
tcaJe Dy the telers any question shall arise
in regard to Tie counting of the vote,
therein certified, the same having been
Stated by tne presiding officer, the Senate
shall LhcIeupon Wlthdi aW, and said queS-
ton shall b. submitted to that body for its
decision and the Speaker OF the House
Shall in like Dlanner said question to tie
| House sfor its decision ; aud no question
shall be decided atiirmatlvely and no vote
objected to shall be counted except by the
codcurrent votes of the two houses, which
being obtained the two houses shall re-
assemble, and the presiding officer shall
then announce the decision OF the question
submitted and upon such question there
shall be no debate III either house aud any
other question 10 THIS object, for which the
two houses are assembled, may be submit
ted and determined III ike manner.
The two houses met on the 12th Of Feb
ruary to count the vote. When Georgia
was reached MI. Hoar objected to the
three votes Tor Horace Greeley, because
they were given after his decease, and the
electors could not lawfully vote for q dead
man. The point was waived for a time,
and the count went On till Mississippi WAS
read. Mr.. Trumbull objected to the vote
because the statement did not say it WAS
done by ballot. Both objections were put
in writing, and the Senate retired. In That
body it was Voted--forty-fou yeas and
nineteen nays-to count the votes for
Greeley. During the debate Nj. Conkling
and others undertook to get through q de-
ciaration that the functions Of the joint
session were purely ministerial, and that
the recording of the votes of the States
was done Independent @. and without re-
gard to the effect of SUCH votes; but the
motion failed-yeas 48, nays 81. In the
meantime the House voted not TO count
| votes for Greeley, but both houses decided
1 to count Mississippi. They met again at
1 half-past three z. M, and, as the houses
| disagreed Oh the Greeley votes, they were
not counted. SILL another trouble Was
found In Georgia. Theirs were two votes
for Charles j. Jenkins, Of that State, for
| President, and five votes for A. FL. Coll
quit, also Of that State foc Vice President.
The constitution Says that the President
aud Vice President must be citizens Of diff