The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-12-18
The Presidential Problem.

NoT oT-FTglntQ
SIR-The strength and prosperity of
our elective system of government will
soon be tested in the solution Of the
Presidential problem. -
1t Is now apparent that Mr.. Ferry, the
Vice President. through the promptings
OF his Republican friends, will claim the
right to count the electoral votes and de-.
clare the result. And here, in my iudg-
ment, will be the beginning of our
national troubles. He will claim that the
action of the Governor Of Oregon in CON-
missioning the Tilden elector Is a nuLitu,
and that OF the Returning Boards of
South Caroline, Florida and Louisiana
final, and deny the power of Congress in
joint session, to look behind the returns.
Every impartial reader must now see
that it ia part Of the Republican pro-
gramme to elect Hayes right or wrong,
and to keep the Republicans in power
# the republic falls. President
Grant has said, "the Democrats are
rebels and must not have control Of the
government. That Tllden should not
be declared elected by the votes of the
Southern States, because of their rebel
lious conduct, and that if Hayes Is de-
clared elected he will inaugurate him, II
it takes the whole army TO do It," This
is bold talk, and is big with meaning,
Coming from the executive head of the
Republic, and from man schooed in
war and drum head courts, is, to say
the least of, threat, and warning for
the patriots of the Republic to beware.
l admit, for the sake of argument, that
the Vice President has the right to
count the electoral votes and declare the
result, and that the two houses of Con-
gress are only required to be present as
spectators to see that the votes are fairly
and honestly counted, and it. may be
seriously asked, if they are not fairly and
accurately counted have not the two
bodies in joint session the power to see
that they are fairly counted, and the re.
suit OF the count honestly declared.
Mr.. Ferry, the Vice President, must
remember that this is stake
in which forty-two millions of
people are interested, and If he
attempts to assume. or exercise
wrongfully, authority not delegated to
him by the Constitution, in order to elect
a partisan favorite, ne will see and hear
what ne never saw or heard before from
an indignant and outraged people. Hon
est dealing and fair play, is whist the
honest sutfrsgans OF these United States
now demand. They are going to have
iair and honest count,.or drive the poll
ticians out OF the Capitol. They want
no more ciyil war gotten up by unscru-
pulous office seekers and political char.
latans.
The calm, quiet, patient forttude of the
honest masses betokens the impending
storm; and it President Grant and Vice
PRESIDENT Ferry are fattering them
selves with Submission by them, to wrong,
they will find themselves wofully mis-
taken. Let there be fair and honest
count in South Carolina, Florida, Louis
lana and Oregon, and if Bayes has car
ried those States, lot him be declared
President, and the whole people will see
that he is peaceably lnaugurated. No
honest Democrat wants to see Tilden
elected by legal technlcality with a
popular majority against him. SO long
rs we have Republican government
and written constitution to guide
US, let the popular will prevail. To de-
clare Tilden or Hayes elected by fraud
would be sounding the death knell of the
republic. One of our most distinguished
iurists, more than forty years ago. spoke
II the dangers of the Republic by just
such a state of affairs as we now witness
in the election OF President. He said:
Tile Constitution does not expressly de-
clare jy rhom the electoral cotes are to be
counted, and IN the case OF questionable
cotes and a closely contested election thtS
poYey. may be ait-importamt." How true
have his words become. The question
of who shall count the electora! votes
and declare the result is to-day, all-lm-
portant. If it be conceded tnat the
Vice President has power to count the
electoral votes and declare the result, and
he shall refuse to make fair and accur-
ate count, where Is the romedy2 If there
are spurious or fraudulent votes which
the Vice President may want 70 count,
has Congress power to stop him and
compel him to make correct count?
These are questions of great moment and
upon their decision may depend
the destiny of the republic.
The law never requires Il
vain thing to be done, and 1t
seems to me that it would be the height
of folly tor the Constitution to require the
two Houses of Congress to witness the
Vice President make fair and accurate
count of the electoral votes and see him
make false count with no power to cor
rect him.
If the Returning Boards of Florida,
South Carolina and Louisiana, have
fraudulently thrown away thousands OF
votes to elect the Hayes electors, II Will
not do for Vice. President Ferry to rule
their action final and Congress estopped
from inpestiQation. The Governor Of
Oregon according to our American doc
trinc of popular government, erred In
certifying the election OF a minority cleo
tor, when the msjority elector was dis
qualified to take the place. 10 ceny
power given by the Constitution to Con-
aress to correct the wrongful acts OF these
Officers. is TO deny as did Mr.. Buchanan
in 1860. that there is power in the Con-
s,itution to provide for the preservation
of the Republic" To fraudulently or
forc,bly put Hayes or Tllden in the
presidential chair, would put an end to
the Republic and be the beginning o.
mobocracy or military despotism, in
which might would make right, and lite
and property be as the stakes OF the
Gambler, for despots and tyrsnts to fight
for and quarrel over.
Very truly your friend,
WIN. L. ARNOLD.