Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-11-22
One Majority 1t Shall be Dc.
clared.

IL.
there is widespread feeling of uneasi-
ness on account of the smallness of the
majority-an apprehension that the Dem
ocratic party will in some way overcome
it. There would be no such apprehension
on the part of Democrats were Tildcn
chosen by one majority. There would be
no fear that Republicans would seek to
tamper with electors chosen to vote for
Tilden, and so defeat the will of the
people. But this apprehension exists in
regard to the Hayes majority of one, and
it may be well founded. Let US consider
the situation. 1. As to the maintenance
intact of the College of Electors when
once chosen. The act of CONGRESSMAN.
90, 1S45-provides that leach State may,
by law, provide for the filing of any va
cancy or vacancies which may occur in
its College of Electors when such College
meets to give its electoral vote" In pur-
suance Of this authority the State of Hi
nols long since provided for the contin-
gency of the death or failure to attend at
the appointed time, of any duly chosen
elector or electors, by authorizing the
electors present to appoint person or
persons to fill such vacancy. 1t is believed
that there is no State in the Union that
has not similar law on its statute books.
2. In regard to the apprehension that
the Democratic party will seek to corrupt
an elector, or several electors, chosen by
the people of State to vote for Hayes
induce him or them to vote for Tllden.
We consider this a remote contingency.
The purchase of an elector would be a
confession that the entire Democratic
party regard the Presidency as a thing to
be secured by open corruption. The sale
of his vote by an eector would render the
person thus debauched more Infamous
than Benedict Arnold, and doom to dis
grace and shame his posterity to the
latest generation. The act of purchase
| and sale would be a death blow to our
system of Government, and would we'll
nigh justify, as it would be sure to pro-
woke, revolution.
g. AS to the manner of choosing the
President by the electors. The law Of
| Congress-March l, 1792-proyldes that
the electors of each State shall meet and
give their votes ON the first Wednesday in
December following the election, and
that they shall make and sign three GER
| tificates of all the votes by them given,
seal up the same, certifying, etc, by
writing under their hands or the hands of
a majority of them, appoint a person
to take charge of and deliver one copy
| to the President of the Senate at
| Washington before the first "Wednesday
in January then next ensuing, forward a
second copy by mail to the President of
the Senate, and lodge the third copy with
the Judge Of the District in which the
said electors shall assemble. The same
act provides that Congress shall be in SEES
! sion on the second Wednesday in Februa-
ny next ensuing, and the Constituti?p-
Art 12 of the provides
that "the President of the Senate shall.
in the presence of the Senate and the
| House of Representatives, open all the
! certificates, and the votes shall then be
counted; !" and that the person having
the greatest number of votes for President
shall be the President, if such number be a
majority of the whole number of electors
| appointed. The Constitution further pro.
vides that if 8 no person have such major
| ity, then from the persons having the
| highest numbers, not exceeding three on
the list of those voted for, the House of
! Representatives shall choose Immediately
| by ballot the President" 1t will be oh
served that there is but one contingency
! in which the election of the President can
devolve upon the House of Representa-
| tiveS. That contingency is a tie vote be-
| tween Hayes and Tilden
4. As to the Instructions that may be
| placed in the way of declaring Gov
| Hayes President The twenty. second
! Joint rule. under which the two houses of
Congress have been accustomed to assem-
| bic in convention for the declaration of
| a..
| When the time arrives for the convention
provided for by the Constitution, the Pres
| ident of the Senate, as custodian of the
certificates of the electoral colleges of the
several States, will notify the Senate of
| the order of business, and the Senate will
request the House of Representatives to
meet them in convention under the Con
stitutional provisions for the canvassing
and declaration OF the vote for the Presi.
dent. There is an apprehension that the
House will refuse to meet the Senate in
convention. In that event what would be
the result? Such action on the part of
the House would be revolutionary
in its nature; but no legislative
body can he compelled TO do an
act, and each house OF Il legislative body
is negatively entirely independent of the
pClcI, II II 100 uutu 10 say that me
President-elect could, in the event of the
refusal of the House of Representatives
| to meet the Senate in convention, be Con
stitutionally declared as the President
But it is clear that the Senate would not
be justified in emitting any part of its
duty under such circumstances. The PEG
pie have provided in their organic law
| that their will, as expressed through the
Electoral College, shall be made known
To the Congress through the President of
! the Senate 1t has not been deemed
necessary, up to the present time, for
Congress to pass any law in regard to the
method of assembling the two houses in
| convention Hitherto such conventions
/ have been held under tho twenty sprnnd