Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-10-27
= asIlington Special to theCh;cago Times
COUNTING THE ELECTORAL VOTE.
a he Prospect GA 'E'rOsiDEe over the
sIGRgEI.


There is an important fact on record
here that has seemingly escaped the
notice Of every one, and yet will pros
baby form the basis of one OF the
most stupeudOua rows known in the
history Of our elections, It is this:
the Congress of the United States has
20 Joint rules.
An, but you say languidly, "WLat
Of that ?" and perhaps ii you are very
smart, " How long has it been in this
distressing condition ?"
An explanation is necessary to show
the enormous Importance Of this omis-
sion. To explain, the custom Of for
ming Congressional rules will be Ie
viewed. No one Congress has any
power 20 pass any code # rules that
can bind IN any degree future Con
gress. Each one can, If il go desires,
build up for Itself a separate code,
This, however, involves too much
thinking for the average Legislator, so
the custom has been for the House
and Jcnate to pass at the outset or
opening Of every new Congress q for
maiistlc resolution declaring thaG the
rules OF the preceding body shall he
the standard Of government for its
successor. This involves separate ac-
ton not concurrent.
However, there are other rules, and
this is where the hitch cOmcs. These
were Joint rules. No one can say shat
they are now in existence. These joint
rules provide, besides certain restric-
tons upon legislation during closing
DAYS of a session, regulations for
counting the votes for President. In
the old joint rules il IS provided that
the Senate shall meet In the House OF
Representatives i'll the presence Of the
House, to count this vote. 1t also
says that any one member may object
to counting of votes of any State, and
that upon such objection the Senate
shall retire, and each body ehall vote
separately upon propositions. The
vote Of no State shall be counted ex-
cept upon a concurrent vote OF appro-
val from both houses.
HOW THE OMISSION WAS MADE.
The custom about passage of the
joint rules Of Congress has been for
the House to pass formal resolution
first adopting them and then send it
over to the Senate for approval. This
the last House neglected to DO. Ia
February the Senate took the initia-
tive and passed joint resolution de-
/ ~
| Congress the joint rules of the XLIVtl
Congress. This came over to the
| House and was referred to the Com
mi;tee on Rules. This committee had
upon it Kerr as Chairman, Randall.
COX, Banks and Blaine. Owing 10
the illness of Kerr and of Blaine, long
lingering under an attack Of Jeems
Mulligan malaria, this committee never
met, SO that when the close of it's scs-
sion came the Senate resolution was
not acted upon, and SO there are no
joint rules.
This can be all remedied after Con
e. ess meets again, but one must re-
member that this is not the wi>est time
to provide for the counting of vote
after an election. There will be "a
D, Inocratic House and Republican
Senate to arrange the method If count
ing the votes, whoever is elected. This
does not promise we'll for harmony. II
the vote is close, as it is possible that
it will be, the Republican Senate will
attempt to throw out the vote of every
Southern State where cases of outrage
have ever happened. To do this they
will have to devise new joint rules.
The fight between the House aud Sen
ate upon this question alone will lead
to the most bitter of partisan battles.
A DESPERATE GAME.
The Republicans are playing a des-
perate game. Every day they are
massipg evidence of so-called fraud
and intimidation in the South at the
Department of Justice. The action of