The daily gazette., 1876-11-23
TWO PRESIDENTS INdUGIRA-
TED ON THE 4th OF MARCH
The Nec York Tribune Marks out a
Policy to Defeat Reform.

Ihe Ne,c York Tribune Marks out a
Policy to Defeat Reform.
Assuming that Mr.. Tilden will be
counted out by the Returning Boards in
South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana.
the N. Y. Tribune says the Radicals will
inaugurate Hayes and the Democrats
rilden, as follows:
"Let lis suppose the doubtful result in
Florida and Louisiana to be converted by
the Returning Boards OF these States into
Republican victory, against the pro-
tests OF the Democrats. The Electoral
Colleges assemble, and the result is 1856
votes for Hayes and 1874 for Tilden. The
Republicans fortify themselves with evil
dence sustaining the legality of the &C.
ton Of the Boards, and the Democrats
gather testimony to show that such ac-
ton was partisan and fraudulent. Mat
tiers drift along until the day fixed for the
opening and counting the returns in Joint
convention of the two Houses. The
Democrats then object to counting the
votes of those States, but the President of
the Senate, using his powers as chairman
OF the joint convention, refuses to con-
slider the objection, orders them to be
counted, and announces the election of
Hayes. As soon as the convention dis
solves, the House passes resolution de-
claring that owing to its objection to the
counting of the votes of Louisiana and
Florida those votes were not legally
counted, that no election has taken place.
and that it is the duty of the House to
elect President.
The following clause in the Constitu-
tion is cited: "The person having the
greatest number of votes for President
shall be President, if such number be a
majority of the whole number of electors
appointed; and if no person has such ma
Jority, then from the persons having the
highest number, not exceeding three, on
the list OF those voted for as President,the
House of Representatives shall choose
Immediately, by ballet, the President" !"
Acting under this clause, the House elects
Samuel J. Tilden. On the 4th of March
the Republicans inaugurate Rutherford
Ii. Hayes with the customary ceremonies
under the protection of the army, and at
the same time the Democrats inaugurate
Samuel j. Tilden without ceremony, prob
ably not in Washington, and by the mere
administration of the oath.
No formal Inauguration is essential to
clothe President with all the powers of
his Office. The Senate has already been
summoned to meet in executive session
by President Grant before bistem expires;
Tilden calls Congress together in extra
session. The Democratic House responds
and recognizes him as President. The
Senate sustains Hayes. Both issue orders
to the army and navy; each calls upon
the Governors of the States to support
him as the lawful Chief Magistrate.
The right ofthe House to elect a Presi-
dent under the circumstances detailed
would asserting to the arguments of the
Democrats, be by no means conclusive;
for their objections to the count ofthe
votes of Florida and Louisiana were valid
and these States were thrown out for the
reason that their electors were not lawful
ly appointed then Tilden would have
constitutional majority of all the electors
appointed, aud the contingency requiring
the House to elect would not exist. Still
an election by the House would be the
only means of clothing Mr.. Tilden with
any semblance of authority, an interpre-
tation could no doubt be squeezed out or
the Constitution which would justify
such an election in the eyes of the DEM
ocrats.
at will thus be seen that two courses
are open to the Democrats if they intend
to resist the consummation of the election
of Hayes by the vote of the doubtful
States; First, for the House to elect Til
den on the assumption that neither candi-
date has received majority of the votes
of the electors lawfully appointed. Ii
neither party yielded, civil war of the
most dreadful description would be the in
evitable result of such a proceeding. Sec
ond, for the House to absent itself from
the counting of the vote, so that it could
not take place. The consequence of this
course, if persisted in successfully until
the 4th of March, would be to make the
President ofthe Senate acting President
of the United States, and to make new
election necessary in November, 1877.
That is just exactly what the House
should do, and let the responsibility rest
with those who are attempting to hold
the government for the next four years by
fraud in the South and force of arms in
both sections.