Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-11-27


in which he presents and advocates n
course for the democrats to follow in re-
gard to the Presidential question, is SO
clearly revoluliuna that the more mod
crate organs of the party oppose it. The
New York Sun says if Hayes receives a
majority of the electoral votes by the
count and declaration OF the returning
boards of the States, his election must be
recognised by Congress ard he mast be
supported As the rightlul President IF the
nation. Aud the New York Herald has SO
ably exposed the dangerous and revolt
tionary character OF Mr. Poter's letter, |
that no other notice or criticism IS ueces- |
sary for that purpose. The gis. OF Mr..
Potter's letter is, as our readers already |
know, that the House, or the democratic |
portion of it may. at the counting OF the
votes by the President Of the Senate, OBJ
iect to the electoral vote rs returned
by some State; that thoreupon the
House and Senate disagreeing there |
would be no election of President, and |
the House would proceed TO elect Mr.. Til |
den as provided BY the Constitution in
case Of failure to elect by the electoral
college. The character and consequences
of such proceeding the Herald complete
" exposes. II says:
Suppose, then, the Senate and House
assembled to watch the counting Oi the
electoral votes When the State OF Ten
nessee is reached u member of the House
objects to the counting of those votes.
The two houses separate to debate ana
determine the question, each for itself, and
they reach opposite conclusions. Mr..
Potter himself admits that the House has
no more RICH; to decide fol- tire Senate
than the Senate has to decide Ter the
House. One resolves to count aud the
other TO exclude the Louisiana votes.
Does Mr.. Potter expect, or can anybody
expect that the Senate would yield its de-
liberate opinion TO a menace by the House
that il will declare that there has been no
choice by the people, and that it will pro-
coed to elect President Nobody can be
SO weak Judge of human nature as to
think anything of the kind. The cleo
ton turning on the votes of that one State
the Senate would recognize Mr.. Hayes as
President and The Honse would recognize
Mr. Tlden The Senate would confirm
the nominations of President Hayes and
take no notice OF those sent in 10y Prcsi-
nent TildeD. If things pass into this con-
diten we shall have either civil war or
series of arrests and trials for treason
more probably the latter The existing
appropriations viii hold out until the Isl
OF July, and Mr.. Tilden, being unable
meanwhile to appoint or commission any
officer, would haze no means OF action,
while Nj. Hayes would be in possession
of the whole official machinery, with ihe
strongest motives 10 crush out opposi-
ton by energetic. measures while the APP
preparations might last. Is this desra-
BILE state of things, even for Mr. Tilden
himsell? Is II desirable for the country?
Whether desirable or not it is inevitable
if the Senate shall recognize one man a.
President, and the House shall another
All the means of administration being in
the hands OF the President acknowledged
by the Senate he will have every adyau-
tage against President who cannot APP
point single officer and whom no officer
will obey. II President Tilden calls an
extra session of Congress the Senate will
pay no regard to it, and the House alone
would, therefore, be powerless every way,
while his rival would hold the reins and
control the government at least so long
as the appropriations lasted and as TO APP
preparation bills, the Senate has the same
power to prevent their passage as the
House. We are confident that all right
thinking citizens depreeate such situa-
ton as is inevitable il the House assumes
TO elect President in defiance of the
Senate.
There is another mischevous practical
consequence of Mr. Pottel's doctrines,
which, though not SO immediate, is suffi-
cient of itself to condemn his theory. We
have only to suppose President in Office
running Tor second term and having a
majority in the House, to comprehend the
full danger of such constitutional doctrines
as are advocated with so much lawyer
like clevcrness by Mr.. Potter. A Presi-
dent who is candidate ior reelection
with devoted majority in the House OF
Representatives could infalli1y secure
another election if Mr.. Po.ter's logic is
sound. The consequence is the same il
we substitute third term tor second.
Had it SO happened that Presiden Grant
had been candidate a third time, and
had it also happened that his majority in
the House was as strong as that of the
democratic party, nothing but Mr. Potter's
theory Of the constitution would have been
needed TO insure his third election in spite
of the people, and as many reflections
as his ambition could crave, so long as
he might have a majority of the House
in the session next preceding the ex-
piration of histerm This consequence of
such claim as that now set up by Mr..
Potter was foreseen at an early period and
exposed in language as iorcble as anybody
could employ at present On the occasion
of counting the electoral votes in 1921.
the eccentric but clear-sighted John Ran
dolph said :-"You undertake to reject
votes. To what will this lead Do you
ever expect to see the time when there
shall be in the Presidential chair a creature
SO poor. so iGbecila, not only not worthy
OF being at the head of paltry corpora
tion--do you ever expect to see in that
Office an animal so poor as not to have in
this House retainers enough TO reject the
vote OF any State which, being counted.