The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-12-30
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS.

The present ulethod Of electing the
President and Vice President of the United
States has been found to be Objectionable
IN several respects, aud liable TO result in
lust such complications and uncertainty as
are now experienced in determining which
Of the candidates Mr.. Tilden or Mr..
Hayes has been lawfully chosen TO the
Chef Masistracy Of the Republic. OF
course, in discussing this question even
the most bisoted partisan will say " Let
the candidate, no matter who he is, who
has been legally elected, be inaugurated;
but here is the difficulty Who
shall decide w,ich his bean legally
elected The uncertainty Of the constItu-
tional provision make it difficult to decide
who is to make the final decision. Some
claim that the President Of the Senate
alone can decide what votes shall be count
ed or rejected, while others claim that the
Senate and House Of Representatives
mus; form the arbiter. We have Re-
publican Senate and Democratic House
ii Representatives. Bodies like these, as
well As individuals are apt, even uninten-
tioually, to let their wishes cloud and in
fluence their Judgment. The House may
declare for TIlden and the Senate for
Hayes, and the result may be no election.
As to the hue snd-cry about war, it Is
unworthy Of Americans 70 talk Of deciding
an election by All appeal 10 the sword.
Fighting would not decide il as well as a
new election, which can be had under the
constitution when there is failure to
elect \ dead lock between the Senate
aud House of Representatives would offer
such a contingency, and if those bodies
have not the intelligence and patriotism
10 submit to the inevitable new election
in case Of serious disagreement, then the
responsibility rests on the two men-Mr
TIlden and Mr. Hayes personally to come
out and withdraw their names, both refus-
my to serve, so long as the legality Of their
election is IN doubt. The prevention Of
long continued strife and embarrassment
to the whole country, BY such a patriotic
movement, would confer as much, nay far
more, honor than if either Of them Sc, cured
4 life term as President.
Ii is better to d right than to b, Presi-
dent
Before IT came to a war Of PARTIES
civil wat-to decide this election, We be-
lIeve these two gentlemen would unite in
letter refusing to be declared elected on
an uncertain and disputed electoral vote,
but would rather say to their friends
I'VE recognize your interests in the deci-
sion rs to who shall DE President We
have given this due weight We have
waited to see if the matter could not be
clearly determined - to who was chosen
by the people at the receI.t election. The
time has now come for as to act This an
certainty and contention has lasted long
enough It may drift into civil war, which
would be the destrultI0n Of our govern
ment. Let Us rather have a new election.
bailots decide OpuhiunS ana express de-
slres better than bullets. Let the people,
instead Of arming themselves with rites,
and shooting bullets at each other, arm
themselves with the lreeman's weapon
the billot-and shoot, not at each other,
but into the ballot-box'
We stand in the presence Of tie world
and vi history Let Us SHOW ourselves ca
pable Of self government, by manifestlng,
under the Host trying circumstances,
proper selfrestraint, and our confidence
III the permanent potency Of the ballot
box
In a future issue We shall present our
views more fully on this question, and adj
vance the claims Of system which, We be-
heve. would render such a state Of affairs
as at present exists, an impossibility.