Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-11-22

February SucccC"S 1888
& electors .for the purpose OF COUNT, !,
NO and declaring the vote'
,bouId there be no fresi-
lent of the Senate, the votes
re to be In the care Of the Secretary
4 state. The same act made pro-
,ision that In case OF vacancy OF both
PRESIDENT and Vice President the
PRESIDENT of the Senate pro tempore
,bould act as President; and II there
,hould be no such officer chosen ny
he senate, then the speaker o.
he House should act.
In 1892 Washington was unani.
reelected, all me oio
thirteen and the new States Of YER
mont. Georgia and Kentucky voting.
On this occasion a joint commi..ee
was raised to determine upon the
forms TO be observed in counting lhe
votes. and that practice yet coht'h.
ues. This committee reported ana
{, ,vas ordered that the two houses
shonld meet In the Senate chamber
at noon of the day fixed by the az.
Of Congress; that the Senate should
previously appoint one ana .ne
House two telIers to set down tne
votes as declared; that they shoula
deliver the result to the Preslnent OF
the senate, who should announce the
otate Of the vote and declare the per-
aons elected to both houses then as
sembled. (which shall be deemed .
declaration OF the persons elec.eu
President and Vice President
which declaration with the iist o.
votes, should be entered upon the
journals of the two houses. There
was nothing worthy Of note in the
counting on the second "Wednesday
Of February, 1893; Washington had
The entire 1872 votes; Adams had ~
clinton 80, Jefferson A, and Aaron
Burr /.
In 1896 John Adams was CHOSEN
President, having all the votes
Of the New England states,
with New York, New Jersey and Del
aware and 10 scattering from other
States. He had barely enough-H
out $40 votes, only one majority.
Jefferson, having the next highest,
was Vice President. There was a
peculiar incident about the announce
mcnt of this result that Is worth
noticing. The President Of the Sen
ate was Muhlenberg, the same who
presided in 1889. After declaring
the result, and proclaiming that
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
were duly elected, ETC., for the term
of four years, he added; Sand may
the Sovereign of the universe, the
Ordainer Of civil government on earth
for tho preservation of liberty, justice
and peace among men enable both to
discharge the duties of their office
conlormabIy to tho constitution OF
the United States, with conscienti-
Gus diligence, punctuality and per-
severence."
The first action suggesting that
Congress ought to have anything TO
say about the casting or the recelv-
ing Of the electoral votes, beyond
the purely ministerial act OF count
Ing and declaring, was In the Senate,
in January, 1890, when q committee
was raised to report what regula-
tions should DO made for deciding
disputed elections Of President and
for determining the legality or lile-
gality Of votes for President and
Vice President in the different States.
A bill was reported in Feb ruary,
when Charles Pickney strenously
1t, taking the ground That
neither house ought by the slightest
Of an act to exercise con-
troll or even revisal over the franchise.
The bill passed, 10 to IA, but did not
go through the House, and appears
to have been dropped altogether.
THE FIRsTsERIoUs DIFFICuLTY-AN
ELECTORAL TIE.
About the close of the year 1900 1t
was known that there was likely to
be tic vote for President between
Jefferson and Burr. SO, about "a
week before the day for opening the
returns, the usual joint committee
brought In rule, which was adopt-
ID, that If no person should have In
constitutional majority of the electo-
al votes, tho Speaker and the melA :
,ers of the House should at once re-
urn to their chambers and immedi-
'tely proceed, without debate, 10
,ote for President, and should not
ldjourn until they had made a selec-
ion. The counting, on the 18th Of
february, resulted as anticipates
Jefferson and Burr had each 70 votes.
rs soon rs the presiding officer made
he announcement the House returA.
d to their chamber and began 10
'ote by States; Jefferson got eight
tates, Burr, got six, and two Wet
nont and Maryland) were divided.
his was the result of the thirty
even ballots, taken during a session
extending from noon of the 18th 10
oon Of the 18th of tho month, IN
ense solieitude was felt throughout
hc country, more particularly be-
ausc of the reputation of Burr, WHO
lal suddenly sprung into promi-
renee as a bold and unscrupulous
eader. The deadlock was broken
IN tho thirty-eight ballot, which
Jefferson got Vermont, New YORK,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Marv-