The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-11-30
Gke 8ull&tim.
COUNTING the ELECTORAL
VOTE.
Opiaisns Of Rspusiie~. scaasors.
HeoatOp C0nk1sng's VieWs-Duty Of
the AOase Of Representatives.
From the New York Morld.l

what was done by the senate In 1919 re.
spectIng Louisiana was this: Mr.. sherman
introduced and the Senate adop,ed !. resoh,.
ton running thus:
"Resolyed, That the committee on priv.
leges and elections Is directed TO inquire and
election of electors Tor nresiient and VICE.
president has been conduc ted in the states
Of l-ouisisns and Ark snsss in aecordance
with the Constitution and Lava of the Jni.
ted States, and what me ssures are neeessary
to provide for the DETERMINATION NJ .uch
contests, and to guard against and deter.
mine like contests in the future elect1on OF
electors for president and yiee-rresident
That for the purDose of speedilv erecntio1
this resolution the said Committee shalI have
the power to send for persona and papers.
to take testimony. and at their discretioy
to send Q sup.comynittee of their own n,,m.
Der to either Of said States. with Authority
to take Testimony: and if the exivencv Of
this service demands. the said committee
may appoint and employ suitable aIisinter.
ested and UMPIRE udiced persons, not rcti-
dent in either of such states. with snthoritv
10 take such Testimony IA NAV be matt rial
in determining any bending conte ST erow.nr
out of ihe election Of electors in eithsr ~
said states. = "
,,.. A.. a.,
"ss 'siiouD uissu's'on ia Tue SEN
ate over the propriety and utility OF the
proposed inquiry, Tut the distinguished
.,..e,.,. So, 80, .,,. :.
'orous" U! ie" ene'ee"c 'emaiks' OF
which the following arc of especial impor.
,.nca.
excepting before us for the moment the
express delegations OF authority to congress.
may we not inquire whether the electors
Amounted. DeFSnpa holdinp Offices 0f
trust or profit under the United states !!
May We not inquire whether they were
chosen at the place required! Undoubtedly
we may. These, to be sure, are exceptions
named by the Constitution. But II we dis
miss these particular exceptions. there are
still broader exceptions yet In the Constitu.
ZION, giving 10 congress topics OF inquiry and
ground for action. The states are uudoubt-
edly to appoint electors, and to appoint In
such manner a. the Legislature may direct.
This IL clear. 1t % happens, however, that
in the states In question the direction isthat
the electors be chosen at . popular election,
and 10 no other way, and that they be chO-
election are entitled to vote for other off,
GERS. Who are, or rather, In the two states
in question, who were these voters The
Constitution of the United States
says no stats shall exclude from
the right to participate in this
very choice because 1t becomes this choice
when the State has said that electors shall be
chosen by force OF that electi0n), any maj
by reason OF bis race or color. suppose We
are informed that in tonne state where one
race OF men predOminate they have all been
excluded from this choice, the State having
previously said that electors In that State
are to be chosen only BY this popular cleo
ton. Can We not inquire and adopt the
most narrow limit OF inquiry defined In the
nhra sealnvv n any afnr who n ~ ri
pated in this debate-whether these men
are in law and in truth electors or not:
suppose 1t turns out that In the state Of
Louisiana one hundred and nifty thousand
qualfed citizens vote for certain electors,
and that all their votes were excluded from
the count. and that twenty thousand only
voted Tor other electors. can we not inquire
stituency Of hut twenty ibons.nd behind
them are the electors appointed by Louisi.
ana 10 tne way sns mas "dirs ctea' anu pre-
ton deeenerstes into the Verbal mode 81
stating t. One senator says We have right
TO inquire whether the claimants are the
electors app0inteG Dy LoWsisne lake u
u turns OUT thst theIe mas peen NO eiecuon
etsm; supPose tne wnoie eteetioh went
ooTa, Hoouen OUT unuer TUG nooi OF DIute
Noience, suppose hl'sry power or moo
rode ever thS election, ana tnere were NO
o a vi oano. boxes ~ a';, Ana ce!uneate-
s cCn,e n r...,aIy We no. inquiIe WneIhcr
.novs ~ .run sppoin'eu y!
,s 10 .n W" W.. ,nauaeu, Wiz" ,,I';
use ~ nU ,h Ai! USE " s! me VII, LII
n.,,,sa n s"e ~ annsS%a ssa ;ntn,n nae
@ e. or";.st. ai,' ING 'nr O,a a
w. .u.civ 20 NJ y, .. . 49,! IT, 80
s.y ~ "u ;upPose p,en.y ~ uses " "
. yo u m",,.;.,,., "'nh '"e ao'n'''oo seopc VI
'ne .T ESns ',asN III, .s ,,;
I'm, 49, usss mvItu S 'me ,hqu
- sra,,;. En-, o ''a e ~ ..,y W ui. -,
, ssu ns .no III. n ''s,, -. ~
nnvar y. v;o,ata ,ha nust;,n uaae
nn"n ,he S,stns v ohto;n,nS ,hs ;nTorma.
ton. -
But I 20 further than to maintain the
naked power OF congress to inquire. | in.
sist that wa can utilize the result OF the
inxuirv. and emnlov the f.ets In our action
upon countinu or refusing To count elector.
vote, for president or vice. pre,ident.
Ola. ma ra.so, N donh, thu, any state
mode and the onfy mode. OF appointinp
electors, and it being alleged that no such
election had been held, or that the election
was lueIc mOcAeIy VI inop' SioisuNe uo'