The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-01-24
Ghe $ulletin.
veRTEBRALEss SKULLS.
That f. the way senator Morton Des.
ignasOs MIS- Colleagues
VIE Ds9sr Prem llIm On the Elee-
aorAl mn.


senate.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., January "a
During the, morning hour MIR. Merri-
mon spoke in opposition to sending COM
mittces OF the senate away from
the city to take testimony. Recently one
state was without representation and
twelve states with only one-hali repre-
sentation, the senator's being away on
investigation committees. He believed
all testimony could be taken by COM
mission appointed for the purpose, and
introduced q bill providing tor taking
testimony and collecting Information to
be used by congress. He also submitted a
resolution declaring that 1t is not within
the lawful authority Of the senate to
charge committees of the senate with
duties to be performed away from the
capital while the senate is in session,
both of which were referred.
The chair laid before the senate tel
egram from the Chicago board Of trade
approving the bill reported Thursday in
regard to counting the electoral vote.
Laid on the table.
Consideration was resumed of the bill
in regard to counting the electoral vote
and Mr.. Morton took the floor. He said
the bill was the product OF missplan.
The shadow OF intimidation had entered
the senate chamber. He believed Ruth
erford B. Hayes had been elected presi-
dent of the United States under the forms
of law and according to law and he
should be counted in as eighteen other
presidents had been and inaugurAted.
There would be no revolution. There
have been many loose opinions expressed
because of first impressions, without ex-
animation on this question. l have done
90 myself. have had the habit of say
ing what I think at the time, but en-.
deavor to atone for it by readily correct
ing 1t when / find was mistaken. am
no admlrer Of political reticence, OF polit-
ical owls who keep silent and look wise
until they think they are out of the
woods and then give prolonged boot.
had supposed that all agreed in the alb
sence Of legislation that the president of
the senate must count the vote.
The president Of the senate did
count the vote for seventy-two yearl.
Tsllers were mere facilities for
making calculations keeping account
they counted what the president of the
senate hands them down to count, and
handing them down the certificates to
count was the declaration Of the vote it
contained. From 1883 to 1861 the reso-
Iutions appointing teller provided they
were to make list OF votes as they were
declared. The counting Of votes was
ceremony to which the two houses were
witnesses. The constitution provides
that the president Of the senate shall. in
the presence of the two houses. open all
certificates and the vote shall then be
counted, and IL no one candidate has q
majority OF all electorals appointed the
house shall Immediately proceed to elect.
The process contemplated was very
simple one, simply to open certificates
and count the votes. but contemplated
no time or place to try questions of the
eligibility either of the candidates or the
electors. Whether the electors were ell
gible was q matter left with the states
under the injunction of the constitution.
The handing down OF the certificate by
the president of the senate was decla-
ration Of the vote contained in it.
Very few Republicans respect this bill.
It Will be taken by Republicans, IL taken
at all, as Q dose of castor oil. Senator
Edmunds burned his ship behind the
bill when he denied the
power of the president Of the
senate to count the vote In the absence
Of legislation. lie thus seemed to make
it necessary to accept this bill. 1t has
been announced by member OF con-
gress that about 100000 men were to be
there on the l4th of February. l0.O to
como from Kentucky alone. hope our
Kentucky senator's will make arrangements
to entertain them handsomely. We
hear notes OF preparation everywhere. |
are afraid OF violence or OF some
desperate revolutionary act. We are
told that we dare not count this vote as
ii was done for the first seveaty-two
years Of our experience as a nation.
The dangers 70 which we |
are subject do not spring from
violence. but from weakness on our own
part. Gsologists tell us there was . Pc
Rod In the earth's crust when there were
skullsss vertebralS. Now we have got |
TO the period when there are yertebra-
less skulls. The power to count the vote
resides In the president OF the senate or |
in the two houses. II it resides in the |
two houses II cannot he delegated to the
commission or to court. The mere
matter Of counting the votes Is clerical
and may be performed by q teller. IL
any question arises that requires judg-
ment or discretion 1t cannot be delegated
70 commission. The decision of the con
ference committee is binding, only upon
being ratified BY both houses, but the de-
cislons OF this commission are binding
unless reversed by the action of both
houses. 1t 10 In every respect, a court in
vested with high judicial powers to de-
eide questions Of law as well as
tact. with right OF appeal,
not to another court, but to
the two houses OF congress. The
power TO count the electoral vote
is either political or judicial power.