The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1877-02-15
TIE EhEuT0giL C0NMISSIOy.

the public mind our objections to the
scheme should have been attributed
rather to tho fear that our candidate
would be defeated than to the inherent
defects of the measure. Now that the
commission has decided that the vote of
Republican electors of Florida should
be counted and the opposition papers
are beginning to concede the Inaugural
ton of Hayes, we can freely criticise the
compromise without fear of miscon-
struction.
Our first objection to the Bill, is that
it violates both the spirit and the letter
of the constitution. The trainers of the
constitution percelving the impractica-
bility as well as the danger of investing
Congress with the power of electing the
President and Vice-President, provided
that this power should not be granted
to Congress, except when the people
failed to elect. In the last election the
electoral vote was divided between two
candidates, and an odd number OF votes
was cast, consequently there must have
been an election; and since there was
an election, the spirit of the constitution
was violated when Congress presumed
to enact law which should be applica-
lie only to this particular election. The
- aI
officers, appointed for special purpose,
and invested with the power of electlng
President. Five Representatives and
five Senators are appointed members of
this commission, in direct violation Of
that provision of the constitution which
prohibits any member of Congress from
being appointed to any civil office
created during the term for which be
has been elected.
Our second objection is that most
dangerous precedent has been establish
ed. Hereafter, unless the constitution
shall be amended, the election of Presi
dent will depend not upon the VIII Of
the people, but upon the inclination OF
Congress. Congress wiki be able to do
feat a candidate though he be unqucs-
tionably elected, and we may yet see
electoral votes rejected with as little
ceremony as is shown in the exclusion
of delegates from state convention
when an adverse organization has been
effected.
This compromise was devised avowed-
ly for the purpose of satisfying both par
ties, but VIC fail to discover any such
merit in it. Should the commission de-
clare in favor of Hayes, Democrats will
insist that the maj rity have been SO
blinded by party feeling and prejudice
as to be unable to give a jrst decision,
preierring to violate their oaths rather
than to decide according 10 the law
while should it result inTilden's election
the majority will not only DO accused
of violating their oaths, but somo mem
Der will be branded as traitor to his par
ty. Had this measure been advocated by
we should have been sur
prised, but when we discovered among
its most ardent champions those strict
constructionist whose aim in public
life has hitherto seemed to be to pre-
serve the integrity of the constitution,
and who in their earnest zeal have even
anticipated assaults upon that sacred in
we observed these
men favoring this as wise and just
measure, we were appalled,; and we can
now find a satisfactory explanation Of
their conduct only in the supposition
that they were possessed Of the belief
that the fifteenth member of the com.
mission would be David Davis, Of Hi |
nois.