The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-01-10
Tht, 8ullatin.
TINE CONVENTION.

l11onOeU.
-Four bundled and fifty delegates as
sembled ut Springfield on Monday, pur-
suaut to the call OF the state central
committee. The meeting was harmon
ious throughout speeches were made 10y
Nessrs. Trumbull, Palmer, Morrison,
NcClernand, Fuller, OF Chicago, and
others. The following are the resolu-
tons In full
Hon. Lyman Trumbull SUBMITTED the
following resolutions unanimously re-
ported by the committee OH resolutions
Resolved by the citizen Of Illinois, in
convention assembled. on the Sth day OF
January, 1877, that count of the votes
for president and vice-president by the
president of the senate, without the con-
currence and direction OF both houses
of congress, would be contrary to
usage, revolutionary in character and
dangerous to the rights OF. the peo-
pie.
Resolved, That in the absence of any
statute, rule or order regulating the
counting OF the electoral votes, the house
Of congress have the right. under the
constitution, to count the votes OF elec-
tors, to decide all questions arising
thereon, and declare the result, and that
no vote should be received and counted
tor president or vice-president without
the concurrence Of both houses of con-
gress and In the performance OF this
duty each house is vested with the
authority to inquire into the qualifica-
tons of electors aud the manner OF their
appointment. This has been the con-
struction OF the provisions of the consti-
tuition respecting the subject as shown
by an unbroken usage from the first cleo
ton Of president to the present time. and
by the adoption by both houses OF con-
gress, unanimously, OF the rule known as
the twenty-second joint rule. in Febru-
airy, 1865, under which the electoral
votes were counted by congress in 1865,
In 1859 and In 1873, which rule was ac-
quiesced in and maintained so long as
both houses Of congress were controlled
by the same political party.
Resoiced, That 1t is the duty of the sem
ate and house OF representatives to resort
to all parliamentary means to secure
fair and honest count of the electoral
vote, and that the people will hold sem
ators and representatives responsible for
the con sequences which may follow a
failure Of the two houses to agree upon
mode for making such count.
Resolved, That while We have no doubt
that Samuel j. Tilden and Thomas A.
Hendricks were fairly entitled to ma
jority Of the electoral votes tor president
and vioe-president, we at the same time
believe 1t to be our duty and are willing
TO submit the question as to who have
been fairly and constitutionally elected
to the decision of the senate and house o.
representatives to whom It constitution
ally belongs, and we demand of them
hnl do or N 20 nf hs
people OF all parties, that they come to
some agreement for an honest and fail
count OF the electoral vote, pledging our.
selves to abide by the result whatever ii
may be.
RssoLve6, That it is o well-settled princi.
pie. OF law, that when an official duty is to
be performed upon the happening of a
certain contingency, and no mode has
been provided for deciding when the
event has occurred, those who are re-
CURED to perform the duty are sole
judges a. to when the contingency arises,
and In accordance with this principle we
declare that 1t properly deyoiyes upon
each house OF congress to decide Tor it.
self when the contingency shall arise
that requires this seperate action under
the constitution, in the election OF pres
ident by the house OF representatives
and yice-president by the senate.
Resolved, That in case the two houses,
after sxhausting all parliamentary
means, are unable to agree upon such a
count of the votes cast for president and
vice-president as will secure to any per.
son majority OF the whole number OF
the electors appointed, it will then be the
duty Of the house of representatives i'm.
mediately to choose president and that
OF the senate vicc-president, as pro-
md
II the house OF representatives
shall choose u president and
the senate . vice-president according
to such provisions of the constitution
then such constitutional action must be
sustained and all forcible opposition
thereon be proceeded against as treas on
aud revolution.
Resolved, That the concerted assertions
by the leading Republican newspapers
on the morning after the election that
south Carolina, Florida and Louisiana
had gone for Hayes, before any definite
Information could possible have been re-
ceived from those states, followed by the
orders to the army Of the United States
70 see that the boards Of canvassers are
unm0lested in the performance OF their
duties, issued before the canyassing
boards had assembled and without any
reason to suppose that such boards would
be molested in an honest discharge Of
duty, together with the knowledge that
the result OF the presidential election, as
declared by the people at the polls, could
be changed by falsely counting the votes
OF South Carolina, Florida and
Louisiana for Hayes, and that
the returning board OF Louis
lana, composed Of the same persons as
now, had arbitrarily, unfairly and ille-
gaiiy changed the results of a former
election. could only have been intended
~ ~ assurance to the canYassing officers
In those states in advance that they
would be sustained In any canvass they
might make, however iniqultous, and es-
pecially the canYasiing officers OF Louis
lana that they would be sustained In re-
PeatinR the arbitrary and illegal action
by which they had continued themselves
eho their party In power two wears be
lore. That the subsequent action Of the
canvassing officers In two of the states
mentioned, In open disregard OF the
highest judicial tribunals in their re-
epective states and the action of the
Louisiana returning board, by which a
majority OF 5000 votes tor Samuel j !.
Iilden was fraudulently and illegally
changed into q majority Of nearly 1000
for RuthfOrd Is. Hayes, in connection with
Judge Bonds usurpation Ia overriding
the state courts. the action Of the army
In setting up an illegal legislature in
South Carolina, the concentration of
troops and munitions of war at
convenient points elsewhere, and threats
In the partisan press that members of the
house OF representatives will be arrested
and Imprisoned II the house exercises It's
constitutional prerOgatives In regard 10