davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
The Counting Of the Votes for Presi.
dent,
IFrom the New York Evening Post CRep.)I

IFrom the New York Evening Post (Rep)l
A day or two since we referred to a
publication containing the entire history
of the mode adopted, under our Constitu
tion, of counting the votes for President,
together with the debates in Congress on
that subject. We must frankly say that
we do not see how anybody can read and
impartially consider the mass of evidence
which this complication furnishes
without being irresistibly impelled to
the conclusion that it belongs to the two
Houses of Congress alone to count the
votes for President, and that the PIesi-
dent of the Senate has nothing to do
with it save to open the certificates by
which the votes are authenticated.
In the first place-and this is diff.
Guilty which those who hold that the
President of the Senate may count the
votes may have to encounter on the
very threshold of the conference.-the
Constitution does not confer that power
upon him. 1t directs that he "shall
open all the certificates" that authenti-
cate the votes and " then the votes shall
be counted" 1t may with perfect CO.
gency be argued that the Constitution is
one of the most solemn of written instru-
ments that it confers no more author
ity than it actually expresses; that in
this provision the act which the
President of the Senate is author
lied to perform is simply ministerial,
asking no exercise of judgment, and that
to extend this authority to counting the
votes, which would require him to de-
eide which votes should be counted and
which rejected, would be contrary to
every rule of fair Interpretation, and in
fact scarcely less absurd than to claim
that, because deed of warranty ex.
pressly conveys the title to a certain
shed, it also conveys the title to a con.
tiguous mansion not mentioned in the
deed.
But suppose the true construction o.
this part of the Constitution to be in
any degree ambiguous, we naturally in
quire what construction has been put
upon it in practice, and whether thai
practice has not by long usage acquired
the force of law. Looking at the history
of the different elections of President
we find that at the first election O
President-and that President Genera
Washington-the President of the
Senate did, in fact, open the certificate!
and count the votes. But that election
was one in which the votes were all fol
General Washington-there was no dis
cretion to be exercised in counting or re
jecting them; the counting was simpl,
formality, an armithmetical compute
tion, which might just as well have heeI
done by any competent clerk-and ready
reckoner called in for that purpose-a
by the President of the Senate. Blu
this was never done again. At al
: elections ever since, the two House
have exercised the authority which tn
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
An Ashrabula Case in Court.

The New York Herald says that ap-
plication has been made in that city, in
the Surrogate's Court, for letters of ad-
ministration, by Eugene Steindall, on the
estate of his brother Robert. The latter
was one of the victims of the terrible
railroad disaster at Ashtabula, Ohio, on
the nig ght of the 29th of December last.
The property to be administered on
amounted nominally to one hundred dol
lars only, but the application there is
made SO as to be certified to the Probate
Court of the county in Ohio where the
disaster occurred, to enable Mr.. Steindall
to bring an action against the railway
company for the recovery of property Of
which he alleges the employees of the
company riAed the dead body of his
brother. He claims to have procured the
affidavits of parties who escaped the fate
of his brother and so many others, who
saw a gold watch and chain, and othel
articles, with some of the railroad
officials, which have been identified a.
having been worn by his brother at the
time of his death.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
Hayes on Returning Boards.

The following opinion of a certain Re
publican of prominence is undoubtedly
sound:
"The conduct of the officers whose
duty at elections is to receive and count
the ballots and make returns of the re-
suit ought to be above suspicion. This
can rarely be the case when they all be-
long to the same political party. A fair
representation of the minority will go
far notonly to prevent fraud, but, what
is almost of equal Importance, to remove
the suspicion of fraud"
1t should be added that this passage
does not refer, as might be supposed, to
the Louisiana Returning Board, but was
penned as glittering generality by one
Rutherford B. Hayes, in his message to
the Ohio Legislature of 1869.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

Constitution did not confer upon the
President of the Senate and have not only
witnessed the counting, but counted
the votes. For more than eighty years
through more than two generations of
the human race-the two Houses of
Congress have claimed and exercised
this authority, and during all that time
the President of the Senate has made
no attempt to vindicate to himself that
Office, which he should have done if
fairly entitled to it. From one Presi-
Dental term to another, from 1898 to
1865, the two Houses of Congress ap-
pointed joint committee at each cleo
tion =" to ascertain and report mode of
examining the votes for President and
Vice-President." In 1865 the two Houses
Joined in adopting permanent standing
rule in regard to counting the votes,
called the twenty-second joint rule"
in which the mode Of examining and
verifying the returns of votes given by
the electoral colleges of the States was
more precisely laid down. Under that
rule the votes for President and Vice
President were counted by the two
Houses until after the second election of
General Grant, in 1873, when this joint
rule was repealed.
In the meantime it cannot be said that
the claim of the two Honses to count the
Votes had been acquiesced in simply be-
cause it has not been thought worth
while to discuss it. On the contrary ii
has been vigorously asserted by the
ablest leading men of Congress of both
parties. Among these are Bingham,
of Ohio, Trumbull, of Illinois, Conkling,
of New York, Boutwell,, of Massa.
chusetts, Logan, Of Illinois, and Other
prominent members. Indeed, but fol
the doubt in which the close vote for the
rival candidates leaves the present elec
tion there would, in our opinion, have
been no question of the sole power oi
the two Houses to keep in their hands
the authority to examine and count the
votes for President and Vice-President
of the United States.
There is therefore no alternative left
for the two Houses but to proceed az
they have -hithartoo- done in exercising
the constitutional and traditional poweI
of counting the votes. The party which
seeks to depart frem it and to substitute
the decisions of the presiding officer Of
the Senate for those of Congress ventures
on dangerous, not to say fatal, exper
iment.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

In. the great valley between the North
and South mountains, in Pennsylvania,
commonly called the Eastern Ridges,
well was dug some years since in Frank
lin, and another in Cumberland County,
thirty or forty miles from the former,
which led to discovery afording SUBJ
ject for interesting speculation. After
proceeding in each instance to the depth
of about thirty-six feet, the bottom OF
these wells gave way (but fortunately
when the workmen had retired) and a
torrent of water rushed up. A lead was
sunk fifty fathoms OF line without finding
the least obstruction. They remain at
this time untouched, and of unknown
depth. The presumption is, that there
is a subterranean lake in that quarter
and how far it extends under the base o.
the vast primitive mountains, situated
between theSusquehanna and Pittsburg
will never be ascertained, unless by some
terrible convulsion of nature they should
be precipitated in the tremendous abyss
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
had nobly returned to save me, if
possible, BY riskipg his life for me.

had nobly returned to save me, if
possible, by riskipg his life for me.
81 warned you, MASTER" he said, as he
came up painting, his eyes half starting
from his head, and his whole countenance
expressing commingled terror and pity,
"You did-you didw 1 cried; " but
oh forgive and save mep'
You are already forgiven, master
and will save you if can-save yon,
or perish with you"
Instantly he set to work with his iron
pointed stick to break the lava around
my limbs, but had scarcely made any
progress, when again the earth trembled,
and the blocks parted, one of them roll
ing down into the yawning chasm with
a dull. hollow sound. Isprang forward
I seized hand of the guide-we both
struggled hard, and the next moment we
had both fallen, locked in each others
arms, upon the solid earth above. 1 was
free, but still upon the verge of the pit,
and any moment we might both be
hurled to destruction.
"Quick, masterl" cried the guide;
cup up and run for your life"
1 staggered to my feet, with wild cry
of hope and fear, and, half supported by
my faithful companion, hurried up the
sloping sides of the crater. As we
reached the ridge above, the ground
shook with a heavy explosion; and look
ing back, 1 beheld with horror a dark,
smoking pit, where We had-so lately
stood.
And then, without waiting to see more,
l turned and fled over the rough ground
as fast as my bruised limbs would let
me. We reached our horses in safety,
and, hurrying, down the mountain, gave
the alarm to the villagers, who Joined us
in our flight across the country till a
safe distance was gained. Here bade
adieu to my faithful guide, rewarding
him as man grateful for the preserva-
tion of his life might be supposed to do.
A few days later, when the long-silent
Hecla was again convulsing the island,
and sending forth its mighty tongues of
fire and streams of lava, l was far away
from the sublime and awful scene, thank
ing Heaven 1 was alive to tell the story
of my wonderful escape from a burning
tomb,
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
southern cartforniaHealth Resorts


The belt of country extending from
Santa Barbara to San Diego, in Southern
California, has been described as possess
ing unusual attractions as sanitarium
for invalids at all seasons, and particu-
larly in winter, by reason of its equable,
genial climate, dry air, exuberant vege-
table and fruit products, and charming
scenery. South of the bold promontory
of the Sierra Nevada, which abuts upon
the ocean, the California coast is semi
tropical, and exempt from the raw winds
and fogs which, at times, trouble San
Francisco, and frost and snow are almost
unknown. Although hitherto accessible
only by a sea voyage, the principal
cities, Los Angeles, San Bernardino,
Anaheim, San Diego, and Santa Barbara,
have been extensively visited, and have
given rise to number of superior hotels
at each place. The extension of the
Southern Pacific Railroad, some six hun
dred miles southeast of San Francisco,
has recently annexed the whole fertile
and attractive region to the connected
railroad system of the country, and now
the most delicate invalid can ride in
parlor and sleeping cars, by a few steps
from one car to another, continuously to
the three former points. Roads are in
progress to the two latter, which are
now reached by short stage or steamer
rides. The expense and time consumed
in the trip are but little more than that
to Florida; and, of course, very much
less than the trip to Cuba, or the Medi.
terranean, while it embraces many ad.
vantages which none of them afford
The time from New York to Los Angeles
is about seven and half days.
This is the center of the great vine
yards and orange plantations OF Cali
fornia; both fruits being raised in won
derful variety and excellence. Oranges
lemons, figs, bananas, romegranates
olives and other fresh fruits, can be had
in perfection, aid strawberries and tht
like all the year round. Daily news
papers, telegraphs, modern convenience
in house structures, and all the accom-
paniments of American civilization, 81
necessary to convalescents, are also tt
be had almost the same as at the east
1t is the prediction of many who hav,
visited Southern California, Mr.. Nord
hotf among Others, that Southern Cali
fornia will become the great natura
health resort of this continent. Th
track of the Southern Pacific is alread,
extended one hundred and fifty mile
eastward of Los Angeles, and is pre-
crossing toward Fort Yuma and tn
silver mines of Arizona and Sonora.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

THE great railroad engineer, George
Stephenson, who ran his engine at mile
a minute, said his doubt was not how
fast he could make them go, but at what
pace it would be proper to stop. He said
that he could make them travel with
greater speed than any bird could cleave
the air, and he ascertained that four
hundred miles an hour was the extreme
velocity which the human frame could
endure, at which it could move and
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
THE DUEL. 1.

In Brentford town, of old renown,
There lived Mister Bray,
Who fell in love with Lucy Bell,
And SO did Mr.. Clay.
To see her ride from Hammersmith
By all it was allowed,
Such fair outsides are seldom seen,
Such angels on cloud.
Said Mr.. Bray 10 Mr.. Clay:
"You choose to rival me
And court Miss Bell, but there your court
No thoroughfare shall be.
"Unless you now give up your Suit,
You may repent your love;
Iwho have shot pigeon match,
Can shoot n turtle dove.
$50 pray, before you WOO her more,
Consider what you do;
II you pop aught to Lucy Bell,
I'll pop 1t into YOU"
Said Mr.. Clay to Mr.. Bray:
"Your threats quite explode;
One who has been volunteer
Knows how to prime and load.
And so say to you, unless
Your passion quiet keeps,
l, who have shot and hit bull's-eyes
May chance to hit a sleeps"
Now, gold is oft for silver changed,
And that for copper red;
But these two eni away to give
Each other change for lead.
But first they sought friend apiece,
This pleasant thought to give
When they were dead they thus should have
Two seconds still to live.
To measure out the ground not long
The seconds then forebore,
And having taken one rash step,
They took dszen more.
They next prepared each pistol pan
Against the deadly strife,
By putting in the prime Of death
Against the prime Of life.
Now all was ready for the foes;
But when they took their stands,
Fear made them tremble, 50 they found
They both were shaking hands.
Said Mr.. C. to Mr.. B:
Here one of us may fall,
And like st. Pauls Cathedral now
Be doomed to have ball.
"I do confess did attach
Misconduct to your name.
II witGraw the charge, will then
Your rdmred do the same?"
Said Mr.. B.: al do agree;
But think of Honor's Courtsl
If we 90 off without a shot
There will be Strange reports.
But look, the morning now is bright,
Though cloudy it begun;
Why can't we aim above, as If
We had called out the sun ?"
So up into the harmless sir
Their bullets they did send;
And may all other duels have
That upshot in the endI
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

THE Temperance promoters have just
been convicted of great blunder in
London. They had opened peoples
coffee rooms at low prices; but cores
pondent who sailed forth ON late terri
BILE night to test their utility found all the
gin places crowded and ablaze with COM
fort, but the "People's Cafes" closed, at
$50 p. m. The excuse made by the
managers was that it did not "pay" 10
keep them open after working hours.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

NEWS has just reached England of
some antiquarian discoveries near Mad
ras. Fossil men, immense urns, in
which the aborigines were incremated
before the time of the Brahmins, curl
Gus pottery ware and various kinds OF
implements are said to have been ex-
humed. Several of the vases or urns
are more than five feet in height, and
possess exquisite decoration.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
THE impossibility of constructing s

THE impossibility of constructing a
supermarine telegraph line has not de-
stroyed all hopes of some method being
discovered of communicating between
ships at sea and the land. 1t is now pro-
posed that ocean steamers carry with
them carrier pigeons which will bear to
their homes any information it may be
desirable to send from ship to shore. If
this scheme could be successfully carried
out there would be an end to the great
anxiety caused when steamers are over
due, and such disasters as the loss of the
City of Boston might not remain forever
a mystery.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

A Troy, N. Y, dispatch says an ex-
plosiOn OF five tons of powder de-
molished three buildings of the Schagti-
coke powder mills. The shock was felt
twenty miles around. A large quantity
of powder was on hand for the Prussian
Government.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

A LITTLE girl asked her mother
"What kind of bear is consecrated
cross-eyed bear?" The mother replied
that she had never heard of such an
animal. The child insisted that they
sang it at the Sunday-school. "No,"
said the mother; "it's "a consecrated
cross BEAR"
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
lr. av. 4 m. J m. ! m. } M. . m.
LIFE OF A LEAF.

flung leaf on a summer stream
That plucked from an alder tree,
And watched it danceiin the sunny beam
Where the eddies played ripplingly.
"Ohi for a life like that leaf, ;" 1 cried,
Floating along on the sunlit tide"
Over the water came breeze,
And 1t hurried the leaf along;
Down to the margin stopped the trees,
And they whispered gentle song.
"0l for life like the leaf !" cried,
"Ever in sunshine and song to glide"
Fast sped the leaf on its Joyous way,
Till it reached the rocks in the river;
Over the ledge, amid foam and spray,
Went the Leaf, and was lost forever.
"Ah, me! Is life like the leaf?" cried
Like Leaf" the echoing rocks replied.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

THE project for an inter-oceaDic canal
from the Atlantic to the Pacific is max
ing steady progress.
The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25

SMALL faults indulged are little thieves
that let in greater.
The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1877-06-01
Tho Mccormick Automatic Binder.


Nh !, II, Royce. Al ihn salr rooms
VI the MrCoilniuk harvesting n,n.
chimes. has aet up and would III glad
IL have farmers aud others Gull aud
Witness the operation III the novel
invention known IL. the Mccormick
Automatic i;itltitr. Iii many inlpalt.
mt respects ihis binder differs from
thu oiina IA n-r Inst ysat. Tho Me
Cnrmleks nrc msn III genius anil pro.
Hress, mud employ like talent lnrend.
elinH whatever they Offer the farmers
| ilrai.rlaSs la every aspect and f.a.
turr. Willie the Mccormick firm
| WIS not III all times In harmony With
fright Il was not and never IL wrong
III N, conclusions III ta.i, nor ,lur~ N
over tfeat IT. patrons rllnhhily, 81
lnisiepleaent ita wares, bui always
ninkra them i,lrt IN represented.
lhla il what thn lllm has IL ray III
| illls binder:
We tn not claim for thia machine
~ have arrived III the point III nhro.
lit. perfection, hut what Nr ln rlnim
II, thai II 4 far beyond anything III
] it, klnel which hnr mp IL thla time
been tried. and that II iAnprueilrally
! sucseasfnl binder, which any tntclll.
gent farmer rnn operate, and snt aud
bind hin own niuin without the con.
ntnnt nsnistnl.. III an expert IL keep
II running"
This binder II ~ perfect In ia on.
Grafton TINT Il VIII hind ii single
newspaper on ii coll perfectly. and
the driver has perfect control ov.i
thu si1v III the bundles II shnll bind
I'll. wlrr rorte only III cents for al
mere Ut whcnt ana entirely disprnser
With thn need of two hands ind II
dlspo@"s ~ their hoafl snl pay.
The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1877-06-01
Cast O1.fu.

II II = mistake q suppose lhti aisinria
l. ~, adapted y grown persons rs we'll
II. phiiiuu This. only neei " infrtaar
I'll, quantity l,u' phi,sfn have ~ mpNy
complaint ~ Wtttttl astoria III adapted
I'll. Wina .,ie, snnr staMeth, anrm.,
letters, Tteihlnv MI ,ranp, that il III IN.
lsrlall, recommended Inr shNm
Nv ELECTS are tliars uprtsiil Than aastnr
TIL u contains M alcohol, nui ID ~
pl,usant IL take ii. honey l. tt'Ner sfIpns
II, rngtliallB. THU etalaaeh hni bowels iitn
l,tsstuiIa euol. ,ha hlnad .Np,ls wefAs md
prevents fesershness luiets The nerves
Ana produces health -r,hvn u onnrse elit'
Iron en- slrrp In ,lni,t aul mothers ean
rNsl
,ns,orIa Ii recommended ty all rhysi'
einne md muses. Win hAse tried " and u
i having \ rapid, increasing tulc II u
prepared With rrrH cat. after tbs recipe IT
lif samtiel Pitcher. u Mass. III .llt i,sb
nruiory u ], " i.osc 4 90, III hey s,rce,
New York satii
The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1877-06-01
Dr.. Srhsnrk 4 laImon,e syrap,

MA WIKn Tukir, AM MANphAkt Pitts,
These medicines have undoubtedly per-
formed marc eniea VI Consumption .hun
any other remedy known To tho American
public. They nre compounded Of ssE.tn'
bio ingredients, aud uuntsin nothing which
ean ba injurious 10 the hulnaiI constitution
uthur remedies advertised ~ Gurus fol
Consumption. probably contain opium.
which ~ somewhat dangerous drug IN All
cares, an,l II taken freely hy collsAlnrilys
patients. II must To rfas. Injury for III
tendency Il 10 conane thu morbid msstes
IN thu systam, which, IT canrse, nuts. make
Y cure impossible. ssheneks l'ulmpni 1
Syrup II warranted not to rullinin il rar.
tielc VI opium, II Il composed 81 powerful
but harnlelfss hsrha, whle. at III iht
lungs, liver. stomach nnh blood, md thu.
CORRECT MI morbid sceretlpn., mud sspsl
the diseased matter ffom thu body
These Aru Iii. only means hy which foll
sumption can ba cured. nlrl NJ Nelulisk !.
tsulmonie Syrup, spa Weed Tonic, nL
Mandrake pills nrs tho only medicine,
which operate In this way. II " Obvious
they are thu only gsnnine cure fer l'Amn
nnry Consumption. Each boitls ofthls IN
valuable medicine Ii accompanied BY full
directions, pr frhenck |, professionally,
nj Ills principal uilre, corner HiAth nnd
Arch Stresln, Philadelphia. every Aonda,
whore NIL letters for advice must BIZ al
dressed June
The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1877-06-01

The Gypsru IluM MuihA have
nadr TN improvements Ia thu method
OF manufacturing mould boards, that
Will Il" uf interest ~ a'l Who purt
ehasr nn,l nsr plpNH, VA loakiaE
through thrlr rlnM works tiie other
day We observed ii fnet ilHi + we'll
known ~ farmers, TINT II That III
mould boards wears uMt az tie For
ward iau, and Tie rlow heeom,e
worthless while other parts If II ~.
main III good conditions. W. INV
them Worn completely through
over the ahln aud after tpuulln. trnln
there three or four ln,hsr, they we've
I'm perfect. an,l nearly ~ ihirk III
when tlial ulnde. - avoid ,le es
pense II Il new rluW ln.l.r such cir.
uumriunrA ths mould hoard Il nude
III twa lhWea. thaa permitting tie
lar htast exposed. e. 10 ina,l. much
llnl,ler fhnn ths rest II II. aud seeura
Ing Il large dngrnn more service. This
piece Il soinrthnS tho shape, nnel
about thu hi1e, uf I'll ordinary HIT
Iron, nni may lie obtained torn mere
triii. It. construction In Aueh TINT
tf'F INV - IaA'' W. NdbHi III " "
Wn~ ull III one piece. ~ heretofore,
It's unnecessary that v. describe this
invention more fully. Every farm.
~ Wllen about IL prosif. Il new ploM
should rnll on NesaiA. Woodward,
4 Nnn Lpun Il, tho trrara ploM
Works, AMI ann this rr.ni Improve
munt thai viii save them Il SECOND
plow by making Tho old one new
lease uf usefulness marty rgnhl IL
the illsi. They Inv. iil,sl /, rns.al Ia
til. l,ateni ulllve setting fnih their
invention, and IL protect their rights
III III