The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-01-25

yvhaa ahc Newspapers Think 81
if--.A question with Two sides.


what ahe Newspapcrs Thlnk d
tf--A question with Two sadcs'
The following brief extracts show
the spirit I'M which some Of the ieading
napcrs in the country have received
the report of the Joint Committee
providing committee OF arbitration
to whom may be referred any veSea
questions regarding the count Of the
electoral votes for President and Vice
President of the United States:
N. Y. Tsibans-Ind. Rep
We do not regard the question which
candidate il to be declared elected as
Of so much consequence, since the cir
cumstances will to some extent make
the victory Of either barren one; but
we do not believe that this report pro-
yides an unconstitutional method OF
counting the Electoral vote, and shall
regret its adoption rs precedent full
of peril. =
The Constitution provides clear
path out of ali these difficulties. 1t
directs the President of the Senate to
count the Electoral votes and declare
the result. 1t does this because the
Constitutional Convention was IN
willing to intrust any control over the
election of President to Congress,
and because the e-Prcsident, being
highest in station and most removed
from possible personal interest, seemed
the most fitting officer to exercise this
responsibility. These views are sub
stantially entertained by many of the
ablest constitutional lawyers in the
country, and we believe it no longer
secret that at the head of them is to be
placed Mr.. William NJ. Evarts. There
is no possible partisan advantage to be
gained by overriding them, since if
partisan tricks are to be resorted to it
would still be in the power of the Re-
publicans to delay action until Re
publican President the Senate should
constitutionally succeed to the vacant
place. IS it not better that the work
should proceed in legitimate way on
the accustomed 18th Of February, un-
der the binding constitutional pro
vision
N. Y. Times, Rep.-So far az the
Republicans are concerned ii il more
than a compromise; il l. an abandon
ment of the position they were entitled
to hold,-a surrender of the method
sanctioned by usage, and which pro-
tects the right ofthe State to determine
the regularity of their respective votes.
1t is, moreover, q surrender which in
stead of quietly settling the points in
dispute, lays the foundation of much
bitterness and discomfort, and drags
into the mire of partisanship the
Judges of the Supreme Court at time
when they, of all men, should be pro-
tected from the faint. OF the two
great parties whose interests are in
volved, the Democrats alone have
reason to rejoice. They have succeed
ed in exacting terms which give up
ground that might have been held.
The world will now believe, and OH
the authority of select committees,
that the Federal Constitution cannot
endure the strain Of a closely-contest-
de Presidential election, and that, to
meet an emergency which adherence
to the letter of the instrument might
readily overcome, it is considered
necessary to construct a rickety piece
of machinery, which will neither har
monte with other parts of the system
nor contribute to the faith of the peo-
pile in the sagacity Of their rulers.
N. y. Herald, Ind. Dem.-The
adoption of this plan will get the coun-
try out Of the turmoil in which it has
been forced to live since last June,
and especially since November, and
which has depressed all industry and
enormously increased poverty and
pauperism everywhere. 1t gives the
best assurance of a just settlement that
can be had. 1t relieves US from all
apprehensions ola stormy 4th of March
and ofthe vague dangers which every
man feels may easily become but too
real. IT provides. for settlement
which all honest citizens or whatever
party would consider final, and
immediate and cheerful acquiescence
in which will be imperatively demand
ed by public opinion.
n. y. World, Dcn-itis the Lower
House which makes President if the
Electoral Colleges fail to make him. |
Its authority in that matter is supreme
and sole. The Senate cannot interfere |
with that authority any more than the |
Lower House can with making Vice
President. Therefore the Lower |
House must for itself az a House, |
examine, count, and ascertain if any
person has majority of the votes for
the Presidency. These are our opin- |
ions, by which we are compelled to |
test the mode just recommended by
the Joint Committee: and we do not
see how it is possible to reconcile with
these opinions the rule that single
return is to be counted unless both
bodies concur in rejecting it, and that
the judgment of the Board of Arbitra-
ton is to stand unless both Houses
override it.
Cincinnati Gnztte, R,p.-The prob
ability is that the lottery would come
out in the recognition of the election
Of Hayes; but it establishes on the
part of Congress usurpation of the
control of the election of President
which revolutionizes the Constitution,
and which will make it impracticable
for the people to elect President
against party majority in both
Houses of Congress, except by such
an overwhelming majority that Con-
gress would be intimidated from set
ting it aside, by fear Of popular rev
olution. 1t would make this threat of
revolution always imminent in cleo
ton Of President.
The Juggling point is to be in the
selection Of the fifth Justice. This is
a designed fraud on its face. For
while the four Justices are distinctly
selected by their parry stripe, there il