The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1877-02-01
Che JcIcrs sonian.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY /, 1877.
PRESIDENTIAL.

The Compromise Electoral Bill, which
will bc found on the outside of this paper,
passed the u. S. Senate on last Thursday
morning at o'clock, and also passed the
lower House last Friday afternoon at 5
o'clock. and went to the President for his
signature which was given on Monday last
Hence the act is now fixture and will
control the manner of counting the elec-
toral votes for once at least The Senate
and House have selected their members Oh
the commission and the Supreme Court
has also contributed its share. The
Democratic and Republican Counsel have
also been selected. The Commission there
fore is in full preparation for business, and
will commence counting the electoral votes
to-day.
The precise jurisdiction of this commits
sion is not yet fully determined. 1t is
supposed however, that it will not 60
farther than to investigate the action Of
the returning boards of the disputed States.
The commission will specially inquire into
the fact as to whether said returning
boards have been governed by the laws of
their respective States in arriving at the
results which they have certified to- The
Judgment of the commission as to which is
the true return and as to what votes are
to be counted is to be accepted as final
unless over-ruled by the concurrent votes
Of both Houses Of Congress. The com
mission is authorized to act with the same
powers, if any, now possessed by the two
Houses acting separately or together.
In the passage Of the electoral bill it
viii be observed that the Democrats of the
House Of Representatives have receded
from the position taken by their special
committee, that no vote can be counted
against the judgment and determination oil
the lower House. While the Republicans
have practically abandoned the theory that
the President Of the Senate is to count the
electoral votes, as was done for the first 81
years Of our national existence. These
features give the compromise character to
the Jill And the best thing, perhaps,
that can be said for the plan is that it is
an easy way Of getting Congress and the
country out Of tight, if not dangerous
place, rendered so not by any difficulty in
lhc problem to be solved, but by the bitter
conflict Of opinion between the two Houses
Of Congress and among the people, as to
the proper and legal result of the late
Presidential election. Perhaps this is the
whole or only true argument in favor Of
the measure.
While taking no stock in the principle
or policy of the bill, yet if it shall produce a
good result for the whole county, we shall
rejoice as heartily as its most earnest advo-
Gates, and give all the credit to those who
shall lave inaugurated it. But, on the
other hand, if it shall prove to be Trojan
Horse or any such thing, and produce
only evil to the country, then woe to those
who shall have brought it about But
while saying this much, we will confess that
we are not without lively hope and
expectation that the grand result will be |
such IS to cause the heart Of every patriot
to rejoice.
The new electoral counting machine is
now IN motion and we trust to be able next
week to at least report progress.