The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-02-16


no provision against the Inauguration o
q president by forgery and fraud, and by
a conspiracy between men who certify
to his election lie felt Inundated that
as citizen of this republic he was called
upon to argue this question before ma
tional tribunal. II was not before .
canvassing board touching the election
OF justice OF the peace, but the national
congress. having power to go to the
very bottom OF everything, that he ap-
peared. There was submitted to this
commission not only the question who
were lawful electors, but all matters con.
nected with double return. When the
act was passed there was q thrill went
through the country and there was q
feeling that whatever the decision was it
would declare the true voice Of the PEG.
pie. Shoald it be said that when the law
declared they should consider all ques.
tons connected with double returns that
it meely meant they should do simple
sum in arithmetic, and add up the certifi-
Gates What the country wanted was a
decision as to who was lawfully elected,
and the country would not be satisfied
with anything else.
Hardly twelve months have trans
pired since person came here knocking
at the door OF the senate with paper
signed William Pitt Kellogg, stating
that he had been duly elected to the sem
ate. Did the senate open its doors TO
him? Why, he has stood there knock
ing ever since Kellogg pretended to be
governor, until finally the senate shut
the door in his face and sent him away.
Kellogg, then. is in no better condition
than McEnery. But you have got GER
tificate here from person claiming to be
governor, a certified list, as 1t Is called
in the statute, OF the names OF the per-
sons elected electors. What does that
amount to? Does the constitution re-
quire it? The constitution said the ele,.
tors should meet in their respective
states and vote by ballot for two persons,
OF whom one at least shall not be an in.
habitant Of the same state with them
selves. and that they should make list
OF all persons voted for, and of the mum.
Der Of votes for each, which list shall be
signed, certified and transmitted, sealed.
to the seat Of general government, d.
rected to the president OF the senate.
The president of the senate then. in the
presence Of the senate and house OF rep
shall open all certificates,
and the votes shall then be counted.
That is all the electors have got to do.
This is right not inherent in the state.
but derivative from the constitution Of
the United States, which is az much a
part OF the constitution of every state as
it is Of the United States. Every word
and every letter in this constitution is as
binding on the state as on the United
States.
Mr. Trumbull referred to the unani.
nous report made By the senate commit
tee in 1873 and said: What was the re
suit of that report: The senate ant
house Of representatives voted not t,
count the electoral vote Of the State O
Louisiana. congress looked into it, ana
its committee reported that the votes hat
never been canvassed by nybody hayin,
authority to canvass them, and the n
suit was that tho vote vi the State @
Louisiana was rejected.
! Juetice Bradley-who made the can
vass at that time?
Mr.. Trumbull-It was required to b,
made BY the returning board, which con
sisted OF the governor, the secretary o
state, the auditor and two other persons
and there was controversy as to which
was the true canvassing board.
Justice Bradley-It was held that th.
proper board had not made the canvass
Mr. Trumbull-It was not decided in
the report Of the committee on privileges
Senator Morton-Haye you the whole
report there?
Mr.. Trumbull-I have. One of the
points stated Is that the persons who in
fact made the examination and count had
no legal authority to do so.
Senator Edmunds-DO l understand
you to say that the judgment of the sen.
ate four years ago was on the question OF
fact as to what the real vote of the people
| of Louisiana was?
Mr.TTrumbull-lt is difficult to tell on
what consideration the senator's voted.
The certificate of the governor of Louisi-
ana in that case was in the proper form,
and for some reason both houses concur
red In rejecting the vote OF Louisiana, so
that II this amounts to anything it lisa
decision that the duly authorized certifi-
cate OF the governor is not conclusive.
Senator Edmunds-The resolution
adopted there was that, all the objections
presented having been considered, no
electoral vote purporting to be from
Louisiana should b counted. That was
adopted by vote Of 80 to l6. Among
the objections was one from Mr.. Carpen-
ter OF wisconsin, on the ground that
there was no proper return OF the votes
caat by the electors in the State of Louis
lana. and because there was no state gov
eminent, republican In form, and be.
cause no CANVASS or count Of votes had
Deen made prior to the meeting OF the
electors. Another objection Of similar
f1f brt. was made by Senator TrumbulI.
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lou are entitled to the
ouil, unless you yield. Procee1o sing)-