Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-02-14
v which electors may have bean an


uiuuuluuiuuuulrnuuuni
by which electors may have been APP
pointed" r. e4e
If Judgment in an. inferior court
in Florida, rendered on the 9th of
Jan, in actionof quo arayrdato, conld
annul the vote OF that State, cast on
the 6thtof Dec, it followed that SINH
lar judgments in any or all other
States might be certified to the Presi-
dent of the Senate, and must govern
the Commission. .-...-=..I
lf.by an cnpost .tacto Judgment in
one State, one party should secure the
advantage, why, by similar move
mentsin another State, might not a
corresponding advantage be sought
for by another party and claimed as
the result of such policy; then in
stead of counting the votes under the
Constitution and law, at the time
prescribed, it would become necessary
to count judgments in quo acarrdnto
rendered in the various States, and
enter into an inquiry as to the regu-
larity and conclusiveness of their
judicial proceedings. There must be
authority somewhere, and at some
time, to decide who were appointed
electors, and the only safe and sound
constitutional rule was adopted by
the Commission, to-wit: that decision
made the proper State authority prior
to the time fixed by the Constitution
and the law for electing President
and Vice President of the United
States, was final, and not subject to
be set aside by Congress the power
of Congress was to count not to reject
the duly certified votes of States
Tucker followed on the opposite
side. Members of the Commission
had taken an oath to render Judgment
according to the Constitution and
law. The Commission in passing on
the eligibility-of Humphrey had de-
clined to pass on the question Of the
validityEof the vote of an incompetent
elector. Did-sthe Commission mean
to decide that the, ineligibility Of an
elector was to have no effect on the
validity of Ills vote Tt a State APP
pointed an Ineligible clecter, was he
notwithstanding to be declared by the
Commission and by the two houses
to lie competent elcctor, and his vote
to be valid vote? If so, then the
act of the Returning 'Board of the
State was valid and tho Constitution
1Nod hoe was void i'll regard to man.
The question of, the decision of the
Commission was to tho effect that the
only voice permitted to speak for a
State in the matter Of a presidential
elector was the voice Of a canyassing
board and of the Executive and that
the voice of the judiciary and legisla-
tnre must be pushed aside. He con-
tended that all organizations of d
State mustspcak its voice. l."
Banks and Frye favored, and Hurd
and Springer opposed the report. Il,
Carr said he doubted not, under the
Ipalpablc facts behind tho Governors
certificate, Florida should lravc been
returned for Yilden, but he held that
theademoeratie majority had no moral
right to complain that the Commits.
sion had rendered a partisan decis.
ion in reporting the votes for Hayes
Though this decision was contrary to
the facts and the will of the people
yet tho wrong is cllargeablc further
back than the Commission, namely
on those who established this parti.
san tribunal When the democratic
majority of the House adopted this
law with itfull knowledge that 9
majority of the Commission would bt
Republican, governed by Republican
instincts, controlled by Republican
interests, warped by Republican bias
es and moved by Republican motives
they deliberately abandoned every
claim which the democratic masses
asserted to the control of our nationa
affairs. The Commissioners have don,
no more nor less than what could o.
should have been expected or re
4 quired of them. You erected a po
litical tribunal, invested it with po
litical. attributes, and gave then
political questions to determine, ant
they have settled them from polite
al standpoint. Being Republicans
they believed that the Republican
candidate for 1.-The Presidency was
and ought to be elected. .aa }ui
They have been true and faithful
to their political sentiments, cdu
cation and associations. No lcga
wrong can attach to them for this, blu
when you democrats deliberately pu
such power, over such questions, int,
the hands of q tribunal so construct
cd, you committed bold and DARN.
4 wrong to your pretended politica
!, convictions and assurcdly to your pc
litical associates whose politica
sentiments and rights yon betrayed
and abandoned to- YOUR political adj
yersaries. / rise To remind the dem
ocratic majority that in common dc
cency your votes onithis measure hav'
estopped you from Indulgence i'm cveI
one word of criticism against the de
cision ofthat tribunal. Such is you
own offspring. You brought it int
being you gave it life and power
and you alonclarc responsible for it
result, Ii is no excuse for you to rs
sert that you did not anticipate sriel
a result: that you expected highe
and better things from your found
ling. you had no more right to expec
n tribunal SO constituted to produce
different result tran to expect a thor
bush to bring forth figs, nor will s,
/ weak an apology save you from tin
4 just condemnation which your be
4 trayed and outraged constituents will
forever heap upon your trcachcrou
heads. Carr continued I'M this strail
for considerable time.
. / Ills remarks were greeted wit
laughter and applause on tho repub
lican side. He concluded, "here the
4 in the name of the democracy of iii
whole country, absolve that com
mission from all charges save it ma
be that of an honest mistake andi
the name of the same great power;
dcnouncc the majority of this hous
s!boing responsible for the iwron
and rccreant, ignorantly or corrupt
4 recreant, to the confidence which LA
been imposed on them, and faithles
to the trusts conlided in them.n FAR
plause. talD
4 Debate closed at II Is and tho hous
,Iproceedcdit to vote. ho&sul -
lIale's amcndmcndment was reject
ed, 81 to 1877, and Fields resolutio
4 adopted asst al 4n} a-tl3 II
4 T. THE COUNT PROCEEDING. '9'"
/ $50, 7. M.-~Thc Joint convention
now proceeding with the count, til
convention having gone through wit
Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana
/ Iowa and Kansas. 4 f,',, ? ~
4 ,ua ,. a--7T----as~ -7T- aea4 }t'l
4 And the Electoral Count Goe
i '''7.' Bravely On. ''4,9l
'l4 ,',t A. .,sz WASHINGTON, Feb. II.
e 4
i The clerks Of the Senate read tn