Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1877-01-24
Che ftEEman

MONTPELIER VT.
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY "a, 1877.

The Electoral Question.
The time o: Congress during the last
week has been almost wholly taken up in
the discussion of the bill reported by the
committee on counting the electoral vote.
There have been some discussions upon
the elections in the Southern states, but
the question of absorbing interest has
been the commission bill and there has
been no general legislation worthy of no.
tice.
The bill goes upon ground against the
theory that the constitution has confer
red upon the president of the senate the
right to count the votes, and is likewise
destructive of the opposing theory that
either house by refusing to consent to the
counting of the vote of IL state can thereby
throw it out.
Senator Edmunds is on all hands given
the credit or blame of being the " father "
of the measure, and the plan has certainly
some of the features of our Vermont leg
islative method Of canvossng votes. Erch
house elects five members of the commits
sion, and four judges of the Supreme Court
are elected by the bill, and are to them
selves choose the fifth member. The four
justices are equally divided between the
parties, and the bin is as fair Il solution as
oOu11 b.,Hy, hnoY, nrriV.,1 nt
We have heretofore 50 fully given our
reasons why we believe Congress should
make provision for the counting of these
votes that we do not propose to 60 into
any extended discussion of what this COM
miltce, composed of some of the best law
yers and best men in both parties, has
brought forward as the hest method TO
them attainable. Ii will be well for the
country if the Mortons and Willises of
Congress find that they cannot put PARTS
anship above patriotism in the great law
making department of our government,
On the republican side Morton leads the
opposition. lie had before placed himself
in opposition TO the theory of the vice-pre-
sident's right to count which he now sup
ports. He admits the inconsistency but
claims that he has found new light. It'll
is enough to say that men Of Mr.. Mortou's
temperament and intellectual powers al-
ways find cogent reasons for sustaining
just that position which gives them IN nd
vantage. Senator Shermans course is al
so one Of hostility to the measure. 1t is
reported that the entire Vermont delega-
ton except, of course, Mr.. Edmunds, will
vote against the bill. We should hardly
believe that Senator Morrill, would be
found on that side. He voted for the con-
stitutional amendment early in the session
which looked to the same object; still he
may believe that the constitution gives the
vice president the right TO count, and that
the uniform practice of so years in Con-
gress against this theory has not put
different legal construction on the disput-
ed clause; in which case his voting for the
amendment and against the bill would be
explained.
The list of the men who follow Morton
is composed largely Of extreme partisans
taken from both parties. They are the
men whose first question is whom will
this commission clect?' 1t eeems to us
that, perhhp the most surely of any way
possible. the proposed arrangement will
elect the man who is elected. Morton
wants no plan that will not say with him
"Haves is elected" and Eaton wants none
that will not say with him "Tilden is elect
ed" They have naturally a great follow
lowing, But the country wants to know
who is elected and to have that man inau-
gurated. 1t is in Congress an issue be-
tween partisanship and patriotism.
The vote in the Senate will very likely
be taken to-day, and if any reliance can
be placed on report, from Washington, it
will be largely in favor of the bill. The
House is considered sure to pass it and the
President to sign it. The Judgment of the
country, however, upon the action of those
who favor and oppose this settlement, will
not depend on its success or failure, and
Mr.. Edmunds and his dozen associates of
the committee who have dared to do that
which is just, let it hurt where it will,
whether Congress follows them or not
deserve well of the republic. They
have reaffirmed the good of the people to
be the highest law.