Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1877-01-11

colleges. The people of every State
have given TO their Electoral colleges
the right, in fact, made it their duty .tol
decide by majority the eligibility of
those who shall comPo>e them, and |
given them the additional right and
made ii an additional duty to fiji the |
vacancy when an ineligibility has been
established. The Electors, rs thus o.
ganizeu by themselves into colleges, in |
their resi- ective States, shall then cast
their ballots tor President and Vice
President, certify the same, and for
ward their actions to the President OF
the Senate. All these several steps are
final and Conclusive, and from them
there is no appeal 10 anything or. any,
body uader the sun. When all shall
have been completed up. to this point.
the Constitution itself prescribes just
when and how, where, and by whom
the next and final steps shall be taken :;
Fhe President of the Senate is simply
made the Instrument through which
government shall be officially informed
as to what the people have done. He
Is tn open and count, or cause to be
coun ted, In the presence of the Senate,
the ballots of the Electors, the House,
being present, merely as spectators,
and in no other capacity whatever.
Such thing as two sets of ballots, is
suing from duly recognized authOrity;i
cannot possibly come before him, nor
has any such been placed in the hands
of Senator Ferry. Any number OF un-
authorized persons may send him the
record of their doingS-he cannot pre-
vent this, but he alone must determine
which are ballots, and which are " aste
paper. The Constitution is mandatory
upon him, on this point, and he can
co more escape the duties which his
oath of office has imposed upon him,
or permit the obstruction of, or inier-
ference with the discharge of'thoSe du
ties, either by the House, which is only
spectator and witness, or the Senate,
whose residing officer he is, than the
President can permit the interference
OF either of these bodies in the execu-
] tion of the sworn duties of his Office as
he understands them. The COnstitu.
tiOn has carefully kept the hands of
either of the three coordinate branch, 9
of the government off the whole mat
ter, until the President of the Senate,
after counting the ballots, informs them
that ihe people have failed to make a
Il
The records of the Convention which
framed that instrument as we'll as the
discussions OF those nearest succeeding
the tune of its adoption, show conclu-
sively that this was purpoSely done.
Hence, it is clear that the sending of
com mitteeS into those States, was
wholly gratuitous, if not impertinent,
for inasmueh as the power is not given
| 90 either or both Houses TO change the
result, they clearly have no business to
know how, or in what manner the peO.
Pile. have discharged. their part of. tte
work. All they have to do with, is-the
result, which the people have reached.
Ii such result has been reached the bal .
lots will show it; il it has not, then the
House can step in and do its allotted
work, ann no one will say nay. Bul
members of Congress will not De per-
mhted' to take the work intu- their
hands before it reaches them in d1e
course. The path of President Ferry is.
Therefore, clear and plain, and it is be-
lieved that he has the necessary back
hone to pursue it is it is pointed out az
his sworn duty. 1t is 10 be feared that
he may not have the cordial support Of
d certain bnmber of Senators, which Is
his due in this critical hour. But let
President Ferry stand nIa1iully to the
position he now holds, discharge his
swhrn duty rs he DOW believes it to lie
nefure him, and the people, they-who
make and unmake Senates and Houses
" i'll stand by him az they did by Lin
coin in 1864, ard by Grant ini@ 1872,
when both House and Senate were
largely opposed to them through incli-
tpati0n to pursue hair splitting s.ph:
aiStfies, rather than the good old fash
|ioned way of doing things in aceus
toned common sense way. Lincoln
and Grant won-sO will President Fer
| ry. The work in Congress has brought
firth little of interest or benefit to the
country. The House, in passing the
pension bill for benefit Of the Mexican
soldiers did about all the real work ac-
cOmplished. No quorum was present
the greater part of the time. Both sides
are preparing for rigorous war against
each other, from this week until the
Nth of February. KAw.'