River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-02-01
THE BILL SIGNED.
The President Gives His Reasons for signiI
the Electoral Bill.

The President Gives His Reasons for SigniI 2
the Electoral BILL
WASHINGTON, Jan. 29.-1he Presi-
dent to-day signed the electoral bill,
and in so doing transmitted the follow
ing message to the Senate:
To the Senate OF the United States:
| follow the example heretofore oc-
easionally presented of communicating
in this mode my approval of the act to
provide for and regulate the counting
of votes for President and Vice Presi.
dent and the decision of questions arts.
| ing thereon, because of my apprecia.
| tion of the imminent peril TO the insti.
| tutions of the country from which, in
my Judgment, the act affords wise
and constitutional means of escape.
! For the first time in the history OF our
country, under the constitution as II
now exists, dispute exists with re.
gard to the result of an election OF
| Chief Magistrate of the nation. Ii Is
understood that upon the disposition
of the disputes touching the electoral
votes cast at the late election by one
or more States depends the question
whether one OF the other of the candi-
dates for the Presidency is the lawful
Chief Magistrate. The importance OF
| having clearly ascertained, by proce-
dure regulated by law, which of the
two citizens has been elected, and of
having the right to this high Office re-
cognized and fully agreed on by all the
people of the Republic, cannot be over.
estimated, and leads me to express to
| Congress and to the nation my great
satisfaction at the adoption of meas.
ure that affords an orderly means OF
decision of these gravely exciting
questions. While the history of our
country in its earlier periods shows
that the President of the Senate has
counted the votes and declared theiI
standing, our whole history shows
| that in
NO INSTANCE OF DOUBT OR DISPUTE
has he exercised the powers of decid
ing, and that the two houses of Con
| gress have disposed of all such doubt:
and disputes, although in no instance
hitherto have they been such that theil
decision could essentially have affected
the result. For the first time, then
! the government of the United State:
is now brought to meet the question
as one vital to the result, and this un
der conditions not best calculated tx
produce al agreement or to induct
calm feeling in the several branches Of
the government or among the people
of the country. In a case where, as
how, the result is involved, it is the
highest duty of the law-making power
/ 70 10 in dx tint o.
orderly and Just method of executing
the constitution in this most interest
ing and critical clause of its provis
ions. The doing so, so far from being
a compromise of right, is an enforce
ment of right, and in the execution Of
the powers conferred by the constitu
ton on Congress, think that this or
derby method has been secured by The
bill, which, appealing to the constitu
tion and law as a guide in aScertaininl
the right, provides the means of de
Gliding questions of single return:
| through the direct action of Congress
! and III respect to double returns by thu
| tribunal of inquiry, whose decisions
stand unless both houses of Congress:
shall concur in determining other
wise, thus securing the definite dispo
sition of
ALL QUESTIONS OF DISPUTE
in whatever aspect they may arise
With or without this law, as all of thu
States have voted, and as tie vote il
| impossible, it must be that one of thu
two candidates has been elected, anC
it would be deplorable to witness al
irregular controversy as to which Of
the two should receive or which
should continue to hold office. In al
periods of history controversies have
aris0n as to the succession on choict
of chiefs of State, and no party OF
citizen loving their country aud its
| free institutions can sacrifice too much
of mere feeling in preserving through
the upright course of law their country
| from the smallest danger to its peace
on such an occasion, and it cannot be
impressed too firmly on the hearts OF
all people that true liberty and real
progress ever exist only through cheer
| full adherence to the constitution. The
| bill purports to provide only for the
settlement Of questions arising from
| the recent elections. The fact that
| such questions can arise demonstrates
the necessity which, | cannot
doubt, will before long be supplied by
PERMANENT GENERAL LEGISLATION.
to meet cases which have not been
contemplated in the constitution or
laws of the country. The bill may not
be perfect, and its provisions may not
be such as would best be applicable to
all future occasions, but it is calcula-
ted to meet the present condition of
questions and of the country. The
country is agitated; it needs and it
desires peace and quiet and harmony
between all parties and all sections.
Its industries are arrested, labor un-
| employed. capital idle, and enterprise
paralyZed by reason of the doubt and
anxiety attending the uncertainty of a
double claim of the Chief Magistracy
of the nation. 1t wants to be assured
that the result of the election will be
accepted without resistance from the
supporters of the disappointed candi-
date, and that its highest officer shall
not hold his place with question to
the title of the right. Believing that
the bill secures these ends,I give it my
signature.
[Signed1 u. S. GRANT.
Executive MANSION, Jan. Goth. 1877.
OLD Eoruoay y Of Canton Mass