The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-02-03

against Gov. Packard which were applaudel by
tic galleries, aud these were at once cleared By
the Scrgeant-at.arns. Alr. Sherman Qlep.l, Of
Ohio, and Morton Q'.p.), of Indiana, sustained
Gov. Packard.
THE COMPROMISE fi.SrTOHM Hill.
III the Senate Mr.. Elmurl* (iep.). Of Fcr-
mont. made the opening speech on tic I'LL for
counting the electoral vote, or. nS it Is now
known, the Compromise bill. The galleries VI
the Senate chamber wCro crowded and every
senator In Washington was present In his sent,
The speech wAS listened to with strict attention.
/ The speaker entered upon all explanation Of
| the several provisions Of tho BILL describing
| them at some length. lie madr MI onset against
the allegation Of tho right Of the president OF
the Senate 10 exercise judicial power III tic
counting Of the vote, and his tcnunciatiOn Of
those who alleged this right was stronS. Ills
/ point against those VIM declare tic bill nEc0ll'
I SttutiOnal was this That there Is not single
section Of tho Constitution save one, which has
enforced itself without Congrrssionalleri
The excepted section il the one which rccog'
Ii2el slaves IN property, atld III notable case,
| cited by the speaker, this constitutional prO.
vision was decided by the supreme court
| to allow master to recover n slave
a. property wherever he could find him.
As tI the matter Of precedent, the senator de-
cared that in point Of fact tho votes had been
counted by teerS ut the clerks desk after each
Presidential election for period Of forty years.
No such crisis as this had ever arisen to nccGssi.
| tate tho action OF Congress III tho matter, and
the Congress was now called on to exercise a
right which had merely lain dormant. lie
urged senators neither TO stimulate donbts in
their own minds nor to lot their wislIcs onlriHl
their deliberate Judgments and GxlOrtel tic
chamber, In behalf Of the country, not to leave
| 1t III danger Of tossing anarchy, resembling
mountains tlInblinE crcr1Mnrc into scaS without
shore.
Mr.. Norton 1tcp.), Of Indiana. followed Mr..
| ElmUnlS In the discussion. Mr.. Norton was
the only member Of tho Conference committee
| that did not sign the report md he did not
mako minority report. lie spoke IN OppOSi-
tiOn 20 the bill. lie knew TINT there waSgrcat
lineasinGsS IN the country and apprphens0ts
are felt Of violence. The bill. he declared, was
presented for the rcason that members Of the
two loiSes believed that danger threatened the
country. lie did not believe III the reality Of
the danger. Tho real danger 10 be apprc.-
hcnlcl was in not standing up and doing ont
whole duty. For one he wHs not afraid that II
this vote should be counted M II was for the
first sevcnty.tw0 years In the history OF orr
government there will he any revolution. lie
i UNuuNtA ObV wiz AkNhhHAN ~ VIA NJ
utterly destroyed. lIc regarded the bill m a
compromise, and that II Should lake It's place
alongside the notable compromises in the his
tory Of the Countrywide compromise OF 1870
and the compromise Of 1850. lrC believed that
| Rutherford Il. Hayes was fairly elected
President, and II counted III lie wOnll bc
| inaurllrated without violence md there
! would he no revolution. lie closely abruptly
| after holding the floor only fifty minntcG Mr..
Morton maintained that in tic absence Of legis-
lation tho president Of the Senate mist count
! the votes to prevent a deadlock. lie did not
hold that tlIis power SEOnld be exercised in op.
position TO the will Of the two houses, bDt IT.
exercise he held to be no more Of nrurpaliOll
than had been committed In every count down
10 the adoption Of tho .ss:t; second Joint rule.
lIis chief nlvicault 10 tic bill wns that Il gave
! the tIl.lmisSiuM power 10 go behind the IT.
.tlrtS and ascertain whit electors were duly als
pointed, which Ito held 10 10 unconstitutional,
and regarded besides ms change Of the exist
lug status IN favor Of tho Democrats. Mr.. Fro
linglnyscn Cltcp J, Of New jersey. followed Mr..
Morton In written speech in favor Of the bill.
| lie denied Tint It gave tic commission power to
/ 10 back Of the papers submitted to II 10 See
lIOw returning boards performed their duties.
Here werc two diverse Republican opinions nj
! the outset US 10 the most important feature oi
the neas,irc. Mr.. Cameron UCp.), Of Penn.
sylvHnia, made five minutes speech against
tho bill, denouncins Il AZ a Democratic affair,
framed by thrcc or four Republicans to CRAFTY
their political opponents. It created. lie said,
political court, 10 cheat one party or the other,
| BY trick or lot. Mr.. EilmWldS (i;cp.). Of Yer.
mont, declared that prompt action was ncceS-
sary, and that he should push matters TO d
vote.
Mr.. Sherman (licp.), Of Ohm, held the iiuOr
for mn hour, during which lie delivered speech
against the Electoral bill. lie Travelled urcr
| the same ground travcrsGd by Senator Morton,
and dwet chiefly on tile points nsSallcd by the
Indiana senator. He maintained that the Con
stitution clothed The prcSilcnt Of the Senate
with tho power to count tho electoral votes,
anil asserted tint the legislation proposed by
tho conference committee VI tho two houses
was not Only unconstitutional but nntaIOlistic
to the spirit Of DIR government. What the
president OF The Senate did WAS III the presence
and under tic rcrUtinising gaze OF the repre-
ECntativca Of the States md the people. IN open
dag and with the eyes Of the nation upon HIN,
while the nconGrnOnS tribunal created nndor
tho provisions Of the proposed bill wnnld VT In
secret and, unseen by mortal eye, pass judy
iIent that concerned tho veal or Voc Of forty
millions Of people,; anllithis Judgment, after all
would be but the opinion Of one man, the titill
Judge, wlO would doubtless have 10 he selected
by lot By hiS four colleagues Of the supreme
bench designated by tho bill.
Mr.. Conklins (l!crl, Of Now York, spoke al
length IN favor Of The bill. lie attacked the
assumption that the viec-rresiIcnt had or was
intended hy tic trainers Of the Constitution TO
have amy power wllaytcer In regard to tie
electoral vote, except to open the certificates
and nllndins 10 the laugtITge Of the CoustitI-
ltn NrlfnI that nf fin
Senate shall open tile electoral cvrttAcnteS and
thcy shall then DO counted, no turned aside,
and, with one hand Outstrctcliel 10 the sclia-
torE the other stretched toward the presidents
chair, exclaimed: "lly him. Ina tone which
ret the galleries ilnttGring. an Il had been
intended that tho vote should be counted by
him, those Two little words" said he,
"nS Two senators have said before lnc,
wUnld have expressed that intention
as a President, then, to be cloSen," asked Mr.
COrkling "by counting forged votes votes for
a man condemned to LASTING Disgrace and ill
ability by tie Senate on impeachment votes
for dead MANI wns II intended by tlIo'e who
framed the Constitution that vULcS for u dead
man should lll with all aching yUid the l'resi-
dental Office? To count my fingers" he said,
"tllat Ii purely ministerial pAicc; TO count n
pile Of paper Is the same: 10 count bl,k nOlcS,
among which may 10 cOuntcrfcita, and 10 sort
the true from the falsn, that requires the exer-
else Of Judgment. II New York should send
here lOrty-Eye electoral votes they would moi DO
counted they would have 10 be Sorlcd."
Government" said he, "rests on The consent
Of the governed. lSa majority Of Congress less
10 bG trusted then one man? \ bure majority
Of this House might select u presiding officer
for the express purpose OF counting In candi-
date. lSSurl creature Of AL hour Of mort
force or moro trustworthy thnn tho wisdom Of
the two hOusCs?"
House.
The House considered the resolution reported
by the Judiciary committee with reference TO
the urrcsl Of the Louisiana returning board.
AfterfOnsilCrabled iseussiun tho vote wns taken,