The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1877-02-03
THE CONGRESSIONAL COMPROMISE.

The Congressional compromise Is
pontoon bridge laid to enable the nation
to cross an unfordable stream. 1t is con-
ceived in the most excellent spirit; if
the nation walks quietly and gingerly
over it, it may not come to pieces. That
is the best that can be said for it. The
stream Is there there is no ford, and a
pontoOn bridge is better than nothing.
The fault to be found with this scheme
is not in its details. 1t is in the tenden-
cy of which it is the latest and most sig
nificant manifestation. With whatever
wells it may be covered it is in verify
empowering Congress to determine tie
Presidency.
This is the precise thing that was orig
inally refused, after prolonged consider
alton, in the formation of the Constitu-
ton. 10 put the succession to the Pres
Dental chair into the hands of Congress
would make it national caucus, a body
determining all questions under the
fever of interest. 1t is-difficult to main
tain legislative equity and impartiality
even now, but with this quadrennial
question in hand Congress would become
turbulent with plots and wrangles.
Besides, it was determined that the
President should be elected by the peo-
pie, but, as if to emphasize a dread of
Capitalization, it was to be by the people
of the several States, and not by the
people at large as a nation. The whole
work of electing a President was to be
done by the States. Only in the an
nouncement was it to be Federal. The
House of Representatives was not to an
nounce it, nor the Senate. They were
appointed.to be witnesses of the solemn
act. The Vice-President of the United
States was to receive, open, and count
the electoral votes of the United States
and declare the result. 1t is said that
the Constitution makes it his duty to
open the returns, but says only that they
shall be counted, without saying expressly
that he shall count them. A sublime
bubble! The Vice. President was, then,
to be merely an inferior clerk, to open
envelopes and nothing more! Was it
necessary to appoint the second officer of
the Government to perform this petty
drudgery.
1t is thought to be grave response
bility, in cases of serious doubt, to give
a single man the right to determine what
are and what are not the valid returns of
State Electoral Colleges. 1t is a grave
responsibility yet it was placed there,
and fifty too. A single man of eminent
character would be far less likely to 60
intentionally wrong than a great body
of men divided into factions, with dis
tributive responsibility through which
each man could shelter his honor and
conscience while serving his party wrong
fully.
Say what we will, this Compromise
Bill puts into Congress the determine
ton of the Presidency. 1t may jump US
over the difficulty of to-day, but so soon
as it is known that Congress can be made
to determine the question there can ca
silly be enough duplicate returns in every
heated and nearly even Presidential
to bring the question into
Congress.
Already there are influences enough
tending to weaken the State and strength
en- the National Government. We look
with suspicion and dislike upon undue
augmentation of central power. To put
into the hands of the Federal Legisla
TUE the control of the vote of each
State for President is to select the most
vulnerable and dangerous of all points
for the transition of State power to Fed
eral power Around the Presidency
gather all the tropical storms of our sys-
TEN. Ambition, sel6shness, ard parti-
sanship glow with torrid ferceness
around this point. 1t is a matter of pro-
found importance that Capitalization
of our Government should be stopped
upon the Threshold.
We have a right to demand that this
measure shall no be hastily
Let there be time for full
discussion and reflection, both at the.
Capitol and among the people The Bit
ter flavor of old compromises is yet in
our mouths. Our greatest dangers have
sprung from compromises. If the power
Of controlling the Presidential election
once lapses into the hand of Congress it
will be difficult to reclaim. Such bodies
of men are avaricious of power and jeal-
Gus of its diminution. 1t can be pre-
vented far easier than remedied. Chris
finn Union, Jan, oath,