Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-01-24

Mr.. Lincoln vas declared elected il
the same way, the FIRST time.
The fourth method nas adopted il
February. 1865, and is known as ,bt
22ad joint rule, which provides that nj
electoral vc;e to which objection il
urged shall be eoun,ed, except By ths
agreement of both houses. This las
method was repealed by recent Con
gress, and such are the Ways or methods
by which an announcement of the re
suit of past Presidential elections bav.
beer reached.
Our predecessors in this country
have not been quite so dogmatic in thei'
ways as the crucifers, as those who rar
naked, as those who settled persona
grievances then aud there just IS the J
happened, or as those who burned her.
etics and witches.
Under the almost unanimous express
sion of the people for a settiemeI: ol
the present dispute in a way that will
give satisfaction to the general public,
committee of fourteen Cone'essmeH
was appointed BY Congress to devise
/ plan to count the vote on the day ap-
pointed by the Constitution and N &C
cordance with tbe provisions Of that
document.
The committee was composed Of sew.
en- Republicans and seven Democrats.
They reported a plan last Thursday,
which find ard read carefully in another
column, and ali signed it but Senator
Morton, of India.s.
Thirteen for the plan, and one against
the plan, certainly an overwhelming
majority, aud minority so small that
il il had been less il would be nothing
whatever.
Congress should take the report and
pass it, and thus secure the way for a
satisfactory settlement of the vexatious
question. Already a number of men
are shouting, Give us the old, old way
Just like the sticklsrs for the crucifix-
ion and the stake. They say the CON-
nittee's way is not the way of the Con-
stitution.
For what the Constitution says see
Article 2nd. All that instrument says
has been enlarged on In times past BY
the passage of the 22nd joint rnle, and
the counts of February, 1865, Febru-
ary, 1869, and February, 1873, held
under it. TIE rule was repealed last
session We're the counts of the votes
under that rule for the second term o!
Abraham Lincoln aud the two terms of
President Grant unconstitutional! Who
will SO declare them
The Constitution says the President
of the Senate shall in the presence OF
the Senate and House of Representa-
tives open all the certificates, sand the
votes shall then be counted"
That is the way 1t does not say
that the President of the Senate shail
count the votes.
When the Constitution says that each
State shall have Republican form OF
government guaranteed to it, it does
not enter into details as to ho8 the
guarantee shall be vitalized into code
OF laws for the State. Congress must
do that. So with the counting Of the
votes. That is the way.
The Constitutional declaration I" and
the ruteS shall then be counted" is a
command that they shall be counted,
without telling how they shall be count
ed, aud the fact that it provides no way
for the counting Cf the votes render the
proposed bill of the committee of four
teen perfectly constitutional.
The Constitution is positive as to the
time when the work shall be done Ii
is positive as to who shall be present on
the occasion, but as to the way it is not
positive, as to the way is the least pos
tive point of the document on the
question, and therefore to cry out In
favor Of the first way, as described
above. remind one Of the unyielding
ways of the crucifiers, hereto and
witch burners, and all that class OF
people who fail to recognize the
progress of better methods for the
suppression of crime and settlement OF
disputes.
What in the world are these profess
edly changeless men going to do with
the three other ways under which Con-
gress has acted in the counting OF
the electoral votes - and what in the
world are they gong to do with their
own action in sanctioning the three diff
ferent ways, that they now wish to pro-
nounce unconstitutional
The people are with the plan OF set
tlement as reported by the Committee.
One Million to Arm the Militia.
last week II was proDOsed at Har