The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1877-01-25
An Electoral Tribunal.

and Senate, conslstiDg OF seven NOM
bers from each body, has agreed upon
plan to count the electoral votes for
President and Vice~President The
entiro Committee, composed equally
OF Democrats and Republicans, con
ourred in the plan, with the exception
Of Senator Morton, and there is scarce
ly any doubt but what tho bill oon>
tanning the plan presented to Con,
gross by the Committee, will pass, and
thus settle definitely how the count
shall be made. This will allay excite
ment and DO q great relief to the.
country. The following is the plan,
as given in the New York Sun: All!
questions raised on tho 18th of Feb
ruary concerning the validity of any
electoral vote shall be referred to and
determined by tribunal, consisting
OF five members Of the Senate, five
members of the House of Represen-
tatives, and five Justices of the Su-
preme Court The resolutions repor>
ted by the Committee, names four of
tho Justices by their circuits, viz:
Maine, California, Iowa and Pennysl-
vania. Tho Justices thus designated
are Mossrs. Clifford and Field, Demo
Gratis, and Miller and Strong, Repub-
licans. These four Justices are to se>
lect in any manner they choose, n
fifth, but it will be understood that
they will select one of the two res
naming Justices of longest service,
who wore not appointed from Ohio or
New York, namely, Justice Davis or
Justice Bradley. To the Tribunal thus
composed are to be referred all ques-
tions that may be raised concerning
the electoral votes, and their decision
is to bo final, unless reversed by the
votes of both houses of Congress.
The duties Of the President of the
Senate are limited to opening and am
nouncing the electoral votes, and
noting tho objections raised by either
House. The Tribunal thus established
is to assemble and organize Immediate
ly, and to proceed with all convenient
dispatch to pass upon the questions
reforred to It, included among these
questions, of course, is, whether 1856
votes are necessary TO elect a Presi-
den by the people, and whether, if the
votes of any State is excluded, the
House of Representatives shall then
proceed to elect the President and the
Senate tho Vice>Prcsident. 1t is.
therefore, an absolute reference of all
questions which can arise to this tri-
bunal, for it cannot be asusmcd that
any con clusion to which the tribunal
may como will be ovcrLhrown by the
concurrence of both Houses of Con-.
gross.
In regard to the possible or proba-
bic decision of the Presidential ques>
ton, by the proposed tribunal, men of
both parties confess thot it cannot be
foretold. Republican members of the
Committee, on the agreement, express
the opinion that it is fully as likely to
DO in favor of Hayes as Tlden. On
tho other hand the Democratic mem-
bers believe that tho cause of Tilden
is so sti ong and so just that his sup
porters can we'll afford to bo conf
dent. The Florida case at once comes
to the front as the first Importance.
The rules of law followed by the Su>
preme Court must inevitably guide the
proceedings of tho tribunal of fifteen.
One OF these rules is to follow the de-
cision of the Supreme Courts of the
States in regard to the laws of the
States. The Supreme Court of Flori~
da has decided that the Returning
Board of that State had no judicial
and the Circuit Court, follow
ing that decision, has decided in fa-
vor of the Tilden electors.
Taking all sectional, partisan and
legal considerations into account, it is
Npnhoh hla fhoS Tha "a