Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-02-23
What Is Known and What Is Feared. .

The Electoral Tribunal is Democratic ex-
pedient. The boon companions of Mr.. Til
den invented its chief features for the pur-
pose OF defeating an election. They had lit
tie hope of obtaining the Electoral votes of
the disputed Southern States but they did
hope that an ElectOr here and there might
| be left out of the count, which might at
least send the election to the House of Rep
resentatiyes. IL is well known that part
OF the scheme was to have Judge Davis ap-
pointed the fifth Judicial member of the
| Tribunal 1t is known that he understood
| the plan and consented. 1t is known that,
even when his appointment would have been
an indecent act, by reason of his election to
the Senate by the Democrats, Judges Cliff
| lord and Field persisted in the effort to ap-
| point him. 1t is known that this plot failed,
and Judge Bradley was appointed only after
| threatened exposure of the means used to
| pack the Tribunal in case the two Demo-
cratic judges persisted in that course. 1t is
known that before those Democratic Judges
| consented to Judge Bradley's appointment,
| they ascertained that his opinion favored in
curing into the eligibility of individual
Electors. IL is known that as soon as this
was ascertained, the Democrats abandoned a
part OF their campaign in other directions.
and at once summoned to Washington all
the available testimony in the cases of al
legged ineligible Electors.
1t the leaders can make the Democratic
party in Congress stick together, they mean
to defeat the counting of the Electoral votes
by postponing it until the third of March
Ru rho of 100 .. n.
established that the Electoral votes should
be counted on the second Wednesday
of February, and that act never has
been repealed. Last Wednesday was
the second Wednesday of February. The
Democrats already have delayed the
counting beyond the time when, they will
claim, 1t must be done in order to be
legal. They may perform the farce of an
election in any event. alter the time contem-
plated in the act Of 1892 shall have elapsed
and there shall appear no hope for them
through the Electoral tribunal. Their main
reliance, however, is upon obstructing the
Electoral machinery, which was invented to
be obstructed. Suppose they frustrate the
effort to count the Electoral votes, and mean
while shall have declared Tilden elected
through the House. What then? After
neon IN the 4th of March there will be
no President, and the field will be clear
for desperate man like Tilden to usurp
the functions of the Executive. The
Constitution provides for no succession
The 18th amendment of the Constitution
provides that ''if the House of Representa-
tives shall not choose President, whenev er
the right of choice shall devolve upon them,
before the 4th of March next following the
Presidential election. then the Vice-Presi-
dent shall act as President, as in the case of
the death or other constitutional disability
of the President" Now, who is to judge
whether there is vacancy? The Demo
Gratis assert that the House of Representa-
tatiyes is the chief ii not the sole judge OF
the occasion which calls for its action as an
elective body. and that dangerous doctrine
was reiterated by Senator who has been an
honored Republican, but whose personal dis
appointments have driven him into a sur
render Of his cherished convictions. The
Democratic House is paving the way to
elect and inaugurate man who was de-
teated by the qualified Electors. 1t is true
that the Senate would not recognize him,
and would recognize the new Vice-Presi-
dent as the successor but this would raise
a conflict which would give the defeated
Tilden what he is str, ing fora third
chance to draw the Presidency,-and it
would throw this country into another
season of turmoil and disastrous uncertainty.
Boston 1rareller.