Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-03-09
THE ELECTORAL COUNT ENDED,
AND THE VICTORY WON.
Hayes and wheeler Declared Elected
last Friday Morning after AN ALI
nighta session. shameful Conduct Of
the Obstruct1ontatH.

ntght'a session. shameful Conduct Of
the ObstructIOnists.
Last Friday morning at a few minutes
past four o'clock, after day of unprece-
denied tumult, confusion and rowdyism In
the House of Representatives, and an all
nights session OF both Houses of Con-
gress, the end OF the Electoral Count was
at last reached, aud the final declaration Of
the election of Hayes and Wheeler as Pres
ident and Vice President of tho United
States was made in due form of law.
The business properly before the House
on Thursday morning was the debate on
the objections made TO counting the electo-
raj vote of Vermont, but the fact that on
the previous day, when the objections to
counting the Vermont vote were formally
made, Mr.. Hewitt had offered to the joint
convention the bogus or Aldrich "certiti-
CATE from this State, and that Mr.. Ferry
had refused TO receive or open this pack
age, was made one of the pretexts for vast
ing the whole of the day on Thursday. The
demand of the obstruction SIS was that Mr..
Hewtrs package should be opened, and II
found to DO a certificate, should be referred
TO the Electoral Commission. Their raid
was led by Mr.. Tildens immediate repre-
sentative, David Dudley Field, the great
criminal lawyer. With the ingenuity for
which he is noted, be argued that there
was no time fixed by law within which
certificates should be sent in, and that the
President of the Senate in refusing TO re-
ceive what purported to be certificate,
a. IL IL lola I'D t1a
rights of the House. Pending this debate
and previous to il, the most disgraceful
disorder prevailed among tue Democrats
who were fighting against time. They
showed deliberate purpose TO break mp
the session of the House in confusion. They
left their seats and crowded the aisles
they shouted from all directions to the
Speaker they INDUCED in hows and cat
calls; they encouraged like noises from
the galleries, aud one of them, Mr.. Beebs,
an obscure member from one of the
river counties in New York, jumped
upon the desks, then ran yelling over
them, and from this elevation INDUCED
in the most violent vocleraticn and ges-
ticulation. The scene Of noise, disorder
and tumult which prevailed at this point is
declared to have never before been equalled
in Congress the Speaker was entirely I'M
able to restore order, and the Sergeant-at-
Arms was finally called upon to perform
that duty. When the vote on the resolu-
ton regarding the bogus certificate was fin
ally reached it was defeated by las nays to
ZIG yeas.
The revolutionists then began new Sc
ries of dilatory motions TO prevent the
House from reaching the main question,
which was on counting the vote Of Yer
mont. Roll call succeeded roll call, and
for more than twelve hours il all there
was no lull in the desperate struggle. At
last, by the ruling Of the Speaker, the furi-
Gus faction was brought to vote, and at half
past ten the question of the Vermont cleo
tor, Sollace, was decided. Al eleven
O'Clock the Senate was notified of the ac-
ton of the House and the Joint Conven-
| ton again assembled. Vermont was
counted for the Republican candidates,
and Virginia and West Virginia for Tilden
| and Hendricks. When the certificate from
| Wisconsin was opened, an objection was
made signed by both Senators and Repre-
sentatives, and at balf-past eleven the Con-
vention dissolved and the Senate retired
to their chamber, where the vote OF Wis
cousiu was counted for Hayes aud Wheel
er. In the House some further attempt at
delay was made, but the backbone of the
opposition bad been broken, and the two
hours debate was reached and finished
sooner than had been anticipated.
Finally, at few minutes before o'clock,
the Senate was informed that the House
was ready TO proceed. At 4:05 o'clock they
| appeared at the main entrance of the Hall
| of Representativ es. The leading Demo-
cratic filibusters, in childish spite, had call
| ed upon the members of their party to
leave their seats and congregate in the open
space in the rear Of the hall and in The
cloak-rooms, this action being intended as
protest against the whole proceedings.
| OF course it had no effect except TO leave a
majority of the chairs on the Democratic
side of the House empty.
The announcement of the vote OF Wis
consin was made in perfect silence. Then
President Ferry called upon the tellers TO
add up and inform him what was the state
of the vote. Mr.. Allison, one of the tell
|
votes cast, and announcing that Ruther-
ford b. Hayes and William \. Wheeler
had each received lS5 votes, which was a
majority Of the entire Electoral College.
The President of the Senate warned all
persons present not TO mako any demon
stration when the result was announced,
and in very impressive voice he then set
forth the state of the vote, and declared
Rutherford b. Hayes TO have been elected
President, and William A. Wheeler Vice
President of the United States for four
years. Not sound was heard in any part
Of the Hall except solitary hiss, said to
come from desperate visitor, who was up
on the floor by the courtesy of the House.
Before the last Senator had disappeared
through the door Mr.. Tucker OF Virginia
moved an adjournment until II o'clock
Friday. One or two Democrats made OBJ
jections, but the vote was carried by an
overwhelming majority. In less than five
minutes the Hall was cleared, the lights
were put out, and the great Presidential
controversy of 1876 and 1877 was finished.
!
Prof Seelye wisely said to President
Hayes, when he was introduced to him, the
other day: "You have before you great
peril and grand opportunity, but 1 have
more hope than fear"
The Moody and Slnkey meetings in
Boston continue to be fully attended, and
the interest is undated. Last Sunday,