Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1877-01-30

SendtOIS Afe EtCOIutu Ou Tue siuS VI iisnN,
voting, speaking and using their best in
fluenee against the bill. II is to be hoped
that our delegation in The House will re-
main as firm to their convictions OF duty.
so that this State may say, hereafter, that
she had no part in thus setting aside the
Constitution, in attempting to oOmprou.-
Use with evil, or that she was AFRAID o.
ne threats Of q fen c0ppeiheads and PRE-
eaters.
The bill passed the lower house, Friday
by vote of191 to SO. and it has gone to
the President for his signature.
We append the remarks OF Senator
Blaine and Mr.. Hale, in opposition to the
measure.
SENATOR BLAINE.
MIR. Blaine said he had, ne trusted, as
great an appreciation as any Senator on
this floor, Of the gravity OF the situation.
lie had supported the Senator from Yer
mont E5munds) in December IN his con-
Stitutional amendment, to leave this whole
question OF counting the electoral votes to
the Supreme Court. He had favored plac-
inc this power of counting the votes in the
supreme Court by just AMI competent
amendment to the constitution, but that
sroposition did not commend itself to the
favor of the Senate, and was defeated by
a large vote. So far as he was personally
concerned, he was not welded TO any par
ticular theory as to counting the votes.
He desired simply to adhere TO the Con-
stitution, and, unlike many gentlemen here,
he was free from any embarrassing record
on this question. He was opposed to CIV
inc the power to count to fourteen gentle
men, four of whom were to complete the
number by selecting the fifteenth, and thus
by lot or chance filling that coy and BASH
iul blank, as Mr.. Benton would have ter
med it, on which the attention Of the coun-
try Is 80 generally fixed. twas proposed
to give these fifteen gentlemen, or possibly
the fifteenth gentleman, more power over
the electoral vote than Congress possessed,
and he did not believe this could be done
by simple enactment. Nothing less than
a constitutional amendment could confer
on fifteen men such tremendous power
over the electoral votes of the states He
lid not believe it to be warranted by the
constitution which he had sworn to sup
port, and though he did not pretend to be
what was termed n constitutional lawyer
every senator on his oath must vote on his
own conscientious belief Of what the con-
stitution Is, and what il allows. He had
desired earnestly to support this bill if he
could do 1t consistently. The arguments
adiuced in its favor had persuaded him Of
its uneonStitutonality and he felt himself
compelled TO record his vote against the
measure. In conclusion Mr.. Blaine begged
the judiciary committee, now the public
mind was 50 strongly directed to this
question, 10 frame an amendment 10 the
constitution which would, ifpossible, avert
in future all danger of a renewal Of those
troubles, which are now causing anxiety
in the public mind.
Hon. ErcrNE HAZE.
Mr.. Hale Of Maine said he was sensible
that in opposing the bill he laid himself
open to the charge Of being an intense par
tisan, but no gentleman who had spoken
in favor of the bill had discredited the
honest objections which remained in the
minds Of some people. lie was also aware
that he would lag himself open to the
charge OF obstrucJing a peaceful settle
ment Of the Presidential question. The
voice Of the great cities has been heard
and from day to day petitions have been
presented from them in favor of the bill
The cities were entitled 70 respect, but
God made the country and man made
the town, and he was willing TO rest on
the sentiment Of the country. He had
from the first been inclined to oppose the
bill and his doubts and fears had ripened
into a positive conviction against the BILL
The proposition was based on profound
fundamental errors. This BILL he said,
started by the bold assumption of the pow
er Of Congress to regulate and control the
election Of President, which power in
his judgment had never been lodged in the
two Houses by the Trainer sof the Consti-
tuition. Whatever the popular impulse
might be now this bill would not be sus-
tanned by the American people when they
should have time 70 measure and contem-
plate its consequences. 1t struck blow
at the electoral college which stood as nigh
in the Constitution as the Presidency II
self and shattered it "irom turret to ioua.
dation stone, and it substituted for it the
power OF Congress, which might at any
time thwart the will Of the people and rem
der nugatory deliberate and expressed
judgment. lie had listened to strophes
and illustrations ingeniously framed in the
other end Of the Capitol as to what might
be the evils Of single man deciding the
Presidential question, but it was a fact
this commission virtually gave the power
Of deciding the election to the Justice of
the Supreme Court, who would be selec-
ted by me other four.
FOR TIE OXFORD DEMOCRAT.