The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-02-03
The Electoral Commission.

The House passed the bill on Friday,
26th ult all the Maryland representatives
voting for it. One hundred and tifty-eight
Democrats and thirty-two Republicans
voted in favor Of the bill, aud eighteen
Democrats and sixty-eight Republicans
voted against it. The President signed
tho bill on Monday, The commission was
selected on Tuesday and "Wednesday, and
consists Of the following members Sen
ators-Messrs. Edmunds, Morton and
Frelinghuysen, Republicans; and Thurman
and Bayard, Democrats. Representatives
-Messrs. Payne, Hunton aud Abbott,
Democrats; and Garfield and Hoar, Re
publicans. Supreme Court-Associate
Justices Clifford, Strong, Miller, Field and
Bradley. The commission met and or
ganized on Thursday, LIST February, in
pursuance of the provisions of the bill.
Counsel has been retained on both sides.
On the side of the Democrats Judge
Black, of Pa, and Lyman Trumbull On
the side of the Republicans VIM, NJ.
Evarts and Mr. Stoughton, of NY The
manner of proceeding will be as follows
The certificates and all papers purporting
to be certificates of the electoral votes of the
States will be handed by the President of the
Senate, as he opens them in the alphabetical
order Of the States, beginning with A, to the
tellers, previously appointed, two on the part
of the House and two on the part Of the Sen.
ate The tellers read the certificates aloud
in the hearing of the houses, and make list
or tally OF the votes. As each certificate or
return is read the President of the Senate
calls for objections, if any. Upon objection
being made in writing, signed by one Senator
and one Representative, the houses separate
the Senate retiring to its own chamber
for the purpose of considering the objection.
Debate in such case in either house is limited
to two hours and speeches limited to ten min
utes, no member being allowed to speak but
once. If both houses vote to sustain the OBJ
lection the vote Of the State objected to is
rejected, otherwise it is counted 1t is said
that objection will be made to counting the
vote OF Alabama, the first State called, upon
the ground Of intimidation, &c. There being
but one return or certificate from that State
the houses will separate to consider the OBJ
lection, if made, and as the House Of Repre-
sentatives viii refuse to sustain it, the only
effect Of the objection will be to cause tenn
porary delay or suspension of the count The
vote Of Alabama will then be counted for
Tlden. That question disposed of the count
will proceed, probably, without interruption
until Colorado is reached. Should objection
be made, in this case coming from the demo.
cratic side, to counting the vote of G. 'orado,
upon the ground that it is not a Sta. regu-
larly admitted into the Union, H. same
ground upon which the vote Of Indiana was
objected --unsuccessfully ,however-in 1917,
and that of Missouri in 1921, the course of
proceedings will be the same as in the case,
already supposed, of Alabama. The houses
will separate, debate-if so disposed-and at
the end Of two hours at furthest decide the
question. The Senate, at all events, will re-
fuse TO sustain the objection, and the vote of
Colorado will be counted for Hayes.
The next question will probably arise upon
the reading Of the two certificates from Flori.
da--this case differing from that Of Alabama
and Colorado. From those States there is
but one certificate, while from Florida there
are two-two sets of electors each claiming TO
have been elected, and voting the one set for
Tilden and the other for Hayes. The act
provides that both certificates, with the OBJ.
jections made to counting each, and all ac-
eompanying papers, shall be referred to the
commission. The further opening of the GER
tihcates and counting of the votes will then
be suspended until the commission make
report upon the case Of Florida, which may
be for several days. The houses separate,
and, the act provides, may proceed with their
legislative business while the commission is
celebrating. The commission decide by a
majority whether in their opinion the vote of
Florida should be counted, and if so whether
for Tilden or Hayes, and this decision of the
commission stands unless, when reported
to the two houses, in joint session, the two
houses upon objection made as in the former
case shall separately vote to override it. That
IS to say, unless both houses agree to reject
the recommendation of the commission the
vote of Florida will be counted for Tilden or
Hayes, or not counted at all, just as the com
MISSION recommend. Here we may observe
that if counted for Tilden, or thrown out of
count altogether upon the ground that no cleo
tors were appointed by Florida, the practical |
result will be at once to decide the election in |
favor Of Tilden and Hendricks. The 1874 |
votes which Mr.. Tilden cannot lose without |
the consent Of the House, with the four votes |
OF Florida added, which he will get if the |
commission so decide, make 1888 votes and |
elect him. If the votes of Florida are ex-
eluded altogether upon the ground stated, |
then 1874 votes are a majority of the whole |
number of electors appointed In any event, |
however, the case of Florida having been dis |
posed of by the report and decision Of the |
commission, and the action of the two houses |
thereon, then, and not until then, the open.
ing and reading of the certificates will be re-
sumed, and will probably proceed until the
State Of Louisiana is reached. The double |
returns from that State and also from Oregon
and South Carolina, will be referred to the |
commission, as in the case of Florida-eaoh |
case being taken up, considered, and dispos.
ed Of in its order before any further progress
can be made in the count which may thus
spread over the whole Of February. When
the whole count is completed the result as
ascertained by the tellers is announced by the
President Of the Senate, and spread upon the
journals Of the two houses, and this ends the
important affair to which the whole country
has been looking forward with so much solici.
tude and anxiety.