The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-01-25
THE PRESIDENTIAL ,RAETLE.

THE PRESIDENTIAL .RAETLE.
The Committees appointed by the
two Houses to hatch out a plan for
counting the electoral vote of the
present Presidential muddle, have
reported a bill, which from the out
look just now, will certainly be a.
dopted. The whole thing is uncon-
stitutional and a humbug, but a large
majority of the conservative men of
both parties, disguised and tired of
the attempted rascalities and frauds
of the conspirators, are willing to &C
cept almost anything that looks to a
peaceable settlement of the Difficult
ty. 1t is a bad precedent, however,
and a cowardly confession that after
we have fairly and honorably elected
a President, we are unable to legally
and quietly place him into that once
honored and exalted place. 1t is
turning our Presidential election in
to a rafting game and sinking our
Republican institutions into disgrace
and dishouor, and is beneath the
honor and dignity of the American
people. We care not whether the
mode increases the chances of TIL
DEN or HAYES, it is wrong and should
not be encouraged. The Constitu-
ton provides the manner by which a
President shall be elected, and we are
not in favor of departing from that
time honored method, simply to get
rid of the plot of a set of conspiring
scoundrels and a yexed question.
The bill provides that the Senate
and House shall meet in the House
on the first Thursday in February in
stead of the second Wednesday, to
count the votes. To reject the vote
of any State, both Houses must vote
in the affirmative. If more than one
electoral return be received from any
State, said returns are to be submit
ted to the decision of q Commission.
1t provides for the organization of a
tribunal to consist Of five Senators,
five Representatives and five Justi-
ces of the Supreme Court. Four OF
the Justices are named, to-wit: CLIFF
FORD, STRONG, MILLER and FIELD,
two Democrats and two Republicans
and these four are TO select a fifth
member from the Supreme Bench,
and the fifteen are to decide all ques-
tions relating to the votes of States
which send more than one return.
Whoever this Commission decide is
elected, it will require the concurrent
vote of both Houses to override the
finding, and should they agree that
there was no election by the people,
the House of Representatives will
then elect the President. 1t is meet
ing with considerable opposition from
leading journals and men of both
parties, but there is none who be-
lieve that the measure will be defeat
ed. 1t will probably be voted on the
latter part of the week, after it has
been thoroughly discussed and cuss
ed by members of both Houses.
The bill was debated in the Sen
ate on Monday last, and showed con-
clusively that it will pass that body
in its original state by a large ma
jority. 1t was bitterly denounced by
MORTON and SHERMAN, which instead
of weakening it only gave it strength.
The fact that MORTON, CAMERON,
SHERMAN, and their band of conspi-
~rators, together with all the radical
Republican newspapers in the coun-
try are opposing it, is strong argu-
ment in its favor and should recon-
mend it to the people. Senator EA-
TON, of Connecticut, is the only lead
ing Democrat that opposes it. Sew
enty-fve per cent. of the. opposition
comes from the Republican ranks.
By Friday it will have passed both
Houses, received the signature ofthe
President and become law unto the
people.