The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-03-01
VOICE OF TWO HONEST RE
PUBLICAN CONGRESSMEN.
MR.. PlEECE.S SPEECH.


the counting Of the votes Tor Prcsideu, and
Vice, President provides that where the
decision @. the commission is received
upon the returns referred %, ,hc counting
shall. proceed in conformity ,htytwith.
unless upon objection being being made
by = certain number of members the lwo
houses shall concar in ordering otherwise,
in which case tho ssHgurfBUg order shall
govern. Objection having been made ia
due form 10 the rcpor, Of the commission
on the returns from Louisiana, wg are
brought face 10 face with the question
whether the vote OF that Stale shall be
counted a. 81. or ~ho,haF i. sha,, Dc
counted Tor Hayes or I.lGca. would
gladly avoid tho responsibility of passing
upon tins question IL, consistently si.h lle
duty which doy5ivos upon me as mem.
Der Of this House. could Do So. Bot the
responsibility IS one that cannot Je avoid
Cd. l. l. rs great and as solemn as that
which rested upon tho members ol the
commission whose report Is uoa before ne.
We are prevented BY constitutional ismi,
Ia,i5ns from sh.ning ne burden Of our re,
sponsitil..y in Gnis matter 10 other shoul-
icrs j: must be sustained - each one O,
US, and SO sustained As 10 satisfy his con.
science and his sense og duty 90 bis country.
Il i,h great ditidcnee that ySu,us,
10 dissent Ifo..l 49, decision, or rather th,
& NaF. 49, @
the rule which !. has laid doHu Tor ~.
determination Of this question is one thAi
cAano, ooac.cngiyusly inJono. The com
miss,o. Lsclarcs tha. j. i. not competent
10 ,skeany evidence - sLe- ihSt persons
other than those certified TO by ghg uovof.
nor % the State. on and according 20 tht
delorwina:ira of.hc returning officers 90.
elections Ia State. had been appointed
or tAa, tho determination VI he returning
officers vas not IN accosisHte Wi,h %,
truth and tho fact l. could never hsyt
been intended by those who established
lhls system Of government! that lhgr.
should Re no examination, no scrutiny o
the returns Of the electoral votes, IS ccrii
fed by tho state authorities The mosl
careful conscryaior Of State rights would
never have objected TO an examination by
Congress, or BY any other national AZ,
ihoTity, SO far a. 90 as~cs;G!a whether The
electors who sent their yot0s hors 10 o.
counted bad been chosen and were qualih'
cd in the manner prov idcd BY the Consti,
tuition and laws of their State and Of the
United States In the case now under
confederation az offer OF evidence was
made to show the eommissioU ibai Tho 70,
turning board Of Louisiana was not loyal.
~ constituted, that the action ofthe board
in csgYRssing the votes for Pres ideniial
electors vas rot iG accordance with the
laws Of the State, and That aeFiG.g Of the
alccior. certified to have been cbeeB ge5s
disqualified both under tho prov isions Of
State constitution and the Federal Consii.
tuition. That gross frauds were commit
ted in the canvass Of the votes is admitted,
l believe, by both parties, and i. is also.
admitted that the Returning Board acted
in the disChaggn OF their duties in arbitrary
and illegal manner. II these arc not
matters which the representatives Of all
The people, authorized by the Constitution
10 count the votes and declare the result, /
,an inquire into, then this Goyernmont|
stands on very insecure foundation. Il
cannot give my assent to any such dociar
luon. il is contrary TO good government,
I is contrary 10 good morals, il tends 10
weaken the hold Of tho government upon
ho respect and confidence Of the people Il
md the party which gets Office by its
dopiion will be party founded on prin-
'plc dangerous to the pcrpctuity Of the
Government The evidence which has
ee1 presented here, and which thecum.
Mission by a bare majority refuses TO con-
ider. shows n condition Of things which Z
Istiles, and in my judgment requires thel !
xclusion Of Louisiana from participating !
D tho Presidential election. 1t shows i'll I
ossiblc, higher justification for such \
)ursn n this time than was shown in 1921
hen the vote OF Tho state was excluded :
y a Republican Congress. | am aware. a
.r. Speaker, that in the action l now take "
stand almost alone among my political ..
sociates here Sbut / should be rccreantI
ny convictions ifI neglected TO placcI
the imperishabla records OF the Hour
y dissent from the vote which il is pro
,sed to establish. Id,
Mr.. SEELYE'S SPEECH.
Mr.. Speaker; 1t IS, perhaps generally =
le that In discussions 60 earnest not 10 h'
so excited. as this, neither party may ~
altogether right or altogether wrong. u
the bitterest disputes each side may &c
vc somewhat 10 justify it, both sides, GU
-haps, being correct in gha. they affirm m m
' only mistaken in what they deny.
,pose we should never have any contcn-
a among true hearted men il each had p
lear understanding OF the ground occu-
d by the other. In this case of the =
lisIaua election it's 10 me quite clear &c
{ the charges which each party brings ls-
inst the other are in the main true. Mo- of
Is were ever proved more conclusively Ie
n the tIauds and corruption charged !, -
N the one party and the intimidation
cruelty CHARGED upon the other l5f