The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1877-01-29
TNEDEs si5OgRRI
McMAaN SuMWosY 20



returns from several States Of the Pres
idcntial election, aud the two Houses
united in the appointment of joint
committee to consider the subject and
report some measure by which these
conflicting returns Nigh; be decided.
and a crisis fraught with SO much peril
to the country passed in safety. After
long elaboration this committee have
recommended the passage Of a bill in
which the entire committee Of ten con-
cur, except Senator Morton. As to tho
disputed States it provides, in short,
that their returns shall be referred to
commission Of fifteen, FIVE to be selected
by the Senate, FIVE By tho House Of
Representatives, and five judges Of The
Supreme Court. four Of thcss Judges
being specified by the bill, aud being
four representing different sections Of
tho country, and these feur ore to se-
.set tho 9Th Judge This commission
is to consider the returns from the dis
puted States, the points Of Objection filed
against them, and all cTidOncI touching
them, and 10 decide which certificate is
tho true and lawful return tested by
the law as it Stood when the vote was
cast, and its decision shall stand rs f.
nal and tho count DO governed thereby,
unless orCr-ruIed by both Houses Of
Congress. Thus decision ip the dis
putcd cases must bo reached. The bill
further provides that nothing in it shall
impair the right Of any person to qucs'
ton by proceedings in tho Courts the
right or title Of any person declared
elected us President or Vico.Prcsident.
We feel bound to give this mOusurc
an earnest support. As political Or
gan, TuE DLNocRAr yields to none
other in it, advocacy Of Tildeu it has
ever since the election advocated, and
vet advocates and eoniides in the just
ness Of bis claim, aud hopes to SIZE his
claim vindicato itself; were the power
Of decision 10 its hands, it is needless
10 say that it would be for him, But
we arc not now advocating candidate
under the same circumstances US before
M election ; the election is over; and
We find ourselves called upon to speak
as an organ Of the country face to face
with The crisis that is upon us. What
is the state of things? One Of the
great parties claims that in the absence
Of legislation. the President Of tie Sen.
ute has the Constitutional right to dc.
eide between competing returns, count
the vote aud declare the result. thus
placing in bis hands the entire decision
Of the momentOus issue tho ether
great party. denying this claim. asserts
the right Of Congress to decide nud de-
clare The result Of the c'urns,and that
If the two houses 10 not agree and
therefore make no declaration Of the re.
suit, Ia contingency most likely to oc-
cur, since the Senate is strongly Re-
publican, tho House strongly Demo.
cratic. the House Of Representatives
should treat it as failure to rlcct.aud
thereupon proceed 10 cleo! President;
and there are others ShO contend that
in such contingency the President Of the
Senate would be the President. 1t is
plain that unless some plan Ct solution
Of the vexel question be adopted, VIC
shall find ourselves in one Of two con.
ditiors, either President declared
elected md his title bitterly and vic.
lently contested. and his every act be.
clcudcd with doubt, or what is more
probable, two Presidents. one claiming
under tho Seta,c, the other under the
House Of Representatives. Suppose
Two hostile Presidents, one supported
by Eve million voters. the other by
about the same number, one part Of the
mutton recognizing one. tue other rec.
ogn;zirg the other. What a dreadful
9, ndiliOu this would be! How full Of
financial and COMMERCIAL p'OslraiiOu
and ruiz, and general confusion, IN.
archy aud chaos! AID who would be
tho arbiter between them? Only that
most dread of all arbi,ers. Girl Var
How could it DO avoided? Aud such
a W. iSth Ike the. lite LcG4c, Which
Enough terrible in its blasting dcstruc.
ton, was a conflict between great sec
tons divided by defined lines, and us
sumcd the character Of M international
war; but this would be an intestine
strife, rendipg the very bowels ofcv'
cry State, every county, every hamlet,
md desolating every home and Preside
No words can exacgcrate its horrors
All business would perish, property
would DO yaluelCss, life a plaything
family ties would be sundercd. and al
ter tho long and bloody struggle we
should have, what? Tho free Republic
Of the fathers gone, and on its ruins q
military dcspotism. Look at poor un.
harry Mexico SEQ ourselves pictured
in its mirror. This is just what things
orc tending 10. True, since tho cleo.
ton, lime hos quoted tho hot excite.
,uent which Immediately followed it
but wait for that critical day in Fcbru.
ary.whea the vote is to be oount.d. and
see then whether the excitement is oil
dead. The great names Of the commit.
tees recommending this measure 20 q
AWAY with US. Certainly Democrats
can trust Senators Thurman, Bayard
md lIausom,aud Republicans Gun trust
Senators ElInunds, Frclinghuysen and
Coukling. And theu there are thu
scarcely Iess able members Of tue .om.