Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-01-09
Questions of the Hour The Land
marks of the Fathers Indicate
the Path of Safety.

T.
The Democrats claim that the House of
Representatives have the constitutional
right to go behind the properly certified
electoral vote of any State and reject il
from the count. A candid consideration OF
the question can hardly fail to convince
any thoughtful person of the extreme dan
ger and utter inadmissibilty Of this theory,
II carried into practice it could not fail
sooner or later to Mexicanze the Govern
ment and subvert the original intention
Of the Constitution. The House has the
right to elect the President in case OF non
election by the people. To give to the
same body of men who possess this ire
mendous power, the right TO pass upon
and reject the vote of the States would be
to place before the Representatives pow
erful temptation to do wrong-woald be
to throw aside all checks aud offer stu
pendous bride TO fraud and usurpation.
That the trainers of the Constitution clear
ly saw that it would not answer to give
the House of Representatives the power to
reject the votes of the States Is plainly
evinced by the action of the Constitutional
Convention in respect to the count of the
first Electoral vote. The following from
the journal of the proceedings of that re-
markable body of men speaks for itself
most conclusively and is in striking con-
tract and opposition to all the elaborate
specula,ions of the Tildenite lawyers and
sophists on this grave subject:
"MoNDAY, September II, 1888.
Present,
The States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts,,
Connecticut, Mr.. Hamilton from New York. New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Vir-
gina, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia.
Resolred, That the preceding Constitution be
laid before the United States in Congress
sembled
Resolred, That it is the opinion Of this conven-
ton that Is soon as the convention of nine States
shall have ratified this Constitution, the United
States in Congress assembled should fix day on
which the electors should be appointed by the
States which shall have ratified the same, and a
day on which the electors should be appointed by
the States which shall have ratified the same, and
day on which the electors should assemble to
vote for the President, and the time and place for
COMMENCING pFOCtuluks uHucT tUls 1OUetltutluO,
that, after such publication, the electors should be
appointed, and the Senators and Representatives
elected that the electors should meet on the day
fixed for the election of the President, and should
transmit their votes, certified, signed, sealed and
directed as the Constitution requires TO the Score.
tary OF the nited States in Congress assembled
that the Senators and Representatives should con-
vene at the time and place assigned that the SEN
stors should appoint President of the Senate,
for the sole purpose Of receiving, opening aud
counting the votes for President and that after he
shall be chosen the Congress, together with the
President, should without delay proceed to exc
cute this Constitution.
BY the unanimous order of the Convention.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, President.
William Jackson, Secretary.
The precision and carefulness with
which this resolution is drawn cannot lail
TO impress all those who read it with their
reason and conscience in control The
very day on which the trainers of the
Constitution signed that instrument, they
passed the above resolution explanatory OF
the electoral vote, emphatically declaring
that the Senate should appoint Presi-
dent Of the Senate for the purpose Of re-
ceiring. opening and counting The rotcs for
President" To all who have doubt or
trouble as 10 how to settle the present ex-
citing question now before the nation, this
language of George Washington and asso-
ciates is the historical monument lumin-
Gus with patriotic light shining far above
and beyond all the mist and clouds of dust
which the Tildonite conspirators are rails
Ing about this question.
How clearly the course Of procedure in
dicated by the action of the Constitutional
Convention was understood in the early
days of the Republic. is seen by reading
the records OF the first United States Sen
ate.
As soon a. the Senate had elected its presi-
dent, an order was passed informing the House
.thst President is elected for The cole purpose Of
opening the esrtifeates and counting Tie totes Of
the Electors Of the several States in the choice of
President and Vice President of the United
States; and that the Senate is now ready, in the