Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1877-01-13
slIINA. SATURDAY MORNING, JAN. Is, 1911.


ANU Se"ocr"tic meetings. held In
many OF the States on the Sth of
January, ~ reported by the tele-
graph, indicate q united sentiment
of the party with reference to the
great issues which now acitate
the country. The resolutions adopt
ed indicate willingness to submit
the question M to who has been
fairly and constitutionally elected
President and Vice President to the
decision Of the Senate and House of
Representatives, the power to which
II legally belongs. and demands in
the name Of the people, irrespective
OF party, that they come to some
agreement for IN 'honest and fair
count Of the electoral vote. They
sfIlrm that IL IL well settled prin-
ciple Of law that when nm official
duty In to be performed upon the
happening Of certain contingency,
and no mode has been provided for
deciding when the event has &C.
Cured, those who are required to
perform the duty are the sole judges
a. TO when the contingency arises;
and in accordance with this princi-
pie. declare that each house of Con-
gress is called upon to decide for
itself when the contingency shall
arise that requires separate action
under the constitution in the cleo
ton Of a President by the House of
Representatives, and Vice President
by the Senate; that in case the two
houses, after exhausting every par
liamentary means, are unable to
agree upon such count of votes as
will secure TO any person majority
Of the whole number of electors ap-
pointed, it will then become the
duty Of the House Immediately to
choose President and of the Senate
q Vice President, as provided by the
constitution; and if the House shall
choose q President, or the Senate a
Vice President, according to such
provisions, then such constitutional
action must be sustained and all for
chile opposition thereto be proceeded
against as treason and revolution.
This is the substance of the dec
larations made wherever IN express
sion Of opinion has been obtained,
and while these meetings have been
essentially partisan in character,
there is little doubt but that they
have the cordial sympathy of the
great mass Of the Republican party.
The speeches made by leading men
indicate an earnest desire of finding
o peaceable method of solving the
great questions at issue, and there
seems to be no doubt of q full and
unconditional acquiescence in the
result, whatever it may be, if the
customary usage is observed in the
proceedings attending the count Of
the electoral vote. This much is
demanded, and less would Justify
an usurpation that would practically
close the door to all hope of peace,
o. it would virtually destroy the fun
damental principle Of free govern
ment-a rule Of the majority consti-
tutionally expressed and proclaimed
through the channels contemplated
By it, trainers and sanctioned by
usage from the formation Of the
Government.
These meetings were largely at
'enueu' .-1 .:. s .s. ~" -: .a :.
their demands, and a determination
in any emergency to defend the Con-
stitution and the Government. It
must be admitted that there is not
only nothing in this course which
Nri1 /. heertv support from every ma
80. The question should not now
4. y;eved under any circumstances
from : uartisan standpoint. The