The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1877-01-25
From Forney's Press.

=. "OiihS Juttb, III Un0 WOTQS OF
the House committee on Privileges
ana Powers of the House, "the Presi-
oent of the Senate has no right to
count the electoral vote,u it is little
startling to find what o train of usur-
pations the American people have in
nocently submitted to. In the new
light of this discovery of the House
committee a long list of statesmen,
whom history has regarded as patriots,
appear as conspirators and traitors.
There is John Langdon, of Revolu-
tionary fame, who was elected Presi-
dent of the Senate "for the sole pur-
pose of opening and counting the
votes" and who became the willing
instrument of the lawless usurpation.
And as the votes which he counted
elected George Washington to the
Presidency, it is even question
whether Washington, Langdon, and
the Senate, were not fellow.conspira-
tors in wicked attempt to count the
first named gentleman into office. It
is true that the Electoral College
voted unanimously for person named
Washington, but the fact Is of no sig
nificance, since, according to the
Democratic doctrine, the right of a
State to cast the votes of her electors
Is wholly dependent upon the will of
the House. In other words, it is not
right at all, but simply a privilege
to be granted or withheld at pleasure.
Buff the usurpation of John Lang
don was flagrant, that of John Adams
was worse. That gentleman was so
lost to shame as to assume, in the ca
pacity of President of the Senate, to
count the vote at time when he was
himselfa candidate for the Vice Presi-
dency. He actually declared his own
election. He was worse than a
Southern Returning Board and yet
the people do not seem to have been
alarmed at his daring act. Four years
later he went yet further in trampling
upon popular rights, for he counted
the Presidency, and was doubtless an
active conspirator in cheating himself
into office; and yet not one of the
founders Of the Constitution inter-
posed the objection so clear to the
minds of the supporters of Samuel J.
Tilden. The strange obtuseness OF
those early statesmen was very strik-
Ingly shown ON the occasion of Jeffer-
sons first election. For althouhg the
contest was so close that no candidate
had majority, and althouhg Jeffer.
son was candidate, and although the
greatest interest and excitement pre-.
vailed, not one of his opponents
thought of the newly-discovered and
seff-evident truth that he had no right
to count vote. But Duluth had moi
been settled then and Proctor Knott
was unborn. 1t is, indeed, sad te
think that our forefathers were sc
careless of popularrights and so ignor.
ant of constitutional principles, and
we should regard it as a special provi.
dence that the Republic survived the
steering of their unskilful hand aud
remains field for the champions @!
reform.
CERTIFICATE OF THE VICE
PRESIDENT.
THE FIRST COUNT UNDER THE CON
sTITUTIoN, APRIL 6, 17S9-THT
WAY 1T WAS DONE WHEN TIL
MEMBERS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION wERE LARGELY REP
RESENTED I'm CONGRESS.
BE 1t EnoaUR. That the Senate anC
House of Representatives of til,
United States of America, being con
vened in the city and State of New
York, April 6, in the year of our Lore
1883, the. underwritten, appointed
President of the Senate for the sol,
purpose OF RECEIVING, OPEN
ING COUNTING THE VOTES OF
IHE ELECTORS, DID, IN THF
PRESENCE.OF THE SAID sen
ATE AND, HOUSE OF REPRE-
SENTATIVES, OPEN ALL THF
CERTIFICATES AND COUNT
ALL THE VOTES OF THE ELEC
TORS FOR A PRESIDENT AM
FOR. A VICE PRESIDENT; b,
which it appears that George Wash
ington, Esquire, was unanimeusl,
elected, agreeably to the Constitution
to the office of President of the Unite,
States Of America.
In testimony whereof I have here
unto set my hand and seal.
JOHN LANGDON.
The same form substantially wa
followed for forty years.J