Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-25
WASHINGTON.
From our own Correspondent.

llOH at Cne present. time relates TO the
counting of the electoral vote, and all
lovers of their country were in hopes
that the joint committee Of Congress
would adopt some measure that would
prove satisfactory to all, but the adop-
ton OF the report upon this all absorb
ing question by the judiciary Corn
mittee by It's chairman J. Proctor
Knott, yesterday, claiming that the
House of Representatives can by its
separate action, prevent the vote of
any State from being counted seems to
be determination on the part of the
House not to agree to any measure
that shall prevent the Tilden Demo
Gratis from counting in person who
has not received majority of the cleo
toral vote. This too, in the face of
all precedent. in the absence of the
Twenty-second joint rule being in af-
vor of the President Of the Senate
opening and counting the electoral vote
without the action Of either branch OF
Congress having anything to do with
it, but being present to witness the
count. The following is the certificate
of Thomas Jefferson that he, as Presi-
dent of the Senate counted the elector-
al vote in 1901:
''Be 1t kno,cn, That the Senate and
House of Representatives of the Uni
ted States of America being convened
at the City of Washington on the sec
ond Wednesday of February, A. D.
1901, the underwritten Vice President
of the United States and President of
the Senate, did, in the presence of the
said Senate and House of Representa-
tives, open all the Certificates and
count all the votes Of the electors TO,
President, whereupon it appeared that
Thomas Jefferson Of Virginia, and
Aaron Burr of New York, had a ma
iority of the votes of the electors, and
an equal number Of votes in conse-
Quence of which the House of Repre-
tatives have this day notified the Sen
ate that Thomas Jefferson has been
duly chosen President by all of which
it appears that Aaron Burr Esq, of
New York is duly elecred agreeably
to the Constitution. Vice President of
the United States of America.
In witness thereof | have hereunto
set my hand and seal this 18th day OF
February 1901
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
Senator Charles Pinckney, of South
Carolina, one of the trainers of the
Constitution, and one of the most
prominant members of the Sixth Con-
gress. made a long speech IN March
1900, in which he answered precisely
the same arguments which the Tilden
Democracy are making now. Speak
ing of the intent of the trainers of the
constitution he made this emphatic
and noteworthy statement knowing
that it was tho intention of the Con-
stitution to make the President COM
pletely independent of the Federal
Legislature. / we'll remember, it was
the object, as it is at present not only
the spirit but the letter of that instru-
ment, to give TO Congress no interfer-
encs in, or control over the election of
a President. 1t is made their duty to
count over the votes in a convention
Of both Houses and for the Presid ent
Of the Senate to declare who has the
majority Of the votes Of the electors
so transmitted 1t never was intended
nor could it have been safe in the
Constitution to have given to Congress
thus assembled in convention the right
to object to any vote, or even to ques-
ton whether they were constitutional
ly or properly given. This right Of
determining on the manner in which
the electors shall vote, the inquiry in
to the qualifications, and the guards
necessary to prevent disqualified or
improper men voting and to insure the
votes being legally given, vests and is
exclusively vested IN the state lesisla-
lures. If it is necessary to have
guards against improper elections of
electors, and to institute tribunals to
enquire into their qualifications; with
the State Legislatures and with them
alone rests the power to institute them
and they must exercise it. To give to
Congress, even when assembled in con-
vention, right to reject or admit the
votes Of States would have been so
gross and dangerous an absurdity as
the trainers of the Constitution never
would have been guilty Of
The Constitution says 1.-The Presi-
dent of the Senate shall in the pres
ence of the Senate and House of Rep
ressntatives open ali the certificates
and the votes shall then be counted.
If the House of Representatives has
the constitutional right to prevent the