Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-02-01
A Plan to Solve the Presi,
Dental Problem.


Many Of our best citizens, With.
out distinction OF party, have hail.
ed with satisfaction the result of
the Joint Committees labors, in
Congress, and the report OF a
measure by which it is proposed
TO determine peacefully the Pres
idential election.
Some men of strong party at
tachments, and some with intense
convictions that only one side
can be right and that is their side,
will resist this plan of adjustment.
And there are intelligent, consci.
entious and able men who cling to
existing laws, as affording suffi-
tcient means of solving all the
problems Of government.
II is no party measure. 1t il
! in tie interest of neither candi
date. Republicans and Demo.
Gratis unite in recommending it.
Mr.. Morton, Republican, objects
to it. Two prominent Democrats
led of in the House in opposition
to it. Newspapers of both parties
denounce it. Newspaper of both
parties defend it. We will
briefly present tie arguments in
favor OF the plan.
In the history of governments,
and a hundred years do lot com.
plete the childhood of a nation,-
emergencies must arise for which
no human foresight could provide,
and when these confront the peo-
pie they are to be met with wis
dom and patriotism, with their
surrender of sel6shness and pref
udice of which only good men and
great men are capable, and which
in all ages las been made by
those statesmen and patriots who
have won for themselves endur.
ing fame and the gratitude Of
the country they have saved
from anarchy and ruin.
The present complication of az
fairs in the United States is one
of the legacies of civil war. A
whole generation, at least, must
pass, before all those requests will
be paid of. We are suddenly
confronted by the fact that doubt
and uncertainty are thrown over
the result of the election for Pres
ident and Vice. President. The
U S. Constitution provides that
the President of the Senate
shall in the presence of the SEN
ate and House of Representatives
open all the certificates and the
UOtes shall then be counted, the
person having the greatest mum.
Der of votes for President shall be
the President" &c. Here is
question about which the wisest
and best men are in doubt. We
have marked with italics the
doubtful words: "the UoteS shall
then be counted" BY whom? if
by the President of the Senate.
he and re only decides which of
two disputed certificates contains
the true vote Of the State. In ali
previous elections, as no disputed
vote would change the grand re
suit, the question now raised has
not been pressed to a final fettle
ment, and we are confronted with
it when the determination Of ths
result In any one Gaze will decide
the fate CT the whole Presidential
election IN which is involved the
will of 40, 900, 600 of people. We
do not forget that other questions
besides this one, are involved.
But the right of the President OF
the Senate to count the votes and
therefore to admit or reject dispu.
ted votes, is the pivo! on which
the contest turns. The Senate is
Republican by decided majority.
The House is Democratic by an
equally decided majority. If they
differ between themselves the
Constitution does not provide an
umpire. If the Supreme Court
had been ordained to determine
IN such case, the road would
have been clear. The Constitu-
ton did not go ordain. But it did
provide expressly that the Con.
gress shall have power "to make
all laws which shall be necessary
and proper for carrying into exc.
cution the foregoing powers and
all other powers vested by Il e
constitution in the government cf
the United States, or any Depart
ment or officer thereof"
1t is therefore manifest that, in
case of doubt, especially when it
amounts to conflict of opinion
between the two coordinate de-.
psrtments of government, Con.
gress may avail itself of the Con-
stitutional provision to make such
laws as, in its judgment, may be