The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-06
One Point Gained.

'
day maiAs new stage IN the existing
political crisis-hus responded TO the
general desire of the best men of both
parties, and is now acting on the Senate
committee appointed TO devise a proper
mode for counting the votes for President
and Nice-lrcsdcnt. As yet that commit
tcc has not approached the point of pre-
pairing n measure to accomplish this OBJ
ject. The members are carefully examn-
ing the prccedcnts aud practice, and rs 1t
were, clearing the way for n solution OF tho
problem.
One Point may be regarded as settled by
majority of the Senate committee,
though 10 formal vote has been taken.
That is. the President of the Senate has no
right under the Constitution. or by law. TO
count the votes and decide the election, rs
has been recently asserted. On this sub
iect. Mr.. CoNKLING committed himself
long ago, and lie is not likely to retreat
from a position once deliberately taken.
The Senate committee consists of seven
members, namely Mr.. EDMUNps, Mr..
MonToN, Mr.. FRELINGurysEN. Mr.. CoNK-
LING, Mr.. THURMAN, Mr.. BAYARD. and Mr..
RANSOM. Therefore. Mr.. CoNKLING and
the three Democrats constitute a majority.
As yet there has been no conference with
the House committee, but on this point
there is n certainty of agreement. Hence,
one obstacle to harmony is virtually out Of
the way.
Mr.. morton, Mr.. SHERMAN. and the ex-
tremists who follow their lead, are thus
checkmated Mt the start upon their Illegal
| scheme TO count in HAYES by making the
President OF the Senate Il Returning Board.
| Now they are at sea for some other plan
by which this object may be accomplished.
They know HAYES has not been elected.
and still they insist upon seating him in the
White House.
How TO do ii, is the question now The
| Republicans have invented various meth
DDS in the last ten years, all of which are
| departures from the consecrated usage
which the fathers established. In 1865, for
! the purpos, of excluding certain Southern
! States, the passed the tweuty-second JOINT
rule, by which either House had the DO wer
10 reject a state III the Electoral Colleges.
| In his reports of lsii Mr.. MORTON contend
ell that the President OF the Senate had the
right to decide between two sets of electors
! from state. which, under present circum-
stances, would give him the control of Ore
| gon, Louisiana, Florida, and South Caro-
lima, and the decision of the election.
Last year, Mr.. MORTON mind took "A new
direction. and he prepared and passed n
| bill, which was subsequently recalled be-
fore being considered in the House, which
provided that in the case OF contested re-
turns from state, the two Houses sepa-
rately should agree upon the one to he
counted. Within the past three months
Mr. MORTON, Mr. SHERMAN, and few
others, have taken pains to repudiate their
former opinions, and have sought to rally
the party beh nd the President Of the Sen
ate rs the supreme authority in the count
| Of the votes.
In these differing schemes, each Of which
was adapted to some temporary party me-
ccssity, aud none of them looked to per
manent and uniform rule of action, the
Republicans have strayed away from the
simple duty imposed by the Constitution,
and distracted the public mind with new
theories. Now, the managers are sorely
troubled over an existing state of facts
which deranges their programme.
When c ngress met, Mr.. MoRToN wa,
loud in favor of what he called primd
fdcic case, 10 be made by the Rcturnir 6
Boards throwing out TILDl.S majorltici
in three States, aud thus declaring HAVE,
PRESIDENT. lie would not listen TO tn,
suggestion of going behind the returns
The Governors certificate was absolut,
aud infaliible. But when Oregon appeared
on the scene, this line of argum' ut had tC
be abandoned, aud Mr.. MORTON himself
initiated the movement to upset his owl
theory. With his usual candor, he de
nounccd the Governor of Oregon, ana hi
action in refusing TO commission an ineli
giDle person as clectOr before any tcsti
mony was taken, ana upon Il ones. dec
statement since proved TO be worthless.
Now, ii may b. asked which OF thcs'
propositions binds the Republican party
in the Senate, or will either of them b,
accepted us a mode of adjustment The,
conflict with each other, but that is of n'
consequence To II set of political ma nagor
who take but little stock in consistency
To swing rs Il pendulum from one extreme
10 the other, costs neither MORTON no
SHERMAN, nor LOGAN, nor that set gene
rally, the least thougnt.
There are Republicans in the Senate
however, who really value their standing
before the country, and who are not pre-
pared, like clowns III a circus, to throw
back and forward somersaults when tn
rngm1ster cracks his whip. They can
not afOrd to sacrifice professional rcput
and personal character, merely bccaus
uncertain and selfish Leaders seek to affair
their own ends by casting aside all princi
pie, by usurping power, and by trampllni
the Constitution under foot. This class
though not large by any means, nlrnIshc
the best hope If an honorable agrecmon
between the two Houses, by which In
honest votes and not the frauds of Return
ing Boards VIII be counted, and TlLDEN b
declared President.
A More Serious Question for Dir. Eaton
A few weeks since the daily papers pub
li-.icl reports Of furry that had ocomrc