The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-06-29
AN IMPORTANT NATTER NEGLECTED..

The failure of Congress to devise
some means to render impossible repe-
tition of the Electoral controversy of
1876, is certainly one of the most pal
pable derelictions of official duty which,
as body, it owed the country 1t
was but rea Die to suppose, in view
of the grave peril which menaced the
peace of the nation at the last Presi-
dental contest, that the Importance of
providing against the occurrence of a
similar danger would have so impressed
the minds and judgments of our ma
tional legislators, as to have secured at
the earliest possible moment so neces
sary modification of our Electoral
system. The defects of that system,
and out of which the dangerous crisis
grew, are not of recent discovery
They had caused the counting Of the
electoral votes in 1869 and 1873 to be
attended with great excitement and
some danger, and had convinced every
thoughtful statesman that the time
would certainly come, unless remedy
were devised, when the peace of the
country would be placed in jeopardy,
by dispute over the counting of the
electoral vote. AS is well known, Sena-
tor Morton was perhaps more impressed
with this danger than any other public
man, and labored earnestly for four
years, in the vain endeavor to induce
Congress to make the necessary changes
in the laws. Finally the crisis came in
1876, and the country barely escaped
all the horrors of another civil strife
through the calmness and patriotism of
statesmen of both political PARTIES
The means by which the controversy
was settled can never again be resorted
to. That is universally admitted
Nothing, therefore, can be more crimi-
nal than to allow the country to drift
along into another similar contest. 1t
was the duty of this Congress to take
this question in hand and to deal with
it boldly and promptly. 1t ought to
have been disposed of during the long
session which has just now closed.
The events of the previous year were
still fresh in the minds of the people.
No candidates for the next Presidential
election are yet in the field Their
names have hardly been suggested,
even in private political circles. No
one could foresee that either political
party would gain any advantage by
the adoption of any well-matured plan
and there was time enough to deal
with the question with the utmost de-
liberation. Nor was the subject SO
novel as to make it present unusual diff
culties. 1t has been discussed for years
by some of the ablest men in the coun-
try, and the fruits of their investiga-
tions were all accessible Next Winter
the session will be only three months
in length, and will be entirely occupied
in passing under high pressure those
measures that are absolutely necessary
to keep the wheels Of the Government
going; and the first session of the Forty
sixth Congress will be the Presidential
session, when it will be in vain to hope
for legislation on this subject. The
failure of Congress to do its duty dur
ing the eight months that have just
passed probably means, therefore, that
we shall go into another Presidential
campaign with the possibility Of its
being followed by another electoral con-
troversy and the tremendous conse-
quences of failure to adjust it.