The Portland daily press., 1878-12-18
The Edmunds Electoral Bill.

The House has an opportunity 10 show
patriotism, good sense and wise forethought,
qualities not now generally attributed to it.,
by promptly passing the electoral bill intro
duced into the Senate by Mr.. Edmunds and
adopted by that body. The leading points Of
the bill have already been given in these col
umus, but it may be well to set them forth
again. The bill fixes the day on which ''elec-
tors of President and Vice President shall
be appointed in each State" as the first
Tuesday in October. Itprovides for spec
ial election whenever the offices of President
and Vice President shall become vacant
more than two months next preceding the
first Tuesday in October other than that next
preceding the end of the Presidential term.
Under this clause, there could be no vacan-
ces in the offices of President and Vice
President for more than eighteen monthe. 1t
provides for the meeting of the electors on
the second Monday in January after their
appointment, leaving an interval Of little
over three months between the election and
the casting Of the vote. During that
period, any disputes which may arise regard
ing the election may be determined in any
manner which shall be deemed expedient by
the several States. Such determination,
when made prior to the meeting Of the elec-
tors is conclusive evidence Of the title OF the
electors. The bill provides for the session of
Congress on the second Monday in February
succeeding the meeting of the electors. There
is to be a joint meeting of Senate and House.
The certificates and papers purporting to be
certificates are to be opened by the President
of the Senate, handed to the tellers, and acted
upon in the alphabetical order of the States.
Objections are to be called for upon the read
ing of any certificate or paper. On any being
received and read, the Senate is to withdraw,
and each ho use to come to decision as to
the vote objected to. If there is only one re-
turn from State, it will require the vote of
both Houses to reject it. If there be more
than one, and of these one is approved by
the State tribunal previously mentioned, it
must be accepted. If.there is dispute as to
which of two or more such tribunals is law
full, no vote can be counted from the State
without the concurrent decision of both
Houses acting separately, that it is supported
by the lawful tribunal. If there be more
than one return, and no determination by
the State tribunal referred to then both
Houses must concur before vote can be
counted.
The bill is not perfect, and is open to some
objections. But it is the best yet offered,
the best now attaiEable, and failure to make
1t law will be gross and objectionable neg
lect. The country cannot safely pass through
another contest like that of 1876, and any
wise and honorable measures that can be ta-
ken to avoid repetition of that dangerous
experience should be promptly adopted. We
were well-nigh unanimous then in the de-
mand for legislation to facilitate the counting
and determining Of the electoral vote. But
as the memory of the peril grows dim many
of US have grown Indifferent, and even will
Ing to stake the chances" in 1880. There is
said to be disposition on the part of the
Democrats in the House to follow the lead oil
Senator Thurman rather than Senator Bay
ard. As they will control both branches oil
Congress in 1880 they prefer to leave as little
power to the States as possible. Mr.. Thur
man is an aspirant to the Presidency, and
will sooner trust himself and his prospects, in
case OF a nomination, to Democratic Con-
gress than to the States about whose 'rights''
he says so much. Mr.. Bayard, on the other
hand, takes broader view OF the subject,
rises above personal considerations, and con-
sstently favors plan by which an electora
controversy shall be settled by the State in
which it occurs. The House will do wisely
to follow the example of the Delaware Sena'
tor. lit refuses to do so it takes upon itsel
the responsibility for repetition of dan
perous contest like that of 1876.