, 1878-05-17
Contested Elections,

There is an old saying that you "Can't
know who IL going to be Governor until
after election Sometimes after an elec'
tion has taken place and the votes have
been counted, nobody knows who will
hold the office. In almost every Legs,
lature, and, we may say, in every Con-
gr'sS without exception, there are cases
of contested election, or elections in dis
pute 1t is the duty Of State officers to
give Il certificate Of election to that per
son in each district who had the most
votes for member Of Congress. But
appearing to have the larger number OF
votes may not give valid election.
1t may be there were fraudulent votes.
1t may be the notice of election was not
sufficient in law. 1t may be the ballot
boxes were tampered with after election,
or the counting was wrong, or the person
elected was not old enough, or not a citi-
zen of the State. There are many reasons
given for ohjecting to the right of Il per-
son elected to keep his seat in Congress.
The Constitution gives to each House
the right to Judge of the election, quail.
tication and returns" of its own members.
The purpose was, of course, to enable
each House to correct all errors, and to
give seats to those who were really elect
ed. Under this claim, however, either
House may, for poor reason, or with no
excuse at all, vote that any member is not
entitled to a seat.
The temptation of party interest is al
ways too strong for Congress. When the
Republicans have majority, any Repub-
lican who, with fairly plausible case,
asks for the seat of Democratic member,
is pretty sure to get it; and when the
Democrats are in power, contestant Of
their party is quite as likely to be success
full.
Not long ago a gentleman, who, hav-
ing just come from Washington, was
visiting in another State than his own,
was asked, -
"What were Mr.. IS chances2"
81 don't know what you mean. What
is the casel"
"Why, his seat in Congress is contested
by Mr. -"
"Well," said the gentleman, 81 don't
know any of the circumstances, but if
Mr.. - is Republican, his chances
are good for nothing"
The case has been settled, and the Re-
publican lost his seat. If the conditions
had been reversed, that is, if there had
been Republican majority, the proba-
bilities aud the result would have been
reversed, too.
Oddly enough, it is often the case that
members of Congress seem to have no re.
gard for consistency. They will vote tor
one principle in one case, and for the eX-
act reverse of it in the next. This has
happened in Washington within two
months. In one case the House disre.
garded the count of votes, and professed
to try to find out what was the real vote,
and in the very next case the House in
sisted that the first count of votes must
be followed, although there was another
count, the correctness Of which was not
seriously questioned.
The question, Who has been elected
is really a legal question. In England
and in Canada it is tried before judge,
like case at law, and his decision is ac-
cepted. 1t ought to be so with US, but
it will be long time before the reform
is secured. The manner in which such
matters are settled by partisanship is a
public scandal, but, as with many other
evils in this imperfect world, those per-
sons who are scandalized have no remedy
for it. Youths Companion.