The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-16
THE ELEcroRAL COMMISSION

mission was created. arid il is none the less in
structive for being revived more than two
years after the contamination Of the Great
Fraud. at n time when the conspirators IRE in
the full enjoyment Of the fruits of the vilany
The last session Of the Forty-fourth Congress
met Dec. 4. 1876. nearly month after the Prrsi-
dental election. and ut II time when the country
was intensely excited over the acts Of the Re-
turning Boards by which the votes Of Louisi-
ana Florida. and South Carolina were stolen
Mr.. McCrary. then q member of the House, now
de facto Secretary Of War in reward for his
services. offered n resolution. Dec. 7. 1876. in
these words
heo'r'd' That committee Of 1--WE members Of ihis
i" S Nh nIp,1H 10y tns ,gni =" @y' II, iad
los the ScnA {" teuarc nmd rerntt without d'lnN su,n
Their Judgment BE- bcs, calculated To accomplish he de-
sitcd cn and that said committee have leave to report
This was tho first step. and tho one. accord
ing to the French proverb. which costs. The
resolution was referred to the judiciary Com
mittcc. Of which seven were Democrats and
four were Republicans. On the 18th OF Dcccm-
Der Mr.. Knott. Chairman Of the Judiciary re-
ported back Mr.. McCrlry's resolution. with
seven instead Of five members on tho Com
mittcc. and an additional committee OF seven
members. " TO ascertain and report whit are
the privileges. powers. and duties Of the House
OF Representatives in counting the votes for
President and Vice President Of the United
States"
Tho two committees wore appointed Dec %.
1876. by the Speaker. who took n week to con-
slider their names and consulted with tho
wisest men in and out Of Congress. The two
committees were thus constituted:
Committee to meet with the senate a. to the counting
Of ne eIeei9ra votes r.i' coWmiiee framed Ne Elce.
NJ rNit vi Nm YrS Mr. ~ 5r 1 i iin o MS'
crazy q Iowa. Mr. lloar Vi Massachusetts, aud Mr. VII
camaiilce tos,cgrtain end rspor what the priv.
o.. the counting .tls electoral Votc.-Mr Knott Of
kcnigcky. Mr. spark. OF Illinois Mr ruckcro Virginia
Mr. scclye Of Massachusetts, and NJ Monroe OF ohio.
On behalf Of this latter committee Mr.. Knott
reported n series Of general declarations Jan.
IS. 1876. Of which the nth was the most impor-
tant. containing the marrow Of the whole con-
troversy that followed. Here it is
rnh-rhat In the counting Of the electoral votes no
minauou OF the House OF Representatives.
II the sense OF the House had been then rnl
there tested the report would have been NJ, pt-
ed by large majority. and much Of the trouble
that ensued would have never vexed Congress
and the country. But after the usual speech
making II was recommtted and entombed. By
curious coincidence Mr.. Payne reported the
bill for the Electoral Commission from the joint
fNullh4Aktt lltl very uuJ. anu II superseded
everything else.
The resolution Of Mr.. McCrary. rs modified
10y the judiciary Committee. reached the Senate
Dec. Is, 1876. and was adopted on tho 18th Of
December. The Committee was announced
three days after. ms follows: Messrs. Elmunds
Morton. Frelinghuysen. Logan. Thurman.
Bayard. and Ransom. After reflection. Mr..
Logan declined to serve. and MIR. Conkling WIS
named IN his place.
The two committees for this work were now
organized. aud they. went at with closed doors.
No member must whisper what was proposed.
Mystery sat with closed lius ut the door. and
speculation was rite outside. Finally on the
18th of january. 1877. the secret wns out. Eli
muuds ana Payne presented to the two Houses
s'hrme which substantially declared that
minority. backed toy fruud and forgery and
force. must rule this Government. against a
majority 81 the people and majority OF the
The managers did not waste time They
fixed day for the vote and stuck TO 1t. After
debut" ana divisions extending over nve days,
the Senate put the following vote on record:
roR
Northern. Reruhicans-Alnson Iowa; Booth. Cal;
Iauey. Mich. Conk '.ne. 4 ! craein. y H. Dawes.
'S1. N.T NeNant.' Nnn NaH sis M,I
N T,sT co Mnige , MINI" Wnih, ieHa-is
Northern nemocrat.-Barnum. COM Kelly OREGON.
Negu.H McDor,d Ina Randolph, y j. Thur.
1 s d'o e 4s '6,9 Di T EG'yb Mo caes
INtNN nits Ala hNf'HN. "a Johnston. Va Jones.
IA Nccrrra X, NaNey. ] xa,; Merre,en. \ Z;
Jn. Nv Wajte Nd W,cr. Ta ais D'' seven
AGAINST
Northern Rerna'icalns-RNa blame NG camerS9ql; Pa
o1,.on. MORON i'd ssr.rnt Gai sfcfms. oE',rp
southern L. pnbAclus-hrucs. Mis- CLAYTON. Ark I;
o. e: w r. La AM """'' '0'' ''A"'' r"'''
northern Standardization, Conn-i.
There closed the first scene OF the eventtu
lrama-by far the gravest in our recent history
! IL. .f..tl, Al
sharp discussion. bargaining and log rolling
! LOO the House. The vote Of the Senate precipi-
u.trd the crIs IS. and. two lays after, both sides
| prepared Tor the last struggle with the follow
| lng result:
Northern Democrats; AbIoth Mas AipswSrth Iowa;
Nng. ono B,eie Bru H. St.. h nar.
,harl, WiNi CAM nrl,, ~ Vaglne d u C,mcr f,.i
pmant I'm; tien ~ hed, \ Y; Fuller IN
%g%i% N' msq"n' i"d isn9p Il j.; haT
lYl hcHUt > y Holman Int. ll9iki4s Pa Hum.
Lanigr, tonn Lanc ur"l@n' L. Noyur; H. ln troll,
Gt; L\n.T VIZ N"eSSay: Pa' N"ySA' r.; McManqn.
Nuthlcr, Pa. Neat ONO; New. Ind; raylir. ONO.
! b 'gri h IA J. Rru,. Pa ncc ONO, Roouin., "a
N'rt'' H., 's,t ii VIM NJ H'sSanr,'N j..
,cnsgr. Pa sr'eq,.n IN rarIeN. Mas; Icc;,,, \ J.
ono. N'[l ~ ! warner COM WarrCn Mas Wmic-
h.if v - WI i4ms Nch.' Willis, y /, Wood, y y,
'eak,r MnaIA Pa -,
N. h.9uvL e, B,,io9e Ky sgs9t Isan hroGo ny
eogGtn'' S'k"Sa iypn; '.nir r. Ca
t9vs, y C. d. Rot No phtei. lcnn' p.usls, VA
lagAiyy ~, cause, Az ,ig.sn, La ,loycr, w.
M ur a., llnrr I,rrf Ng ua"'WTH, i, \
No Hsn,e, Ml.' i,r lord " VA nui. IA Hooker
Ms, iryy, La LOWS iAla M,farIqgai Tom, Money
No Reagan rcNas Riddle r,un Rubhius. \ e Ro6
gris Md sc4.rs \ sThgeher; IeNas' stone Mo
| frNr.' lurtcr. va Vance, Waddrll \ e. Walk