Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-12-10
THE ELECTORAL COUNT.
The Mighty Men 10 Congress Will Devote
Only q Week More in Discussing II.
Special Dispatch OF the Register.

The Mighty Men Ia Congress Will Devote
Only Q Week More in Discussing It.
Special Dispatch OF the Register.
WAsHIyGroS, December 9.
As stated in my dispatch last night,
party lines have been tightly drawn on
the question OF the consideration OF the
joint rule providing for counting the
electoral vote. The political division
between the two sides has been upon
the question as to the right OF the Vice
President to count the vote. the Repub-
licaus contending that it was his right,
and the Democrats opposing that view.
This division appeared clearly, and with
out attempt at concealment, when the
arguments began on the question itself,
as has been observed from the Associs-
tel Press reports.
The dogmas OF the stalwsrt faith be-
gin to multiply. In addition to those
enunciated on Monday by President
Hayes and Attorney General Devens,
there followed during the last three days
promulyations OF several other articles
OF the progressive Republican creed.
These confessions OF faith were elicited
by the debate upon the motion to con-
slider as privilege question the Senate
resolution relative to counting the elec'
toral vote. -.
The party tendency among Republi.
= n al. nd N q
noteworthy that this monstrous preten-
sion that the President OF the Senate has
the sole right to count the votes for
President. a pretension which III 1917
was abandoned by every Republican
LAWYER of standing in the Senate. should
be revived,in the House on the first day
of the session, when nothing IS practl-
cally at stake and there is no fear OF a
disputed election. The Democratic ma
iority in the House should see that the
Senate proposition shall become faw.
Vice President Arthur is not the judi
cial sort of politician whom the country
can afford.to have as a President maker
in 1885.
Attorney General Devens will prob
ably succeed Judge Strong as Associate
Justice on the Supreme Bench, who has
sent in his resignation to the President.
Justice Bradley, who resides In New
Jersey, and is now on the Southern Cir
cult, will probably be assigned by the
Chief Justice to the Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Delaware Circuit.
A prominent Republican told me
this evening that the debate on the
Electoral resolution will run at least a
week longer. He said, placing the thing
in a nutshell, the Republicans resist
the resolution because they hold to the
theory that the Constitution executes
itself in the method Of counting the
vote when the President Of the Senate
countsi.. Any other PROV non, he says,
is an election Of President by Congress
and not by the electors, as provided ior
in the Constitution.
A Democratic member interviewed
thus: "while the Democrats disclaim
any intention to dispute the election oil
Gen. Garfield, they deny the position
assumed by the Republicans, that the
Vice President can count the vote.
Otherwise they hold that the joint con-
yention OF the two Houses OF Congress
TO count the vote is no more or less than
a lot of assembled spectators as witness
ses which, for all purposes concerned,
might as well be witnessed by the spec
tators in the galleries u.