, 1880-12-09
WASHINGTON.
The Chaotic Question Of the
Electoral Count Again
Debated.
tVill the Vice-I'rcsidcnt Tally
Gonts us Well us
S1leep?
Especially if tho Coat Have
on tho Wool Of State
Sovoroignty2
Republicans Claim the Count Is Min
iaterial, and at Present IN
Irresponsible Act
Democrats Claim the Count to Be
in Rcality u Aonsc Elcc:
tion Of President.
Admitted Constitutional lapsus Stlftl-
Client to PrecIpitate a Bloody
Revolution.
Resolution to Appoint and I<c-
tire Grant rs Gcncrnl-Opin-
ions Expressed.
The Funding MEASURE Very Prom
ineut-Teller's Election Bill
Tho New Apportionment,
Admitted Constitutional Lapsus Stuff.
Client to PrecIpitate a Bloody
Revolution.
Resolution to Appoint and I<c-
tire Grant ns Gcncrnl-Opin-
ions Expressed.
The Funding Measure Very PROM
inent--Teller's Election Bill
Tho New Apportionment,


ELECTOIlAL COUNT.
THE DEBATE.
Special DSpasth to The Chicago 7ytbHnf
WAstlrSaruS, u. G.. Dcc. s.-The lteptb-
1lcans today continued their opposition to
lie proposed now rule to regulate the Elec-
tnrnl count, and will undoubtedly cDntln,tc
IL opposts It until the pemocra.a abandon
their attempts 10 regulate, by II rule Of n par
tlsun majority, questions Of such grave lnl'
port. There were, fluteud, Indications tslHt
tho Democrats tlo nut intend To force the
light 10 ta bitter eil.l, s wns ut first suggest
;sfor Sennt0r Morgan, whose RESOLUTION
forms thu text OF the debate III tho House,
to-day introduced III tho Seeata Il res
lntion providing for an amendment to
the Constitution to regnlnto the count, md
those who have giyen the subject lnost nt-
tcnton think Tint Senator Morgan would
hardly hnye introduced yucll proposition
llnd lo thought tlmt thera was my prob
ability that Ills original measure would bo
adopted.
THERE wEIsE TWO Set SPEECHES
On tho Republican side lit opposition to tho
rule, and tlere wns considerable ttesultory
discussion. This Uernocratlc sltlo was not so
1hucs In support OF tho rule rs 1t WINS fA
opposition to tho Republican position.
WLletts, of Michigan, AMI RoDeson, Of
New .forsGy, made tho speeches for
tho Republicans. ,AVlllcsh took tho Ero,'ld
OF strict construction Of tho Constitution.
and Insisted upon tho right OF tho Vlce-pfesl-
ilent OF open and count tho vote, tho two
Houses beng only present. rs witnesses.
Robson made the speocl, of the day, nlAl1s
whilo Ills teol,nical Interpretation of tho Con-
stltutlon did not 90 50 fur az did that Of
Kefer yesterday, which claimed tllat the
Vicc-presldcnt alone Ind tho judiclal powor
to determine rs to tie returns, It did 20 80
far az, III effect, to declarc that
TIE SOLE JUDGE or THE coH1sEcrNEss
pt tho Electoral returns ls the Vict~psesl-
dent, who ncts, however, In n ministerial and
not III judicial. cnpnclty, and whose uecls-
lon must 10 titlal uutit Congress shall, by
law, appoint soma tribunal Which shall lrnyc
the power to revise such lccistons. Robe
Bon, iii brlef,v 1natntal,seu TINT ncithor CoM-
gress rs wliotc, nor either OF the two
Houses separately, nor tho two Houses Sit
ting together In joint convention. nor tic
Vice-presldent, have my judicial power
over the raturns, hut that there IL lapsus Ill
the Constitution <0r which
c0S0IsE:ss HAS NEGLECTED TO PROVIDE,
in that 1t llas not enacted the Legislation nee
cssnry 10 create Tho only constitutional trlb-
u,tul which cnti review tho ueetslus,s of Tue
Vicc-presltent acting III Ills mlnisse1la
capacity III the opening nnd counting Of tho
Electoral certificates. Some Of Mr.. Robe
son's points were these: Thoru IS no powe'
not granted by tho Constitution except tht
nno power Of sclt.prcseryntful'. Thepr0p0set
rulo asks Republicans to ntlulft TINT Congress
ilas tho right to decide tu,lIc!ally upon th'
Electoral returns, or. In effect, to t1surp TIL
power OF the States tt1 tho cnstIng of th'
Electoral yoto; TINT tho Constitution grant
to Congress only legislative power; that
TlIN JUDICIAL. POWER
Is exclusively vested By tic Constitution II
the Supreme Court md tlte other tribunal
subordinate to 1t: ttat tic Democratic statc
Inent would allow thu Legislature Df TIN
Nation to elect branch of tho Goyernlnc'l
which IL coordinate 10 Itself. Tho clIarte
and tile limit Of tho Jurisdiction OF Col,grcs
is tho constitutional Ernnt Ut Legislative
power. Mr., Iobcson laid down ol,e propu
sitlun which contains the principle By whlcl
alone, II by any, tho Republicans, when tho
rcgaln control Ut Congress, nay expect t,
cnnet legislation which will provide bette
security for the rights Of votors III thu SOUTH
It WIS tint, willis Congress lnay not aefea
the Electoral cllo!co Ut Stute,
II HAS THE llGlIr
to declare by law what Is Htntc. It's onl
power over the Electoral vote lies lit ttsnuthol
ity to declare how tho result OF thu votes G
tue Electors appointed by tho Stato shnl i
certified. Eycn admitting TINT tho prtncipl
Of tho rule was right Alr. Nubesn,l lllal,
taineI that tho rnle Itself wus wrnug, iuu
n,uol. ~ tho prnelirn! utfuct ut IL Houlll L
not to giyo the power to Congress to decf|
upon tho validity Of tho returlls. but tn vi,
t!,at power to ono bralioll of Congress, Ill
tllas the House Of Representatives. 81
lyoheson maintained TINT
Ills VIEW OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL 4
T1tOluTY
Of the Vice-l'resldent was confirmed
Chancellor Kcllt. Tli6 suggestion ot 81
Eux. OF New York, that 1t might 10 possi1
to alter tho EpctorNt returns while tn
were Ell route to Washington was clearly a
sWcretl by TIC statement that tho Etectoi
certificates weto n4tlo III trlvlcate, and Il
my such attempted forgery could not
successful. Mr. Kobcson snllInarity sllenc
the charge TINT Republicans aro illtbmstert
by declaring that 1t does not Ito In tle en,ont
- OF the Democrats to tuako accuaatl0
against Republicans, slnce Il hls been
thtir power to enact q law which Won
create the final tribunal provided for by t
Constitution to review tho ministerial n
Of the Vlce-rresllnnt In counting the vot
yet thoy have not taken tha Arst step iu Il
direction.
= PORT, or ILLINOIS,
thought that tue Republicans should res
the passage OF tho rule te = proper cxtc
and not permit It 10 pass by u.eir VOTES,
without protest, but Ae maintained that
1t sllOuld pass 1t WoulI not bu binding vi
tbA ticf-Frpaitlnnt for n n11v s4iFrrf Hfe