The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-05-22

'o'""o"i slier Tue ADVOCATE was put 10 press.
About So members Of The Independent Or.
der Of Mechanics attended service at the Nj. |
". Church here last Sunday. J
From he Philadelphia Ledger.
Congress Leaving the Country in Danger.
Referring recently to the proposed adjourn.
meat OF Congress or the last day Of this
month, mention was made Of the objection Of
Mr.. Stephenson, Of Illinois, 10 any adjourn
msnt until some provision Of law shall be
adopted to regulate the counting OF the Flee
toral vote. As that vital matter is regulated
at present II is not regulated at ALL ltAtands
upon the naked words of the Constellation,
about which there has been so much dispute
and such conflicting claims and interpreta-
tons. THE President Of the Senate shall,
in the presence Of the Senate and House of
Representatives, opeH all the certificates, and
the votes shad then be counted BY lohom
the vote is to be counted, aud what shall be
accepted as roles, there is nothing to decide.
That is all the existing law there is ON the
subject, unless the practice and custom for
more than eighty years prior to the last cleo
ton shall be taken as rule. The old Twenty.
seeond Joint Rule, which in some sort EN-
bodied that practice aud custom, was repeal
ed by the Senate, so far as its consent was
concerned, at the session OF 1856. II was
By no means the best rule that could have
been devised, but still it was rule and law
for the two Houses OF Congress, and in that
respect so much better than no rule at all.
But notwithstanding the fact that 1t was the
only law on the subject, the Senate destroyed
IL Just prior TO the last Presidential election,
without first taking the business.like precau-
ton Of providing some new rule 10 take It's
place-a piece Of imprudence the Senate
was earnestly warned against by Mr.. Bayard.
Still it tods done, though 1t is to be said in nit
igation, that at the time when the bluuder was
committed OF thus leaving the Electoral count
without any law whatever for its guidance,
there was reason to hope that Senator Nor.
TONS bill, then before the Senate, might be.
come the law in its stead. That bill, however,
fell by the wayside. Ii was a far bill Al.
though it was drafted by one Of the most stall
wart Of the Stalwart Republicans, there was
not partisan paragraph, or line, or word in
its four or five simple sections. 1t was not
discussed or contested on partisan grounds
The debate upon II ia the Senate was on gen
eral principles all the way through; the single
formidable objection to il was, that it left the
door open in one Of ia sections TO the posi-
bility ofrejecting the Electoral vote Of State
ifboth Houses OF Congress agreed 10 its reiec
ton. This was possibility that some Sena.
tors would not agree to, although il always
existed and always must exist so long as we
keep the Electoral system. There was no
other objection Of any consequence, and the
bill finally passed the Senate, getting most OF
the Republican votes and about half dozen
Democratic votes, and among them that oil
.Ng,.fT -. l. L IL
tne bill had been sent over to the House, Mr.
Thurman moved reconsideration and that
motion was never called up again. This was
in the spring Of 1876, and such was tho rea.
son why the country went into the Presidsn.
tial election Of that year without either rule
or law to regulate the counting Of the Electo.
raj vote il there should be any dispute. The
22dJoiut Rule hadbeen rescinded by the Sen
ate without substituting any other role in its
plaee-the law intended TO supply it failed
after having passed the Senate, by reason o.
Mr.. Thurman's motion to reconsider. Yet
with no rule or law, both the Senate and
House as well as the people Of the country
| found themselves in more need OF law than a
any Presidential election that had ever beer
held. ter fierce contention aud great dan
| ger Of evolution, the crisis was tded over b.
| the !" .nporary expedent Of the Electoral Com
M ,ion-an expedient that was rather nc
| .iescsd in from patriotic motives by the PEG
! pie than approved Of as good law-and III,
/ decision Of which has been complained of a
grievance from that day TO this. 1t was
temporary expedent only for the then exist
] ing danger, aud il left tae future to take car
/ Of itself. The exigencies and the probable
/ dangers OF that future have been upon III,
| country during the whole Of the interyOnin,
! tho Vat .afhtRs. la k,a.
/ We are again on the eve Of a presidential
J election Without law to regulate the countin
Of the Electoral vote, although the danger o
just such Implications, disputes and conten
tons OF those Of 1907 have not lessened i
the slightest degree. The responsibility an,
( the oensure for the failure are on the las
Congress and on the prssent-ihe forme
being Republican in one branch aad Demo
cratic In the other-while the present is Dem
oeratie in both. They both knew the extrem
peril of permitting so vital matter to drift
in tue way il is drifting, and the absolute nc
eessity for the regulating hand OF the law
| Both Congresses have assumed a very seriou
responsibility in showing such Indifference /
the subject, and are strongly censurable g
their dereliction. The last Congress bein
dead, the whole burden of dnty and respon
sibility is on the present. Il is Democratic
the majority its members claiming TO be Q
the Jeifersonian school, but thoy are net dis
charging their duty TO the country Us the oil
Jedegsanian Democrats did theirs. fWhe
the country was brought 10 the edge Of rev
CLINTON In 1901 by hoty contested PRES
dental election, resulting In tie vote be
tween Jefferson and Aaron Burr, ths Congress
Of that day took care to, have an amendment
to the Constitution submitted to aud rattle,
by the States before the next Presideutia
election came along, The men OF which
was composed were not of the sort that wou
by their neglect or indifference permit tn
country 10 pass through such period Of peri
n second time.
A Constitutional Amendment TO guar
against a recurrence Of the dangers of 1861
should have been prepared by Congress M,
have been ratified by the states by this time
but it is now too late for that. Congress
however, can enact law to regulate tho oagRt
ing Of the vote aud TO pIoyide fot The decisio
| ofthe cohteslsd Electoral votes By State ri
bpaals and Il will be committing great an
extremely dangerous wrong upon the couutr
| il il allows the time between now and AZ
joufnment TO pass wiihnui eRactiag such Law