Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-12-10
ton was the express grant to Congress

| Idea that the Vice President count the
votes, that he who might have a place
on the ticket should decide what votes
should be received and what rejected,
had never been accepted in the history
OF the country. Over and over again
had the subject been debated. Unhap.
PLY, once in the history OF the country
a law had been passed, under the opera.
ton OF which count had been made
which would forever stand as q
monument OF disgrace and dishonor to
the country, because that count had
counted in man who had not received
a majority OF the electoral votes. The
18th article gave the House the ROVER
to elect President under certain con-
tingency. II the jurisdiction was con.
ferred on tribunal on certain contin.
gency that tribunal was certainly TO
Judge when that contingency had occur
red. The House must Judge when the
contingency which might elect Presi.
dent had occurred, and the House would
not judge Of that contingency unless it
verified every vote. The 18th article
imposed on the House the actual neces-
sity OF counting and verifying the reports
That was a power that could not be
delegated. Knowing that the gentlemen
on the other side meant to set the Consti
tuition at defiance, 1t was bis hope that
he would yet live to see his party again
in the majority in the House. II the
gentlemen on the other side chose to
obstruct business until the day should
come for counting the elect ,ral vote, let
them have the responsibility. Let Dem.
ocrats await that day, and when it comes
let them take their seats and see that
the votes opened by the Vice President
were genuine votes. Let them see that
every elector was qualified, and
let them take any other step
in the way OF inquiry and investigation,
to know whether the electors who had
cast their votes were qualified electors.
II, perchance, they should find, as was
the case in 1877, electors had voted who
were not qualified, let them have the
courage to refuse to certify or count
such votes; or il they found that the
Vice President had opened certificates
where votes alleged to have been cast
were forgeries, let them have the cour-
age now and forever to refuse such
votes. Let them do as their fathers
have done. Take their seats, ap'
point tellers, count the votes,
and, rs hsnorable representatives,
OF the people certify to the genuneness
OF the votes, or refuse to certify TO it.
He had never met man who had not
regretted the necessity for the Electoral
Commission, but now he looked back
with satisfaction at the fact that the
Democratic party had, both in 1877 and
1880. for their candidates men who be.
lieved it was the duty OF the houses to
count the votes. Every person fell
that in the delegation OF that power to
another tribunal the responsibility had
been with Congress, and then il there
had been any shame or dishonor in tine
action it reacted here. He had for that
reason ielt at liberty to denounce that
tribunal. He would, however, never cast
vote to create another. He hoped the
Democrats wOuld not be Influenced either
BY tillibustering or by offensive ins;nua.
TONS that they were Matching mischief.
EXCEPT in the case OF State which had
voted for Hancock, there was no ques.
tioT in any State. There was question,
and very serious question, as 10 the vote
OF the State OF Georgia. he could not
conceive OF any more detestable thing
than rejecting the vote OF State. ex-
cept voting 4 State against its will. That
was the crime of the Republican party,
1t had accented perjury and forgery as
means OF ,rtifying votes. In the face
OF this fact, the gentlemen on the other
side stood here and endeavored to give
the Vice President the power
10 count the votes. 1t
was an attempt at usurpation
tha. looked to the future, and there was
no legislative action that was justifiable
to defeat that purpose.
A joint running debate then ensued,
participated in by McLane, Eslkins.
Hunton, Cox IN. ~, and Mills, dur.
my the course OF which Mills intimated
his opposition to the pending resoiu.
ton, on the ground that under it's pro-
visions the Senate might declare who is
President.
Mr.. Lapham said that last session he
had looked upon the pending measure
as an attempt to debauch the electoral
vote. Why were the wheels OF legisla'
ton now blocked to consider a question
when it was admitted there was no ne
cessity whatever for the operation OF the
extraordinary provisions OF this reso!u-
ton? That there was lying behind 1t
some purpose he was bound TO assume
from the tenacity with which the matter
was pressed. Under its provisions
auestioninga return would justify ma.
jorty in rejecting the vote OF state
1t provided that il more than one list oi
electoral votes 'or papers purporting to
be such list" were received from a
State, either house NAV refuse 70 re.
ceiye the vote. What was this paper
An official paper? Not at all; but pa
per certified by the chairman OF Dem.
ocratic State Committee would answer
the requirements OF that provision. The
Republicans were wiling to justify
themselves in resorting to every expedi'
ent known to parliamentary usuage to
resist the purpose OF this resolution.
Mr.. Herbert argued in opposition to
the theory that the Vice President bad
the right TO count the vote. lie denied
that there was any political motive
which Induced Democrats to press the
matter, unless the desire to prevent the
theory tha, the Vice President had the
oower TO declare who was his successor
from passing into aprecedens were po-
litical motive.
Mr.. Newberry ma lie an elaborate ar.
pument in support OF the proposition
that the power to count the votes was
vested in the Vice President. The pro
posed rule was unconstitutional in that
it attempted to take from the President
OF the Senate certain powers and rights
and vest them in the two Houses.
Pending further debate the House AL
journed.
EXPLOSION.