The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-12-16

900 for the purchase OF torpedoes
Mr.. Kelley OF Pennsylvania, introduced bill
repeating the tax on bank checks, medicines,
friction matches bank capital and bank deposits,
Referred.
Mr.. Aldrlch OF Illinois, introduced . bill
amending the law In relation to the tax on say.
ings banks. Referred.
WOODS FUNDING BILL,
Mr.. +. Wood OF New York, said he would like
to ascertain how many days the gentleman on
the other side intended to obstruct public buh.
| ness.
Mr.. Gonger-I call the gentleman to order for
unparliamentSry and insolent language.
Mr.. Wood-Ifit oubles the gentleman will
withdraw the language.
Mr.. CoDger-There may be limit to the I'm
pertinence Of gentlemen who make such
marks. Whenever the gentleman ls willing
meet the demands Of the country and brinEl,
his Funding bill for action We are even Willing
TO postpone the present debate.
Mr. WOod-I thought the gentleman might In.
dieate when he would permit the Funding bill
10 come before the House.
THB ELECTORAL COUNT.
Mr.. MCLane then took the floor and proceeded
to speak on The Senate resolution replying cape.
ciAlly to the speech made yesterday BY Mr.. Robe.
son. he said that gentleman had laid down the
proposition that no judicial power could be OK.
eIclsed By Congress except by express grant. ThS
18th article Of the constitution was the express
grant to Congress to count the votes through all
time Tho idea that the Vice President could
count the votes, that he, who might have plaos
on the ticket should decide what votes should bS
received and what rejected, had never been 40.
cepted in the history OF the country. Over and
over again had this subject been debated Un.
happily once In the history OF the country law
had been passed under the operation Of which q
| count had been made which would forever
stand
MONUMENT OF DIssRACE AND DIsHoNoE
to the country because that count had counted in
man who had not received a majority OF the
electoral votes. The Twelfth article gave the
House power to elect a President under certain
contingency. II Jurisdiction was conferred on q
tribunal on certain contingency, that tribunal
was certainly to Judge when that contingency
occurred. The House must Judge when the con.
tingency on which It might elect a President had
occurred and the House could not Judge OF that
contingency unless 1t verified every vote. The
18th article imposed upon the House the actual
necessity of counting and verifying reports. That
was power that could not be delegated. Know.
| ing that the gentleman on the other side met to
set the constitution at defiance, 1t was his hope
that he would yet live to SEQ his party again In
the majority In the House. II the gentleman on
the other side chose TO obstruct business until the
day should come for the couD ting OF the electoral
vote, let them have the responsibility. Let the
| Democrats await that day, and when 1t comes,
| let them take their seats and sea that the Votes
| opened bv the Vice President were genuine
votes. Let them see that every elector Was quail.
ifiea and let them take any other step they pleas.
ed In the way of inquiry and investigation to
know whether the electors who had cast the
votes were qualified electors II perchance they
would fnd (as was the case in 1871, electors had
voted who were not qualified lei them have the
COURAGE TO REFUSE TO CERTIFY
Or count such votes; or II they found that the
Vce President had opened certiA ate where
votes alleged to have been cast were forgeriesl let
them have the courage now and forever to re-.
fuse such votes. Let them do as their fathers
had done-tske their Seats appoint telers, count
the votes, and as honorable Representatives Of
the people certify to the genuine less Of the votes
or refuse TO certify to it. He had never met O
man who had not regretted the necessity for an
Electoral Commission. But now he looked back
with satisfaction to the fact that the Democratic
party had both In 1877 and 1880 candidates who
believed 1t was the duty Of the House to count
the votes Every person felt that In delegating
that power to another tribunal the responsibility
had been with Congress, and II there had been
any shame or dishonor in the action 1t reacted
here. he had for that reason felt 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
allibustering or by offensive insinuAtions that
they were Matching mischief
THE VOTE OF GEORGIA.
Except in the case OF State which had voted
for Hancock there was no question In any State
There was question and very serious ques'
tlon as to the vote Of the State OF Georgia. He
could not conceive OF any more detestable thing
than rejecting the vote Of State, except voting
State against lis will. That wass crime Of the
Republican party. Il had accepted perjury and
forgery as a means Of certifying votes. In the
face Of this fact the gentlemen on the other side
stoed here snd endeavored to give the Vice
President the power 10 count the votes. 1t WAs
an attempt at usurpstiOn that looked to the fu.
ture and there was no legislative action that was
not iuBtifable to defeat that purpose.
A dsjOinted running debate then entued, par.
ticlpated In by MessES. McLsne, Calkina, Hutton,
Cox IN. " and Mills during the course Of which
Mills intimated bis opposition To the pending
resolution en- the ground that under Its proVi5
ions the Senate might declare who was President
Mr. Lapham said the last session he had looked
upon the pending measure as an attempt TO de-
bsuch the electoral vote Why we're the wheels
Of legislation now blocked to consider question
when It was admitted there was no necessity
whatever for the operation Of the extraordinary
provisions Of this resolutionH That there was ly.
ing behind It to some purpose he was bound to
assume from the tenacity with which the matter
was pressed. Under Its provisions questioning Q
return would justify q majority In rejecting tho
vote OF State. 1t provided that II more than
one list OF electoral votes "or papers purportlng
to be such list" were received from State either
House may refuse to receive the vote. What was
this paperH An oflcisl psper2 Not at all. But
paper certified by Committee would answer
the requirement Of that provision. The Republi'
cans were willing to justify themselves in resort
Ing to every expedent known to parliamentary
usage to resist the purpose Of this resolution.
NO POLITICAL NoTIvB
Mr. Herbert argued in opposition TO the theory
that the Vice President had the right to count the
vote. He denied there was any political motive
which induced the Democrats to press the mat
ter unless desire to prevent the theory that the
Vice President had the power to declare who
was his successor from passing into precedent
were political motive.
Mr. Newberry made an elaborate argum ent In
support Of the proposition thatthe power to count
| l., H., Drab rhn