The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-07-29
DESPERATE REPUBLICANS.
Their Scheme for Capturing the Eiec
tOraI Vote OF New York
New York Sunday News.


Similar expressions of opinions were
gwen by Senator Scebacher, Assem-
blyman Shandley, Of Brooklyn, and
other Democratic members of the leg
islaturc, all OF whom agreed on the be
lief that no extra session would he
called now, but that perhaps it might
be attempted later in the season. 1t
was thought that if the Republicans
should meet with defeat iii Indiana III
October, and their majority should be
reduced in Ohio, then m extra session
Of the Legislature would be called and
an attempt made to change the system
Of choosing electors. The Republicans
would have nothing to lose by the act
They could not hope to carry the State
which many Of their leaders have aban-
doned already, and if the Legislature
should choose the electors and Congress
should refuse to recognize the validity
of the act, they would not lose ANYTHING
while in desperate chance they might
gain. Had Grant been nominated, it
was their purpose to pursue this plan,
and then to have the President of the
United States Senate claim the right to
count the electoral votes in the pres
ence ofCongress.
OF course the Democrats would OBJ
ject to this, as tn. Y did in 1875 and
as no more Electoral Commission
schemes can be got through, it was the
intention to have Vice President
Wheeler to count in Grant and then TO
put him in his scat by military force.
What this might have led to, it is not
safe to predict. With Garfield the
nominee, however, it Is doubtful
whether such desperate chances will lie
taken. Vice President Wheeler said
since the adjournment Of Congress,
however, that he had never abdica-
ted the right to count the electoral
votes. This may mean thTt if the
Legislature Of this state choose Repub-
lican Electors the Vice PRESIDENT
would count their votes, and thus null
lify the laws which are supposed to
give to the people the right to choose
their own electors. No matter what
the Legislature may do, the Democrats
OF this State will surely vote for THEN
Electoral uicket, and if the ticket IN
opposition fails to srcure the support
OF n majority of the voters it will be fol
Congress to say whether the electoral
vote of the State secured in this way
shall be counted or not. This may
lead TO another dispute over the Pres
idcncy and bring the country face t.
face with an armed conflict, but the re
sponsibility wruld be with the Repub
licans, who attempt to change the law
in order to nullify the will Of the ma
F iority of the voters of the Union as !
whole.
+ The Republicans claim, however
that they would be acting within con
stitutional limits if they called til,
Legislature together and went so far Il
: to appoint Presidential electors by tn,
Legislature itself. 1t is true that thi
: system, ut one time, prevailed in mos
; Of the States, but it was abandoned be
; cause it opened the door to fraud
; The Republicans would none the les
= violate, in spirit and in substance tn
5 law, because when this system prevail
RI ed in most of the States. but it wa
5 abandoned because it opened the doc
10 fraud. The Republicans would
: none the less violate, in spilit and sub
+ stance, the law, because when thi
7 system prevailed, Legislatures wer
. elected with that end in view. SucI
I was not the case in this State last yea
and it would now be usurpation o
I he people to attempt such thing.
I Another plan which is talked of b
Republicans is that Of changing tn
A system so as TO have Presidential cleo
r tors chosen by Congressional district: