Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-02-03
The Electoral Count.

The action of the democrats In the Senate
yesterday In voting down the amendment
offered by MI. Eaton, defining The power of the
president OF the Senate In the counting of cleo
toral votes is strangely at variance with the
position they have heretofore taken on that
question. The objection made by Senator atom
TO the resolutions then pending was that they
did not define the duty of the president OF the
Senate. Mr.. Eaton wanted the Senate to put
It's opinion on record In regard to that ''great
and important point" 10 language that would
leave no DOUBT In any mind. He insisted that
the duty OF the president OF the Senate is simply
TO open the certificates OF the electoral votes,
and his amendment consisted OF the Identical
words of the constitution las the certificates
shall be opened by the president of the Senate"
The opposition to the amendment came almost
entirely from the democratic side OF the cham.
Der. Ut the twenty seven Senators who voted
In favor OF the adoption OF the amendment
nineteen were republicans among whom were
MessrS. EdmundS, HOar, Ingalls, and Logan. OF
the thirty three Senators who voted against
the amendment only four were repub-
licans- Senator Blaine, In brief
speech, took the ground OF statesman
and patriot. He regarded this question,
involving count Of the electoral votes every
four years. as OF far greater Importance than
question that might II left unsettled, involve
the country in revolution. He regarded the
electoral commission of 1877 as makeshift.
ana criticised both political parties for having,
in the past, permitted their desire to attain
some partisan advantage to interfere with the
patriotic duty of providing rules for the cleo
toral count Mr.. Blaine spoke OF the almost
equal division OF the two great parties, nine
teen states voted for Garfield aud nineteen for
Hancock; the popular vote, aggregating up
wards OF ten millions, was nearly equally d.
vided- The next House will be- republi-
can. but the Senate vii be 80 close
that its complexion. politically, cannot be
foretoid. Therefore," said Mr.. Blaine. '.tt
is the first duty of common patriotism that
both parties should devote themselves to q con.
stltutional, comprehensive remedy, and not
have Us present the spectacle every four years
of going through some extraordinary contri.
vance by which We shall prevent anarchy from
engulnng the country" ThaSe words OF wis
dom uttered by the Senator from Maine Will
lind approval In every section OF country, with
every citizen, regardless Of his politics, who
desires an end put TO the heated political
wrangles which follow every presidential cleo
ton. The recollection OF the dangers from
which the country so narrowly escaped In
lSI6lT naturally arouses with the peo-
pie a feeling of alarm when a disputed
electoral count Is threatened, and this alarm
will coptinue until Congress shall have declared
In the most specific language how disputed
returns shall be passed upon and shall have
provided definite rule for the count of the
votes. The resolutions adopted by the Senate
yesterday provide against any trouble or dis.
pute In the pending count, but 1t gives no as
surance OF safety four years hence. II the
status OF the electoral vote were such that
counting the state Of Georgia for Hancock
would give him N ajority, VINO does not know
that the question at issue would not be so easily
settled' Such state Of affairs may exist In
1884, and hence the great Importance of CON-
gress hearkening TO the advice given by NJ.
Blaine.