The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-11
Ritllmend 1ispatth.
FRIDAY .......FEBRUANf Ii, 1921
Counting the Vote.

orally 10 witness The ceremonies; lor Tue
mere act of counting could bavc attracted
no spectators. The formalitics lasied one
hour and half.
Evidently ceremonious formaIilies IN
State affairs mean something. Tbefe were
many among the spectators VINO kne"
that, although Wednesday counuus was
merely a matter OF form. ana not OF S"o
stance. the next counting or some Succce"'
inc one might be the occasion OF difc uisds-
tors unless a law regulating the ehtire maj
ter Shall previously have been ehac''u'
We were struck with the language OF the
resolutions adopted by the TWO houses ""
Wednesday. Il seems TO have been pur'
nose,y selected TO settle II that the TTeSl-
den; Of the Senate has no right 10 count tue
votes. Perhaps the fathers used those very
words for that purpose. Mr.. CROWLEY
the of the resolution in the House,
j. a Republican and an intimate iilenu
and supporter OF Mr. CONKLiNG, WHO at ieas'
for the last four years has persistent!
aud consistently denied the right OF the
President of the Senate TO count the votes.
sNcyer was there more felicitous illustra-
lion than that contained IN remark OF ms
master OF rhetoric concerning the constitu-
tionaI provision a to the counting OF the
votes: which provision is in the following
words
The President OF the Senate shall, IN
the presence Of the Senate and House OF
Representatives, open al the ccI'Incatcs,
ana ne cote shalt then be counted.
Abiding to the fscl that the words in
italics come where the words "and count
the votes" might haze been expected to oc-
cur, Mr.. CoNKLING said on one occasion
TIA, the Constitution required the Wee
President to open all the certificates, "dnd
tra turned lis back on hjm.' Mr.. CoNK-
LING, speaking on the same subject few
DAYS ago. used another exceedingly strong
anlexpreSsive phrase, which we Will quote ::
81 saw had Mr.. Wade. alter all that, and
alter himself announcing aud ratliyin@ the
prppTIety and efficacy % these proceedings,
made a declaration in toe presence OF the
same men, who knew II TO be ridlculOuNY
false. that hc. Of himscli, upon H. iPSe
dirt, had decided aquestion upon when a.
pre.ldent OF the senate lie never Nolcd
cyep-i say had he done that, II would
have been The very bllSphtmy ~ J0tSeh00d
nad d6SlUdity. II Nj. Wade voted upon
these questions, he voted qUo his senator
ship aud Tot because he was presiding
officer"
bet Us now read The resolution as 1t
passed the House of Representatives on
wednesday. 1t is a. follows:
Whereas the House OF Representatives
having met the Senate, IN accordancr with
the fifth section OF the act 1t March, i92,
relative 10 tho election Of President and
Wee. President # the United States. and
the electoral votes having been opened by
the President. Of the Senate in the presence
of he two houses Of Congress, and counted
bv the tellers appointed on the pat OF the
two houses, and it appearing that the whole
number Of electors appointed to vote Tor
President and Nicc-presdent OF the United
Staiesls 369, OF which majority Is $50, ana
II further appearing that james \. Garneld,
OF ohio, bad received pa votes Tor Presi-
dent OF the United States, and that Chester
A. Arthur, Of New York, had received ga
votes for Wee. President OF the United
States, which number is majority OF the
votes Of the whole number Of electors ap-
pointed, and The same having leen duly de-
clIred by the President OF The Stnate in the
presence Of the two houses; therefore
"Resolred by the Senate and House Of
Representatives Of the United States n
America IN Congress assembled, That the
two houses are OF opinion that the Consli-
tuition and laws have been duly executed,
and that no further declaration Of those
facts IS nect soary.'
This resolution has to so TO the Senate,
beng concurrent one; but Us the Senate
has already passed a similar one, it may get
through that body without a protest on the
part OF any senator. The reader will see
that it expressly declares that the votes were
counted, not 10y the President Of the Senate,
but "by ttllcrS appointed on the part OF the
two hous -; and this it says after having
said that the President Of the Senate
"openCd" the yOteS-thuS following the
Constitution d. il was construed almost
unanimously BY the Democrats four years
ago and also during the recent discussions
o. me subject.
The Senaie's resolution names the " SEN
ate first instead OF the House. There is
no other difference that we noticed.
Why cannot Mr.. CROwLEY'S resolution
be made the basis of law? Surely ~ one
wll DOW contend that the dispute can be
settled otherwise than by law {; unless, in.
deed, by an amendment TO the Constitution.
But his latter cinnot be done at once, since
it must frs. be approved by the Legisla-
lures of threc-fourths OF the States. The
proper thing 10 do is TO pass 4 law on the
subject forthwith; and II it is found to
operate well, aud there should be manifest
ed any disposition TO tamper with It, then it
might be put into The Constitution.
We are glad that the two housI pasSC
such resolutions. They will serve as a pre-
cedent, and good precedent. They were
passed after the subject had been fully dis
cu,sed in the Senate. They were offered by
Republicans, and received many Republic
can votes, no doubt, as the vote was not re-
corded 10 either house. Whatever may be
said as 10 such resolutions previously adopt
ed. /! cannot be claimed that these were
passed car elessly The recent discussions
earned on the very words used in these re-
solutions.
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Tfor the Dispstchl
"yiee-PreSidcnt's Vote"
ITndaP ths. aaption fha IicOOIsb hos m,