The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-02-21
The Electoral Count.

The veXed question of the electoral count
is again up for consideration, Senator Hoar
| having reported from the committee on priv
ileges and elections bill for the regulation
Of the count, it being the same as that fav-
orably reported by Senator Edmunds in
1878 and passed by the Senate. The House
| did nothing with it; the Democratic majority
hoping they should find their ad vantage in
1880 in the uncertainty and perplexity of the
present system.
The pressing necessity of some amend
ment to the rules now regulating the count
is too apparent to need dwelling on, ard the
danger we SO narrowly escaped in 1876 is too
recent to be yet forgotten. But our people
are SO easy natured and sanguine tempered,
that they look at the question with indiffer-
ence and refuse to recognize a peril that
does not Immediately confront them. The
peril, however, is real and great, as
closely contested election will painfully show
US. A reform in the law should be made'
and this time, when neither party has any
thing to gain or lose by amendment, is most
fitting. The Edmunds bill is well calculat-
ed to effect the object aimed at, and can in
no way be Objectionable to even the most
confirmed advocate of State rights. The
provisions of the measure, which we hope
soon to see law, are as follows:
l. That the presidential electors of every
State shall meet on the second Monday in JAN
uary next following their appointment at such
place in the state as the legislature shall pro-
vide.
2. Each state shall decide for itself all cases
of contest, under the laws existing at the time
of the election, such decision to be made before
the time of the meeting OF the electors, and to
be conclusive evidence of the lawful title OF
the electors in whose favor the decision is CIV
en-.
3. The executive of each state shall cause
three lists of the duly chosen electors to be
made and certified and delivered to the electors
before the time of their meeting.
4. Congress shall be in session on the second
Wednesday in February succeeding every
meeting of the electors The organization in
Joint session shall be in accordance with the
usual custom, the president of the senate pre-
siding. Two tellers shall be appointed for each
house. who, after the certificates have been op-
ened by the presiding officer. shall read the
same and make list of the votes, the states be-
ing taken in alphabetical order. After the
tellers have compiled and verified the votes the
result shall be handed to the presiding officer,
who shall announce the state of the vote and
nouncerlent shall be deemed sufficient declar-
alton of the persons elected president and vice
president of the United States. Whenever any
certificate is read, the president of the senate
shall call for objections, il any. Every oblec-
tion shall be made in writing, clearly setting
forth the ground thereof, and must be signed
by at least one senator and one representative.
When all the objections to any vote are made
the senate shall withdraw and eaca house shall
at once decide the question, but no electoral
vote from any state from which but one return
has been received shall be r; jocted except bv
the affirmative vote of both houses.
If more than one return is received from
state only those votes shall be counted which
shall have been regularly given by the electors
appointed in accordance with the provisions of
the second section, if the decision provided for
in that section has been made; but in case there
shall arise the question which of two or more
state tribunals determining what electors have
been legally appointed, is the lawful tribunal
be counted, whose title as electors the two
houses, acting separately, shall concurently de-
eide is the proper one. And where state mas
failed to decide by its own tribunal which are
the legal electors, then only those votes shall
be counted which the two houses, acting separ-
ately, decide to be the legal votes.
g. The president of the senate shall nave
power to preserve order in the joint conyen-
tion; no debate shall be allowed and no ques-
tion shall be put by the presiding ofncer except
to either house on motion to Withdraw
6. When the two houses separate TO decide
an objection to the counting Of vote each
member may speak for five minutes and once
only, and after debate has lasted two hours the
presiding officer shall put the main question
without further debate.
Z. This section provides for seating the mem
bers and officers of the two houses in joint con-
vention and also provides that the joint meet
ing shall not be dissolved until the count OF the
electoral votes has been duly completed, and
no recess shall be taken, unless in consequence
of q contested vote and then not beyond the
next day, Sunday excepted. After hve days
have elapsed no further or other recess shall be
taken by either house