Huntsville gazette., 1884-11-15
Possible Presidential Contest.
Some Possibility snr Two Seats Of
y Electoral. .sr' irns from Y r.,
Vi iih no 4 ti-s -sriie Laws for
the S..;t. meat OF The
GODlr rs,strsy.
Soniross rsy.

| WA-EINaToN NV 9-There is idore
/ tai here oserstue qiestiou # TIE -aape in
whsch the El.ctoraI vote o. N-s- YORK may
ent snuatioa. TIE burdsn Of runor from
/, Ne~ YORK is that two - is q returns will
ca ie, oue signed by the Democratic mem
bers of the State Board OF Cai vaes.-rs. aud
lIle other bs General c RI. the Republican
Secretary Of tGe State. aud tnat by this
means the DISPUTE as to the New fk vote
may be transferred to Washington.
| If by any possible chance duplicate re
tnrDs as to thiity-six electors should come
to Washington, MS nineteen seats IN tn
Electoral College of 1879 were di>put ID,
the attention of the couutry viii aga,n pe
very sharply called to the lack provision
for the settlement OF Presidential contes :.
| The lesson of 1876 las not been neaded
and the fault is with the Democratic Hons :,
and not with the Senate. More than once
since the stormy days OF 1876 has tie Sen
ate sent the House bill providing for a
safe settlement oi al con;rovt rsies about
| The lectorli count,
The bill thus sent has either been ig
noled or opposed by the House 1t is un
doUbtedly ialr to assume that the bill whic
last passed the Senate was just bill, tor it
rece,v, the SUPP ort OF the Democrats and
Repnbiirans alike s nator Garland, of
Arkansas, giving it as hearty support as
Senator EamHnds of Vermont. aud it
passed the upper house without word OF
debate, except that the very earnest sugges-
ton WIS nude to the popular branch that
| the subject was one of snch tremendous
gravity that 1t ought to receive immediate
attention. 1t did not receive it, and has
not rereiy it, although there are pending
III Congress two bills, t.ie adoption of eit-
er OF which would provide for safe q
orderly method of nroceduFr for The Eiec>
! torsl count next spring.
The dangers which Jno. Marshall tho ght
threatened the Republic b4fofe it, first de
| c~de had passed are as Imminent and as
IN nnprovided for, now that the Nation is app
proa hing the en- of its eleventh decade,
aud tbs possible perils to whIcn Chancellor
X ksnt referred are not so remote tina. they
may not properly be considered in connec
tion with the present situation.
II duplicate returns from n z should
| by chance come to Washington and no
nav legislation shall be provided, or join
rule adopted, The following, among othe,
problems, would remain to be solved
I, The Constitution stops with the directi, n
that the vote, shall be opened bv tha Peesi
det Of the Senate, in the presence of the
two houses, ana that they shall then be
counted" T"
| The controversies as to the Constitution
/ A. powers Of the two i"uses, or Of either Of
them. Eoul3 tura Bpon SONS OF these ques
tions :
Fir4t-Bg whom md how shall they b.
counted Ry the President Of the Senate :?
BY the two houses voting in general con
veptlon 10 Individuals or by the two hous
es acting in ih -ir separate capacity
Second How may u vote be accepted or
rejected
| Thirds the concurrence Of both ch am
bers necessary to a rejection
! F1urth-ls the c rtificase Of the Govern
or o State final
! Fifth-Can the two Houses, or either Of
them. go behind the returns?
! Sixth-Can fraud be investigated +?
| Seveuth-Can any question as to the ir
regularity of thu returns be raised: and, if
50. by whom and how and when shall it be
determined
| Eghth-Does z the right to bring quo
warranto before any court exist to try the
title to the Presidency