Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-23
Counting the Electoral Vote.

In the alarming days following the
election of 1876, and before the seating
of Hayes, in March, 1877, when un-
certainty as to the proper interpreta.
ton of laws governing the counting of
electoral votes threatened to involve
the country in contest between the
two political parties, there was loud
demand for the passage of laws which
should be so positive that there could
be no controversy as to their mean
ing. 1t was demanded of congress
thatits first work after organizing in
1877 should be the simplifying of the
machinery of presidential elections.
But with the ending of the occa-
sion requiring palmer laws, the feel
ing in favor of the enactment of
such declaratory laws declined,
and after nearly eight years no
action has been taken, no advance
has been made, but the country is
standing in the same spot as it occu-
pied in 1876. No change whatever
has been made in the election laws.
The senate still claims the right to
count the electoral votes, and the house
as steadily denies the right of the sem
ate to do so. Identical conditions of
political antagonism exist between the
two branches of congress to-day as in
1876 the house is Democratic and the
senate is Republican. Upon a question
affecting the validity of amy con-
tested electoral vote the senate would
contend for its right to decide, which
decision, of course, would be biased by
Republican prejudices; while the Dem
Ocratic house would as strenuously up
hold the theory that the decision on
such matters should be made by the
house and senate as one body. There
can be no agreement upon this point
until this ambiguous law is superseded
by a declaration so plain and positive
as not to be sus ceptible of contradictory
interpretations.
Two bills are now pending before
congress having for their object the So
luton Of this question, one being the
Edmunds bill in the senate and the
other the Eaton bill in the house.
Present indications are unfavorable to
The passage of either of them. Both
Democratic and Republican, members
are impatient at the prolongation OF
the session, and are ardent for an ear
ly adjournment that will release them
and give them leave to enter the polit-
ical combat, where many have person
al interests at stake. Everything that
can be delayed will go over for the
work of the Forty-ninth congress. No
body having personal or political inter
est enough to urge the passage of the
electoral bills, it is more than likely
that they will share the fate of their
predecessors and be laid over for future
action. If so laid over, there will be
no further opportunity for the amend.
ment of the faulty laws until after the
presidential election shall have taken
place, and If there is any dispute II
must be settled under the law as it now
stands.
If it were not for the bias of the Re
publican party toward Capitalization
which must be resisted by the Demo.
Gratis, the vexed question could easily
be disposed of by doing away with the
intermediation of the electoral system
which stands between the people and
the expression Of their choice for pres
ident. A law allowing the president
to be voted for directly by the people
r as they vote for governors of states
e would make presidential elections
more nearly tests Of the feeling Of The
d country, which is often thwarted b,
4 the system Of election by states. 1t is
well known that the people have NOR.
o than once been denied their popular
9 choice for president by system which
I renders 1t possible for bare majority
: In one state to balance an over
n whelming majority in another state O
equal population. Tllden's popular
majority OF more than $50, 600 was moi
Is disputed In 1875, even allowing tn,
;. Republican counts In Louisiana, South
Q Carolina and Florida, and he should
II have been elected by that majority
!, New York, In 1880, gave Garfield ,
9 popular majority Of 81 900, but cast he,
u entire thirty-four electoral votes TO,
d him; while Texas, Missouri and Geor
, gia, which gave Hancock thiriy-fou,
Is electoral votes, cast for him "a popula,
i majority Of BOB 900 votes. Democrat,
J, as party are opposed to the breaking
Q down OF the barriers that separate the
q states from the federal government
: and will not favor popular presidential
i elections, but 1t may be that they will
. come to regard the electoral system as
II 2 more threatening menace to our
{ institutions by It's reversals of the will
: OF the people than federal pr esidential
!. elections BY their tendency to ellmi.
D nate the prerogatives Of the states.