The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-02-19

men are swerved from their duty to the
State by partizan prejudices. The condi-
ton Of Virginia to-day appeals to the
best thought and bravest patriotism OF her
citizens, and If all of her true sons would
dedicate themselves to her earnest SER
vice, as a paramount duty. instead OF
1ricking and schelning for partizan advan-
tage, concurrent action could be had for
the public good and brighter future be
opened up before us.
Counting the Vote.
The final action. rs required by tie
Constitution in the election of Grover
Cleveland, President of the United States,
and Thos. A. Hendricks. Vice President,
was had on the 10th, when the two Houses
of Congress counted the electoral votes of
the thirty eight States. cast last fall, and
the ultannounced. The joint session was
held in the Chamber of the House of Rep
resentatives at II o'clock. The galleries
were crowded at an early hour, and by vote
the doors of the House were thrown open.
md the space in rear of the seats filled
with visitors. principally women and chill
dTen.
Promptly at l2 o'clock the Senators
and as the Representatives rose the pro-
, cession marched down the aisle, preceded
by the Senate officers. to the seats reserved
for them in front OF the Speakers desk.
Without removing his little silk skull cap
Senator Edmunds assembled the Speakers
chair and raped for order. Speaker Car
Isle illness prevented his attendance and
Acting Speaker Blackburn sat beside Mr..
Edmunds. Two large mahogany boxes
containing the returns of the Electoral
votes received by mail and by messengers
were placed upon the desk. They had been
guarded by ununiformea policemen on
| their passage from the Vice Presidents
NOON to the House, and they were not UNI
locked until all in the chamber had obeyed
Mr. EdmundS demands for order The
president Of the Senate briefly announced
The object OF the joint session, and called
a,pon the tellers Of the two houses to take
their places. Messrs. Hoar and Pendleton
OH the part of the Senate. and Messrs.
Clay and Kiefer, representing the House.
stepped forward and took seats at the
Clerk s seat. with long tally sheets before
them Beginning with Alabama, the GER
tificates from each State were handed in
| alphabetical order to the tellers, who took
\ turns in announcing the votes. 1t fell to
X 1a4t
of AlaEama's votes, and following the
usual custom. he read in detail the certifi-
cate of the Governor of the State, &c.-
An audible sigh swept through the gal
leries as the visitors realized that they
must listen to all these details for each
State. The sigh changed to one of relief.
however, when Senator Sherman rose and
asked unanimous consent that only the
vote of the Electors be announced after
f the tellers had inspected the formal GER
tiicates. Nobody objected and the sug-
gestion was carried out, the effect being
materially to shorten the proceedings.
| The count progressed to q conclusion,
with slight interruption by reason of in
stances, which were readily corrected
! When the tellers had, with great difficult
l ty and 10 little disagreement, cast the
I figures and signed their report, it was
/ handed to Mr.. Edmunds, who announced
4 the result, giving 219 votes to the Demo-
/ cratic candidates and 1872 to Blaine and
[ Logan. After making this announce
7 ment. Mr.. Edmunds astonished the legis-
| iators by adding And the President of
the Senate makes this declaration, only as
public statement in the presence of the
! two houses of Congress. of the contents of
/ the papers opened and read on this oeess-
| sion, and not as possessing any authority
| in law to declare any legal conclusion
| whatever. F." Again the crowd broke into
vigorous applause, under cover of which
Mr.. Edmunds stepped to the floor and lef
his colleagues back to the Senate ChatbeI
The form of announcing the result by
Mr.. Edmunds. was objected to by some Of
the Republicans, and after the joint ses :
sion had adjourned, in each house q resc'-
luton was offered expressing dissent fronl
it. 1t was claimed that it WAS the duty
of the Vice President to declare the
vote and the election Of the President
/ l.
If the form used on this OCCASION should
be regarded as IL precedent. it might cause
! trouble hereafter as it would leave each
| house to determine for itself whether the
announcement of the Wee President was
| conclusive. AS there was no controversy
over the matter at this time, it may have
the effect Of calling the attention of Con-
gress to the defective laws in regard to
the subject, and hasten the adoption of a
| measure that will remege all apprehension
of danger arising from this source. In
1877 the differences over this question
caused much fear, the Republicans con-
tending that it was the duty of the Vice
President to open and count the vote, as
finality, while the Democrats argued that
the form Mr.. Edmnnds adopted was the
proper one. The Electoral Commission
was created as the result of this conten-
ton. and serious conflict thus avoided.
The joint resolution to submit to vote
Of the people of West Virginia the con-
] StitutiOnal amendment prohibiting the