The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-01-26
OUR ELECTORS BLUNDER
THEIR CERTIFICATE NOT MADE OUT
IN PROPER FORM.
They Must MesG Again and Rectfy the
Mistake.

WASHINGTON. January Dist 1889
When Mr.. Hodges and the seven other
statesmen electors of Maryland wendell
their way from the State House down to
Admiral Piowman's oyster boat last
Monday, after the pleasant duty of cast
ing their ballots Tor Messrs. Cleveland
and Thurman, they probably enjoyed
their oysters in the consciousness of
duty we'll performed.
They were wrong To-day Senator
German telegraphed Governor Jackson
to Immediately reconvene the electors of
Maryland in extra session, for the pur-
pose of properly casting their ballot for
President and President of the
United States, and prope ly cert flying to
the same. II appears that the certificate
which Mr.. Puruell, the electoral messen-
ger from Maryland, delivered to Presi
dent (protempore) Ingalls, last week was
not prepared in proper shape, and Is.
therefore, void. The law provides that
the envelope containing the certificate
shall be endorsed by the electors in their
own handwriting. This the Maryland
electors neglected to do. Hence, though
Mr.. Ingalls, accepted the certificate from
the messenger last week, he determined
to-day that it would be safest to follow
the law even to the very letter. Hence,
too, he made up his mind that the Mary
land certificate was not in proper form,
and 80 he notified Senator German that
he was compelled to reject Maryland S
vote in its present shape. So Mr.. Cor
man, fearful that MIR. Hodges and his
seven other statesmen should not go on
record, Immediately wired the fearful
intelligence to Governor Jackson, that
the electoral college must Immediately
be recouvened in special session. Cover
nor Jackson will probably issue a pro
clamation to that eject in a day or two.
1t is to be hoped that the eight distin-
guished statesmen will read up the law
between this and the day of assembly,
and will this time attend to their duties
properly before they give themselves up
to oysters and social conviviality.
1t is perhaps only just TO Mr.. Hodges
and the seven others electors of Mary land
to state that they are not alone in their
ignorance.
The electoral messenger from Texas
arrived from Austin, Texas. bearing the
certificate from his state Accompanied
by Senators Coke and Reagan, the mes
senger presented himself before MIR. In
Saus. MI lHSalls loOktu aG Tile 6uVei-
ope, then reuse to take it. 1t was ad,
dressed simply to the President of the
Senate" and Mr.. Ingalls, held that,
legally aud technically, there was nothing
about the envelope to show that it con
tanned the ballot of the Texas electors,
or to distinguish it in any way from the
thousand aud one memorials, petitions,
etc, which daily food his desk. He,
thereforefore, formally refused to accept
the certificate. Senator Coke immedi-
ately telegraphed to the governor of
Texas to reconvene the electors. The
unhappy messenger, who had only arrived
here this morning from Texas, was or
dered by Senator Coke to return home at
once, and at half-past two o'clock this
afternoon he started back. He will be-
obliged to travel day and night to reach
Austin in time for the special session of
the electors, and then be will be obliged
to travel day and night to return to
Washington with the properly certified
document aud envelope.
Senator Gray, of Delaware, was also no.
titled by Ingalls, to-day that he would be
compelled to reject the vote of that state.
Mr.. Gray, like Messrs. German and Coke,
wired the governor of his state, and so
Delaware will also enjoy the pleasure OF
an extra session of its little electoral col
lege. All these rejected certificates are
the ballots of Democratic electors. Mr..
Hodges and his able colleagues in Mary
land, Texas and Delaware are having
heaps OF iun out of their votes, even if
nothing else.