The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-30
MAKING a PRESIDENT.
Methods Employed Under Our
Electoral System.
Washington Times.)

the ballots when deposited by the sover
eigns The act authorizing the operation
of the electoral system, and defining the
power OF those chosen, treats them rs an
pointees, and 50. likewise, docs the law
| under which they become the agents OF
the people to express by ballot the popu
| lar will.
| When it is remembered that the people
| do not vote directly for the Presidential
candidates, but, in the general belief, dc
| decide between two or more sets of cleo.
tors, the act of appointments" seems, 'at
first blush, to be of somewhat vague and
uncertain authority.
| Ballots of considerable numbers were
once thrown out in the State of New York
| for 10 other reason than that the last let.
ter OF the longest name among those of the
! electors were cut Off when the ballots
| were separated by the printer 1t is be-
lieved by maIy 10 this day that the choice
of Il President that year was decided by
the rejection of those votes, and that had
they been counted, as they were intended
to be, in the interest of AR. Blaine, he
would have become the chief magistrate,
and his days would have been increased
The expression of the ballot however,
is the will of the people, the majority of
whom decide who shall be ''appointed
in each State ''shall meet and give their
votes on the second Monday in January
next following the election in November
They shall meet ut such place in each
State as the legislature of such State
shall direct.
Imperative is the command to assemble
on that particlar date in january. with
10 proviso of high waters alone prevent
ing Failure to obey this mandate in
any one State might change the election
result, and III one instance, we'll remem-
hcrcd, when there was but one majority in
the electoral vote for the winner, it would
certainly have done so.
That WAS in 1876 just twenty years ago.
With the law strictly obeved, it required
the creation of the extraordinary electoral
commission, composed of five Senators.
five Representatives and five members of
the supreme court to settle the contest.
That year also witnessed Il remarkable
campaign in the State of Illinois, in
which, us has been frequently intimated,
Gen. John y. Logan relinquished his
fight for the United States Senate, and
aided in throwing the Republican vote
to David Davis, then II member of the
supreme court. The legislature was
close, and one independent member, who
preferred Davis, was able to elect him.
This was done to save the Presidency to
the Republicans, it was alleged, by keep
ing Judge Davis off the high joint COM
mission. Under the method of choosing
he would certainly have been appointed
As Senator he was out of tt e way, and Il
Republican judge was named in his
stead. Had he been a member of the
commission he would have voted for TIL
den, but the board afterwards constitu-
,n1 or al ~, IL.
Democrats.
The commission sat from day to day,
until the second of March, two days be-
fore the date of inauguration, before fin
ally deciding the matter. However its
majority may have been schemed for by
both parties, it was the opinion of emf
nent Jurists and statesmen, regardless of
politics, that the action of the commits
sion confirmed beyond legal doubt or
bubble the title of Mr.. Hayes To the Pres
idency.
The decision in any national contest
may be known TO the people of the coun-
try on the morning succeeding the day of
the election. but it is not officially de-
clnred until Congress is through with
the returns
Both houses of that body ''shall' be in
joint session on the second "Wednesday in
February succeeding the meeting of the
electors. II the result in the States has
been close there is much interest .and no
little excitement until after the second
"Wednesday in February, or until such
time rs the choice is determined
Should an elector die before the date
fixed for casting his vote the candidate
in whose interest he was appointed will
be the loser. Had one died succeeding
( ha of
been Il tie vote in the electoral college.
Had two died, Tilden would have been
President.
The Senate meets with the Representa-
tives in the hall of the House at the hour
of ] o'clock in the afternoon OF the sec
ond "Wednesday in February. The Pres.
ldcnt OF the Senate presides, and opens
the sealed packages containing the cleo
toral certificates. Telers, two from each
House, receive these certificates and all
other papers purporting to he such, the
votes being counted III the alphabetical
order of the States, beginning with the
letter y. The announcement of the re-
suit by the president of the Senate shall
he accepted as sufficient declaration of
the persons, if any, elected President and
Vice PRESIDENT
Objections may he received to the dee
laration of the vote of any State, but
they must be made in writing, and be
concise and clear in statement 1t must
be signed by ut least two persons, Il Sen
ator AMI n member, and when all obicc-
tions shall have been received, the houses
separate, when IA vote is. taken by each
y majority of one body is not sufficient
To reject the vote OF 1t State, but the two
houses concurrently may reject it, when
they agree that such vote or votes have
not been regularly given by qualified cleo
tors.
The joint meeting cannot he lawfully
dissolved until the count shall he com.
plCted and tie result lnnlnrnd and no ~.