The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-02-07

counting Of the electoral votes next
Wednesday. Representative George
Washington Murray, the only coIored
member of the house, who represents
the Charleston district, will be the
chief actor He has just returned
from South Carolina, where he was in
consultation with the leading Repub-
hcans of the Palmetto state He Is
armed with a petition, signed by thou
sands Of Republicans Of that state pro-
testing against the counting of the
electoral vote, and asking. for an in
Eestigation of the election laws and
the state constitution
Senator Hoar Chairman Of the sem
ate committee on judiciary, was asked
today to express an opinion upon the
effect Of an objection to count the
electoral vote of South Carolina, such
as threatened by Representative Muir
ray, of South Carolina who has charge
Of a petition alleging frauds in the
South Carolina presidential election in
the joint assembly of the two houses
Of congress next Wednesday," He
said:
''The whole matter is covered by the
act of Feb. 8, 1887, which prescribes
In case objection is made to the count
ing of the vote of any particular state
1t is further provided that no returns
shall be rejected from any state un-
less there is more than one return, and
when there is more than one, it Is
directed that those only shall be count
ed which shall have been regularly
given by the electors who shall have
been chosen according to law Each
state provides it's own tribunal for de-
termining the result of the election for
presidential electors, and when this tri-
bunal has made it's return, the COVER
nor is required to certify the result OF
this action. The vice president LAYS
all the papers before the joint as
Sembly
I'm case any objection is made which
renders it necessary for the houses to
separate to pass upon the question in
volved, the determination of the mar
ter must rest upon the Judgment of
the returning board of the state. We
could not go into the legality of the
elections in the various states nor at
tempt to determine the legality of the
returning board of any of them. All
that was settled by the electoral con-
mission and Is now to be found in the
statutes
The senator expressed the opinion
that II put to a test the law would be
found to be adequate, and that "aIl
would work out right" He declined to
express in more direct terms his opin-
ion as to the policy of making such
objection as Mr. Murray is said to
contemplate
The published assertion that Mr.
Murray would contest South Carolina's
vote was a surprise to the members
or the house, even the prominent lead
ers on the Republican side protesting
complete ignorance of such move as
fOI
leadlng members Of the house that any
protest made by Mr.. Murray, even If
supported by a senator, ON such
grounds, must necessarily prove abor-
tive and be nothing more than a. stage
performance, because no contest has
come up from South Carolina There
are not two sets Of returns. as there
were In the HayesTilden contest Of
1875, when there were double returns
from Florida, Louisiana and South
Carolina. This lack Of contest from
the state Of South Carolina Mr.. Hop
kins, Of Illinois, said made a deadlock
impossible, because the act Of 1887 Is
mandatory in directing that the votes
of states properly certified shall not
be neglected.
Representative Mccall (Rep.. Mass.).
the chairman Of the house elections
committee, which had charge Of the
contests from South Carolina in this
congress, expressed surprise at Mr..
Murray's plan. He said: "Tt hardly
seems probable that the Republicans
would care to delay or throw any COM
plications in the way of counting an
electoral vote which is to result in the
election Of the Republican candidates
/ doubt whether the party will sustain
Mr.. Murray If his protest is possible"
Representative Strait of South Caro-
lima, said: II had expected that the
Republicans of South Carolina might
try to bring their protest, which the
state board of canvassers rejected. be-
fore congress. It's only effect can be to
delay the election of Mckinley. If
the senate cared to carry partisanship
to that point, 1t might delay the count
beyond the 4th of March and maka
Olney president. But the whole thing
seems ridiculous to me-
Senator Tillman, Of South Carolina,
said today with considerable emphasis
that If Mckinley Is going to be inau-