The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1901-10-29
THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION OF 1877

the Special Committee of the House OF
Representatives.
The October Century contains an
article on the Electoral Commission,
by Milton H. Northrup, from which
we quote the most essential facts.
The Electoral Commission of 1877
was created to meet a grave, n
possibly the gravest crisis in Ameri-
can history. Its purpose, as we'll as
it's effect, was to rescue the country
from civil war, perhaps from anarchy
itself, rocks against which the ship
of state seemed swiftly and help.
lessly drifting Party passion was
at white heat, and CONSERVATION
filed every patriotic breast. The
country had passed through an ex-
citing struggle for the Presidency,
only to find, at it's close, that the re-
suit of that struggle was, if not in
doubt, at least in dispute. Both
parties claimed the victory, and des-
perate men Of both avowed their readi
ness to resort to desperate measures
to secure viotory's cherished fruits.
The air was full of threats of VIC
lence and bloodshed, and lovers of
peace and order stood appalled, at
the prospect. Business was paralyzed
and everywhere doubts whether
our free institutions could stand the
strain. The danger was twofold:
either that after the 4th of March
the country would have no Presi.
dent, or that it would have two
would be Presidents, each reoog-
nized as regular by his millions of
followers, and each assuming to exer-
else the executive function. This
meant a civil war beside which the
bloody strife from which the coun-
try had emerged a decade before
would be but boys playa war, not
of section against section, but of
neighbor against neighbor, of brother
against brother, and father against
son.
Whence this dispute, whence the
uncertainty concerning the Presi-
Dental succession? Three distant
Southern States, after the President
ial election of 1879, had sent to the
National Capital double sets of elect
oral returns, one set for Mr.. Tilden
and one fer Mr.. Hayes. On the
nineteen votes of these States de-
pended the control of the Federal
Government for the next four years.
Counted for Mr.. Tilden, the result
would be: for Mr.. Tilden, 2O3 for
Mr. Hayes, 1855. Counted for Mr..
Hayes, the result would be: for Mr..
Hayes, 1876 for Mr.. Tilden, 1874. Mr..
Tilden had to gain only of the
disputed votes to be elected Mr..
Hayes must have the nineteen.
In vain men turned to the Consti-
tuition for light and help. On the
subject of disputed votes for Presi-
dent of the United States that instru-
ment was dumb. A contingency had
"AAoOH A4AO III 46bAOIS udu AOU
contemplated. Who would point out
the path of peaoeP
Into Congress, from all sections
and from all sorts Of bodies, poured
petitions praying for some action on
the part of Congress looking to a
peaceful solution of the threatening
problem. TIE first response came In
the form of Ii resolution presented
to the House on December 1.-THE
fourth day of the session-by Judge
MoCrary, a Republican representa-
tive from Iowa, afterward in Hayes
cabinet, and still later a Judge Of
the Circuit Court of the United
States. The resolution was as fol
lows:
Resolved, That a committee OF
five members of this House be ap-
pointed by the Speaker, to act in
conjunction with n similar com
mittee that nay he appointed by the
Senate, TO prepare and report with
ont delay such d measure, either
legislative or constitutional, as may
in their Judgment be best calculated
to accomplish the desired end, ana
shat said committee have leave 10
report at any time,
On Thursday, December IA, the
judiciary committee reported back
the MoCrary resolution so amend9G
as to give Il committee of seven IN
stead Of five.
It is signifcant that the resolution