Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1913-02-20


sion for the purpose of counting the electoral yoe reca inc
time when yermonts eector vote was needed to elect re-
question regarding the validity of one electoral vote in YER
mont.
uncertainty as to Hayes Tden had been elected
the presidency the by the way WHEEL the late Horace
Fairbanks was the late Reded Proctor
lieutenant governor of The electoral colleges
strength was so closely divided that electoral would
have decided the contest one another
Under circumstances like these easily imagine how
every electoral vote in Vermont scanned by the late Col
Bradley B. Smae long the distinguished leader of the Green
Mountain democracy and with what junction ne made the dis
that Henry Soace of the republican presidential
electors from Vermont postmaster of the United States
glance at the constitutional and statutory provisions for
presidential electors will help understand the sgnicance
of various steps connection with the Vermont electoral vote
The Constitution of the United States provides
appoint the Legislature thereof
may direct number of presidential electors equal to the whole
number of senator's and representatives to which the State may
be entitled Congress- but senator representative or per-
holding office of trust profit under the United States
shall be appointed elector
also provided that the presidential electors shall meet
their respective States and ballot for president and vice
president and they shall make list of all the persons voted for
number of for each which list they shall sign
and certify and transmit sealed to the seat of government OF
States directed the president of the Senate
Following the national election in which Wisconsin,
s added law to tbn + s statutes providing that lit shall
Of the of each State to three lists
of the of the electors such States to be made and GER
titled and delivered to the electors and that tine electors sha
make and sign three certificates of all the votes given by them
delivered by Washington to be sent
by mail the president of the Senate and to be delivered
the United States district Judge of the district
When the electoral vote of Vermont was reached
and the certificate opened Congressman Poppeton
asked had been received from this State and
upon being answered in the negative by the presiding officer
he said 81 desire to say that have prepared objections Tons upon
returns from the State of Vermont
Congressman Hewitt of New York democrat, then an
nounced that held sealed package delivered to
him by about the middle of December together with
letter saying that similar package aad heen sent to the i
officer had received similar package Hewitt had tender
ed this package the presiding officer who had refused to re-
lie n
receive the package purporng to contain the electoral
The reiterated that but Of certificates had
been received from Vermont and he added that the Law pro
hbits him from receiving after the first Thursday IN
February Objections then made behalf of various
senator's and representatives as follows ,-.,
That Henry n. Sollace postmaster of the mted
States at the time of his election be constitution
ally appointed elector that the law of Vermont did not au
to have been the result Soace that did not
appear that Solace had resigned his posmaSersp at the date
of his appointment by the college of electors
On the other hand it urged that Amos Adrich. who
received the highest vote November l. 1876 next TO that
cast for said Adrich and allowed
of the electoral votes of Vermont proper for
the electoral commission then constituted to inquire and re-
port whether Aldrch July appointed elector of
Senator Ferry of Michigan. the presiding officer persist
ed refusing to receive the mysterious package whereupon
desk secretaries the Senate
told the head page take the package and hand Hewitt
later but when Page McNeir tried to do this Hewitt took him
custody escorted him before the House and tried
have the taken by that body The speaker declining
to rule in favor of the move and the gentlemen interrupted by
Hewitt refusing suffer further interruptions McNer
rested by the for and held in
cloak
Curiosity having been aroused by the mysterious pack
from Vermont correspondent of the New York Post who
takes the narrative this point that the House spent
the following night in wrangng points OF procedure in
getting at the package but finally decided that it had no
ground for interfering McNer consequently set free
small hours Of the morning and voted to the
affair from the Congressional Record.
According to the Tribune Almanac for 1877. however at
the of the Senate following the incident question
Edmunds moved that the of Vermont be counted
regularly and the vote Al % not voting
The ground for this that it competent for
Congress under the constitution and law ii then existed to
prove that persons other than those certified by had
been appointed electors.
In the House Congressman Poppeton offered resolution
declaring that the refusal Of txe presiding officer of the Sen
receive and open the sealed package purporng
tain electoral of Vermont violation of law and
counting of the electoral could continue
corng the constitution until said package had been opened
according law After proraced fbuseling the democratic
passed the resolution but when the Houses the
Vermont electoral counted for Hayes and Wheeler
Vermonts electoral five at that time State
had three congressman each member Of the delegation
Congress emitting to presidential eector The total
electoral Hayes 1875, Tiden 1874, and thus Vermont
counted for something