Evening star., 1932-10-23

William 4. Wheeler, SEATED as Vice
President in 1877.
20 years later, or Zachary Taylor in 1913
For both political parties and, indeed for
the entire country, time dragged painfully on,
while Congress was trying to work out some
plan satisfactorily to seat of the candidates.
The Senate was Republican, the House largely
Democratic, the President (Grant was a Re-
publican. 1t was situation calling for genius
to untangle. Under these circumstances, a
resolution introduced in the House on
December 7, by Representative McCrary of
Iowa, Republican, which was the entrance
wedge to the subsequent passage by Congress
of the Electoral Commission bill. introduced by
Senator EdmUnds in the Senate, and which
provided for the commission, in part, as follows:
During the session of each House on the
Tuesday next preceding the first Thursday in
February, 1877, each House shall, by viva voce
vote, appoint five Of its members, who, with the
five associate justices of the Supreme Court Of
the United States, to be ascertained as herein-
after provided shall constitute a commission for
the decision of all questions upon in respect
to such double returns named in this section.
"On the Tuesday next preceding the first
Thursday In February, A. D., 1877, or as soon
thereafter as may be- the associate justices of
the Supreme Court of the United States now
assigned to the first. third, eighth and ninth
circuits shall select in such manner as ma
jority of them shall deem fit, another Of the
associate justices of said court, which five per-
sons shall be members of said commission, and
the person longest in commission OF said 0ve
justices shall be the president of said COM
mission.
FTER being passed by the Senate, the bill
was taken up by the House on January
25 and passed the same date. and approved by
the President four days later.
The Senate designated Senators George p.
Edmunds Oliver p Morton. Frederick +.
Frelinghuysen, Allen G. Thurman and Thomas
F. Bayard
The House, by viva-voce vote, appointed
Messrs. Henry B. Payne of Ohio, Eppa Hunton
of Virginia, Josiah G. Abbott of Massachusetts,
George F. Hoar of Massac chusetts and James
A. Garfield of Ohio.
The justices of the Supreme Court selected
to serve we're: Nathan Clifford. Samuel F. Mil
Ter, Stephen j. Fields w. Strong and Joseph
F. Bradley.
The three States upon which hinged the
election of one or other of the candidates were
Florida Louisiana and South Carolina, and on
March 2, at 4:05 o'clock m, the report Of the
Electoral Commission was approved by Con-
gress, seating Rutherford B. Hayes as Presi-
dent and William A. Wheeler as Vice President.
The members of the commission voting to seat
these candidates were: Senators George F. Ed
munds, o. P. Morton and Frederick T. Freing-
huysen; Representatives James A. Garfield and
George F.. Hoar, and justices Samuel F. Miller.
w. Strong and Joseph F. Bradley
The minority members of the commission
voting may" to the adoption of the report,
which meant not to seat the Republican candi-
dates were: Senators Thomas F. Bayard and
Allen G. Thurman: Representatives Josiah G.
Abbott, Eppa Hunton and Henry B. Payne, and
Justices Nathan Clifford and Stephen j. Fields.
DEING desirous OF kno..ng the opinion Of
- The Star on the outcome of this, the most
notable Of all election cases, the writer again
turned to the files of that paper and there he
found under the date of March 2, 1877, the
following editorial:
to be peacefully inaugurated President Of the
This result, it must be conceded. has been at
tanned virtually through the good faith and
patriotic spirit of the Democratic party in
carrying out the terms of a compact, under
great temptation to repudiate it. After this
grand act of magnanimity and concession In
behalf of the public peace, by a great party
having the supremacy in the popular vote, we
may safely dismiss all fears of the country
falling into anarchy and revolution through
the contests of selfish mcn and selfish factions
for supremacy.
1T would require long list of names to
enumerate those who, in the Democratic ranks,
have thus risen above party spirit in behalf OF
the Nation, but prominent in the array OF
those wh0 will deserve the gratitude Of their