Year: 1877

tnc Suto Va ehO PCopiV, auu IL per-
sisted in was revoltion. He was glad
the committee had, however, agreed
on a plan and hoped it would be ad-
opted and govern the counting of the
electoral vote. Henceforth it should
have his support il not amended so
as to make il Objectionable.


Bright spoke of the Importance OF
the question to posterity.


The Senate. Af;er an all Night


Session, Passes the Com


promise Bill,


| WASHINGTON, Jan. 25.-Debate in
the Senate on the bill reported by the
Select committee, in regard to count
ing the electoral vote, was continued
all night.


Morton continued his argument.
He claimed that the Vice President
was not bound to open any fraudulent
certificates from state. If there
should be half dozen packages from
state in his possession, he was not
required to open them all, but was
only required to open that package
which came from the electors. As an
officer of the United States he was
bound to take notice as to whom had
been elected electors by the states, and
act upon his intelligence, just as 9TH
er officers. If there were two sets of
certificates from Louisiana in the
hands of the Vice President, he was
not required to open them both. II
he refused to open and present the
second return, how was it to be got
out of his possession? If he refused
to open such return, was that cause
of Revolution? Did he understand
that the democratic party threatened
violence or revolution il the Presi-
dent of the Senate withheld bogus
certificates The bill conferred upon
the tribunal it created, the power to
legislate, unless its action should be
overturned by THE action of the two
houses of Congress. This commission
could not carry out the bill without
going behind the returns from the
states. 1t was sprinkled all over with
pretty, white meal, but the democrat.
ic cat was reposing beneath. He ar.
gued that the bill was unconstitution-
al. After case had been made up
he did not believe in adopting new
plan, which would throw away one
half of the chances of the Republic
ans. That he had been inconsistent
in some matters, was entirely prob
able. He did not believe there were
any Popes in this Senate who were
infallible. He accorded to every other
Senator conscientious motives, and
he claimed for himself the same con-
sideration. He believed the Repub-
lican party had saved this nation, and
the greatest consideration of human
ity and politics demanded it to be
continued in power at this particular
juncture. 1t was not the duty Of Re-
publican Senators, it was not their
interest to depart from the practice
followed for % years.


BLAINE THEN TOOK THE FLOOR,


and said he had, he trusted, as great
an appreciation as any Senator on this
floor of the gravity of the situation.
He had supported Edmunds in his
Constitutional amendment to leave
the whole question of counting the
electoral vote TO the Supreme Court.
He had favored placing this power
of counting the electoral vote in the
Supreme Court by just and compc-
tent amendment to the Constitution,
placing in that great body, which by
its dignity and impartiality, could
properly exercise it, but that propo-
sition did not commend itself to the
favor of the Senate. and was defeated
by large vote. So far as he was
personally concerned, he was not
welded to any particular theory as to
counting the votes. He desired sim
ply to adhere to the Constitution, and
unlike many gentlemen with whom
he was now newly associated here, he
was free from any embarrassing
record on the question. lie was
opposed to giving the power of count
ing the votes to fourteen gentlemen,
four OF whom were to complete the
number by selecting the fifteenth, and
it by lot or chance. 1t was proposed
to give these fifteen gentlemen, or
possibly, the fifteenth gentleman
alone, more power over the electoral
vote than Congress possessed, and he
didn't believe that this could be done
by a simple enactment. Nothing less
than Constitutional amendment
could confer on fifteen men such tre-
mendous powers over the electoral
votes of the states. He didn't believe
it was warranted by the Constitution
which he had sworn to support. and
though he did not pretend to be what
was called constitutional lawyer
every Senator, on his oath, must vote
on his own conscientious belief OF
what the Constitution is, and what il
allows. He has desired earnestly to
support this bill if he could do il
consistently. Arguments adduced In
its favor had convinced him of it,
uncOnstitutionality, and he felt him.
self compelled, however reluctantly
to differ from certain Senators, and
record his vote against the measure
He begged the Judiciary committee
now that the public mind was Sc
strongly directed to this question, Il
frame an amendment TO the Constitu.
tion, which would, if possible, aver
in the future all danger of renewa
of these troubles, which were now
causing SO much anxiety in the pub
lie mind. Some denied that this bill
was framed in the interest Of the
democratic party. He had not beer
conspicuous in the service of thai
party and he didn't propose to EN-,
bark in its service now but after al
that he had heard he was not able te
see that this bill, of itself, promoted
the interests of the democratic party
Nothing could be done under the bill
to promote the election of the demo
cratic candidate for President, unles
under the execution of the law, tn,
opinion of five picked men Of tn,
Senate, five picked men of the House
and five picked Judges Of the Su
lpremc Court could be secured to tina
end.


| The Senator from Indiana had ar
gued that no legislation was needed
that republicans had sure thing an
il was best not to give away a part Q
it..


i Howe thought If the result of til
presidential contest was not left i
doubt 1t was certainly left in disput
and somebody must decide that dis
putc. He thought the bill reportc
: by the select committee and now be
fore the senate was the proudest in
strument in our country; the proud
est tribute to American statesmanshi


which had been performed since tn
! convention which framed the consti
| tuition, adjourned. He would hav
been glad If this bill had received tn
unanimous approval of the commit
!, tee.


! Eaton said he was almost alone o.
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