Year: 1875




WASHINGTON, January 2l.-The Vice
President laid before the senate a mes
sage of the President in regard TO
Strengthening the coast defenses similar
TO that read in the house of representa-
tives yesterday. Referred.


Senator Wright, from the committee
on civil service and retrenchment, re-
ported adversely on the bill to abolish
the system Of mileage, and it was ln-
definitely postponed.


Senator Cragin reported back the Pc
tition of the widow Of the late Com
mander William B. Cushing for pen
sion, with the recommendation that it
be referred to the committee on PEN
sions. So ordered.


Senator Morrill, introduced bill for
the relief OF certain creditors in the Dis
trict of Columbia. Referred.


Senator Dennis introduced bill to
Incorporate the Washington City and
st. Louis railroad company. Referred.


The chair called the committees for
business on the calendar.


Senator Hawlin, from the committee
on civil service and retrenchment, Ie-
ported adversely on the bill to reduce
the salary of the President of the United
States, with the request that it be passed
on the calendar with the adverse report.
So ordered.


Unfinished business being in order,
resolution from the committee on privi
leges and elections proposing an amend
ment to the constitution in regard 10 the
election of President and Vice President
was called up.


Senator Morton said this was a sub.
ject above ali party considerations; men
of ali parties could address themselves
to it, independently of the excitement
which now pervades the country. lis
purpose was to amend the constitution
80 as to bring the election home to the
people as near as possible, and at the
same time avoid the dangers which are
threatened by the present mode.
When he looked back over the his.
tory of the country it was a matter
of surprise to him there had not been
trouble resulting from the imperfectiOns
of our system. There was no power
now in congress or in the States to settle
the contested election cases of the cleo
tors. The election of electors might be
attended with fraud, violence and tu-
mult, and there was no power to correct
the evil. He pointed out, at some
length, the imperfectiOn Of the present
system, and said under it too much
power was vested in the hands Of the
vice. president or president of the senate,
to whom the electoral votes must be
sent under seal. Six times it had hap
pened that the vice. president had count
ed the votes where he himself was
candidate. John Adams counted the
vote and declared himself elected in
1897. Jefferson counted and voted in
1901, when there were ties. Suppose
there had been two sets of electors there
from any one Stale, one set making a
tie vote and the other electing
jefferson, there was no power to
prevent him from counting his
vote, which would have elected him
again in 1921. TOmpkins, who was
candidate, counted the vote. In 1927
Van Buren, did the same thing, and de-
clared himself elected. In 1S41 John
son counted the vote; and in 1851 Breck-
enridge did so. Although the count had
been honest in all these cases, an in
stance might arise when dishonesty on
the part of the Vice-President would
elect. 1t did not seem to have occurred
to the trainers of the constitution that
there might be two sets of delegates, or
fraud in their election. He next re-
ferred to the counting Of the vote in the
presence OF the two houses of congress,
and said that the two houses of congress
were as witnesses only. They could not
act as a joint convention. AS to the
dangers and difficulties which attended
the present system, they were many.
In case of the death or non-attendance
Of the electors from any State, other
electors from that State might fill the
hn oJo
any State were evenly divided, and if
one died or failed to attend the other
side could select one, and thus have a
majority on their side. A majority of
one could cast the entire vote of the
State of New York, and two and half
million people might be utterly silent
in their vote. Under the present sys-
tenn ten States could elect the President
of the United States. 1t was now an
election by States and not a national
election. In 1856 there were thousands
of Republicans in the south who did not
vote because there was no electoral
ticket in the field there for Fremont and
Dayton. Under the present system
many men were practically disfran-
chised because there were not men
enough ia their State of their own way
of thinking to put an electoral ticket in
the field. He sent to the clerks desk
and had read the twenty second joint
rule OF congress in regard to the count
ing of the electoral vote, and said it was
grossly unconstitutional. 1t was the in
tentiOn of the trainers OF the cOnstitu-
tion to make the election of President
independent of congress, but this twen-
ty-second rule made the election of
President depend upon either house of
congress, as either house, under this
rule, could prevent the counting
of the vote of any State. In case the
house was Democratic and the senate
Republican, the former might throw out
the Republican States and the latter
might throw out the Democratic States,
until no votes were left, and then the
election would be thrown into the house.
Upon an election by the house, the Re-
publicans had been twice tried, and both
times the country came very near being
shipWTecked. In au election by the
house. Nebraska, with her Il, 600 people,
would have the same vote in electing
the President as New York, with her
5 O0O, 900 inhabitants. Under the present
system, the electoral vote never ap-
proaches within ten per cent. Of the
popular vote, and in some instances it
varied as much as thirty per cent. He
reviewed at some length the report Of
the committee which accompanies the
propose / amendment.


Senator Thurman said the danger
to which the country was subjected
had not been e2a aggerated by the
senator from Indiana, but it seemed
to him that the remedy proposed
really failed to meet the danger;
that there might be fraud in the cleo
tions. With the experience Of LOuisi-
ana before the country, he thought there
needed no proof Of great danger of all
was counting Of the vote for President
here in Washington. If the election of
President at the last count had depend.
ed upon the vote OF Louisiana or At