Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/109

 the board completed the canvass in secret session declaring all of the Republican candidates elected including the Presidential electors. The Governor, Attorney-General and a District Judge examined the duplicate returns of the vote cast in the State and made a certificate declaring the Democratic candidates for Presidential electors were elected. A contest of a somewhat similar nature took place in South Carolina where the Republican canvassers declared that the Republican electors were chosen. In Florida a similar disagreement resulted in the Republican candidates for Presidential electors being declared elected. That there were gross frauds perpetrated by both parties in each of these States in making returns there is little doubt. If these returns were accepted and held to be legal by Congress, Hayes would be elected by one majority of the electoral vote. Intense interest now centered in the action of Congress and the state of public feeling was such that serious apprehension prevailed that a resort to arms might follow the decision of Congress. There was no dispute that Tilden had received a majority of the popular vote amounting to 157,394 over the combined vote of all other candidates. His majority over Hayes was 250,950.

Immediately after the assembling of Congress, Hon. George W. McCrary of Iowa offered the following resolution.

“Whereas there are differences of opinion as to the proper mode of counting the electoral votes for President and Vice-President and as to the manner of determining questions which may arise as to the legality and validity of returns of such votes by the several States;

And whereas, it is of the utmost importance that all differences of opinion and all doubt and uncertainty upon those questions should be removed, to the end that the votes may be counted and the result declared by a tribunal whose authority none can question and whose decision all will accept as final;

Therefore be it resolved, that a committee of five members of this House be appointed by the Speaker to act in conjunction with any similar committee that may be appointed by the Senate to prepare and report without