The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-11-17
SEVERAL srRAws wIllsnTHr
NEMOGRAIS ARE CATCHING.


at which They NAV catch in hope OF be-
Ing saved from drowning in the flood of
Radical revolutionary rascality.
One straw is this In Wisconsin. il
! was ascprtaned before the election,
candidate for clcctor on the ltepubli-
can ticket was "A postmaster. The con-
stimtion of the United States provides,
that mo senator or representative. OF
person holding an Office of trust or profit
| under the United States shall be APP
! pointed an clcctor.' When this
clause u the supreme law wa,
| called to the attention of the Republican
managers, they induced the postmaster
to get off the ticket, and nominated in his
place another person. The name of this
person was put upon the Republican
ticket. and he was voted for by the Re
publicans of the state. But the election
blanks had been sent out 10 the different
counties before this was done. and these
blanks contained the name of the post
master. In some of the counties this
fact was not observed, and the votes
given for the proper person were
Tailed opposite the name of the post
master, who was not a candidate. \
number OF the election judges certified
that the postmastc had received votes
for elector, and these certificates have
been returned TO the state capital. SO
that, upon count OF the votes by the
proper officers, 1t will appear, that the
postmaster received certain number OF
votes, and that the man who took his
place OH the ticket received GER
tain number of votes. This
division of Republican votes between two
Republicans, will, it is said, give to one
OF the Democratic electors greater num-
Der of votes, on the face OF the returns,
than either the postmaster or the person
substituted for him on the Republican
ticket received, and consequently will
elect the Democrat. We believe there is
nothing in this. Wise onsin voted for
Hayes. and the Democrats should not
take advantage of mistake OF this kind
to elect Mr.. 1'ilden. We know every
Republican will agree with Us in this
noble assertion. but look at the rascas in
Louisiana !.
The other straws are these In Vermont
one postmaster, and in Oregon two post
masters were elected electors-or. as the
constitution expresses it, were appointed
electors. These men it is said were disqual-
flied by the constitution. and all the
votes cast for them must be consequently
thrown out-just as votes cast for an
alien, or minor, or a woman would be
thrown out. The constitution says ::
mo person holding an Office of trust or
profit under the United States, shall be
appointed an eleetor." The Office
OF postmaster is an Office OF
trust aud profit, and it is held under
the United States. Therefore, postmas-
ter cannot be appointed an elector.
If one should be appointed in the face Of
! this provision, what then? Clearly, the
appointment would be void--tle same a.
If no appointment had been made
at all. Therefore, the Republicans
OF Oregon and Vermont did not, in law
| appoint a. many electors rs they should
have appointed. And here arises th(
! question, are there two vacancies in Tho
delegation OF electors of Oregon and one
| in the delegation of Vermont: Certainly
there is not. he law is, that persons il
each state. equal 10 the whole number o.
senator's and representatives TO which the
| state is entitled in congress, who ar,
qualified to be appointed as electors and
who receive the greatest number OF votes
cast at what is called the presidential
election, shall be the electors OF said
state. In Vernon. the Republicans
voted for "a man NOT qualified
to be an elector. aud OF course
the votes for him should not
be counted. Then it follows that
if some other qualified man was voted for
for elector at the same election, the votes
'
the Democrats voted tor electors. Al
| of their candidates were men qualified tC
be appointed electors. The votes ,foI
these men must be counted, and the one
receiving the highest vote among them
he being the man who, with the Repub
licans qualified to be appointed, received
the greatest number Of votes for electors
must be declared duly appointed one 0
the electors OF Vermont. So also W.
may argue respecting Oregon. But, it il
said, these postmasters have resigned
True, but the constitution says they wer
disqualified Tor appointment, and W,
do not believe that man who the con
stitution says shall not be appointed cleo
tor, can be appointed, and then quality
himself for acting as elector by remoyin:
the disqualification that stood in the wa,
of his appointment.
We have no doubt this is point wei
made, and that the law is with the Dem
ocrats; but they should not take adyan
tage OF such mistakes as this to defeat tn,
undoubted will Of the people of Vernon
and Oregon. We imagine we hear In,
Republicans applaud this patriotic senti
meni, but look at the rascally business
they are applauding in Louisiana
Florida and South Carolina.
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