The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-12-21
THURSDAY MORNING. DECEMBER 2, 1876

LA / MOhN1NU, LIN
thing down one Returning Board was
worth just 100000 votes.
Mr.. Mitchell said that II the Return.
ing Board in Oregon could carry out is
purpose it would be equal to 49, 100000
OF people. He tBogy) was glad that this
Oregon matter had happened. 1t was o
most fortunate thing, as it had compell-
ed the Senators on the other side to Ia.
vestigate these questions as they should
do. The Oregon case has upset all this
argument about primd }aeie case. II 1t
had not happened, there would have
been no end to the arguments on the
other side about the returns from Louis
lana and Florida, constituting primd
jacic case, and Congress could not so be:
hind the acts Of the Returning Boards OF
the other States. Now il was plain that
Congress had The right and powerto car
ry out the sovereign will OF the people.
Mr.. Morton said Returning Boards
were not new invention; they we're AZ
old as the Constitution Of tho United
States. There was not State In the
Union which did not authorize one or
more persons to count votes and certify
who was elected. In some States, as In
Louisiana, these Boards had discretiona.
ry and judicial powers. The decisions Of
the Returning Boards in some States by
the laws OF the STATE we're made final. In
Oregon the Cove hSd no discretiona.
ry ppSers, ro judicial power. lie had
no power 10 count cut fraudulent vote.
In Louisiana the Returning Board had
broad judicial power. 1t might have
made wrong decision; he would not
discuss that question now. Bnt the Gov
crnor Of Oregon had exercised powers
not given him by the laws Of the State.
Mr.. Eaton said he would not count q
vote which he believed was thrown TO
elect man who had triumphantly been
elected Presiient BY the American peo.
Pile. He did not desire the advantage Of
any wrong In this canvass Of votes by the
Senate. He argued that every ballet
cast for'Watts was no more than blank
piece Of paper, and the Governor Of Ore
gon, taking that view OF the case, said his
way was clear to give Cronin the eertifi.
cate, as every vote given for Cronin was
proper, legalyote, by a strict construe.
tion of the laws OF Oregon. The certiti.
cate OF election 10 Cronin was right and
proper, though he (Eaton) thought the
Governor should have certified 10 the
election Of two men and only two men.
He (Eaton) would not vote to place in
the Presidential chair the candidate Of
the Democratic party on the vote Of the
Democratic elector in Oregon. The .po-
litical stomach OF the Senator from Ore.
gon (Mitchel) seemed 10 be disordered
now by very small matter, bnt itconlt
stand the garlic Of South Carolina, Lou.
isiana and Florida. He then read a
recently published letter Of John ] Long,
Republican candidate for the Louisiana
Legislature, declining TO accept the seat
awarded him by the Returning Board,
on the ground that he had been fairly
defeated by his Democratic opponent;
and, resuming his argument, said single
witness like this man weighed down q
dozen atlidavits. Long said there had
been no fraud or intimidation in
De Soto parish, but the Senator from
Ohio (Sherman) declared there was. In
conclusion Mr.. Eaton argued that the Re-
presentatiyes OF the people could not al
ford TO do wrong. The President OF the
United States had been quoted as saying
he would deliver over the office TO Mr..
Hayes, il he should be declared to be
elected. The President has nothing to
do with it. It would not do to talk about
enforcing anything, for the good sense oi
the people Of this country would see that
Justice was done. Mr.. Eaton also argued
that the President OF tho Senate had no
more right to count the votes Tor Presi-
dent than one OF the pages. The Presi'
dent OF the Senate was not the President
Of the Joint Committee, unless chosen by
the Joint Committee TO that position.
Mr.. Sherman said he was not informed
that the Returning Board had returned
MI, L.ong.aS, elected 10 the Legislature
from De Soto. He thought the gentle.
man leaped before he came to the stile.
He then referred 10 the aiiidavits OF in.
timidation In De Soto parish. and resum.
ing said that the will Of the people OF
Oregon had been fairly expressed in ia.
vor Of the Hayes electors and he was enti'
tied to three votes from that State.
Mr.. Bogy-Apply the same rule to
Florida.
Mr.. Sherman said he was. perfectly
willing to apply the rule to Florida but
these things were governed by the laws
of the State: Oregon had her laws and
Florida hers. II Gov. Hayes shall be.
come satisfied that ne had not a majority
Of the legal votes Of Florida and Lou
isiana he would not accept the office OF
President. II it should be clear that
Gov. Hayes had not received that major
ity he (Sherman) would not have him
accept the office. Mr.. Sherman then ar.
gued that the Louisiana returning board
was a legally constituted body and 1t had
not been shown that that board made
false return. He did not desire 10 see
Gov. Hayes have the benefit Of any
wrong, and he was satisfied that he spoke
the sentiments OF Gov. Hayes, when he
said II that gentleman should be con.
yinced that the Returning Board OF
Louisiana or Florida acted wrong, he
would make no claim TO Office Of Presi-
dent. There was the absence OF any
proof that these boards had acted wrong.
As the returns from those States now
stood they were Just az much entitled to
be counted as the retnrns from New
York or Ohio, and he could show from
evidence now before the Senate that the
vote Of the State OF Louisiana in fairness
ghould be counted for Hayes.
| After executive session the Senate ed
journed. ....1
| A Row in the bonanza Firm.
SAN FRAxcrsco, December 20.-lt is
j .anaEInl IN .rhat Ia claimed 10 be rellA.