Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-12-13
The "Reformer'sv Last Card.

II seems that our confidence was well
grounded, and that no Republican elector
was found base enough to find il " for his
pecuniary interest,u high moral grounds"
TO betray the trust reposed in him, although
one hundred thousand dollars was freely Of
fered for such a service Even a Louisiana
"nigger spurned the bribe. But "mean
white was found up in Oregon in the per
son Of Governor Grover, who undertook to
deliver the much-ueeded one hundred and
eighty-fifth vote, without money and with
out price, so far as appears, save the partisan
prominence into which he might thereby be
brought. And it would seem a most fitting
close Of the great "reform campaign Of
1876, that democratic governor should
defy the fairy-expressed will of his consti-
tuents, trample under foot the law Of the
state, violate his oath Of office, and issue an
electors certificate to one who had been re-
jected a. the polls, for the avowed purpose
of forcing into the first office in the land one
who had failed Of constitutional election.
cans made the same foolish blunder as did
those Of Vermont, and chose a postmaster,
named Watts, as one of their electors lie
at once resigned, as did Sollace but the
Governor a bitter democrat proceeded to
not only declare Watts ineligible, but his
democratic competitor elected and gave him
the certificate-the same as if Governor
Fairbanks had gone back of the record Of
the canvassing board, declared Aldrich
elected, and given him certificate. Not only
so, but this Oregon Governor gave TO Cronin,
his democratic tool, the certificates of the two
Republican electors of whose eligibility
there was no question. When the day came
for the electors to meet, the Republican cleo
tors met, organized, and demanded of Cronin
their certificates of election, and ne refused
TO give or exhibit them. Thereupon Cronin
assumed that the majority refused TO act,
declared their places vacant, and assumed
TO fill them with two democrats, named Mil
Ter and Parker. The three then proceeded
TO cast what the democrats call the electoral
vote Of Oregon, and hastily left the room
Miller and Parker voted for Hayes, which,
as they are both democrats, made the farce
complete. Cronin voted for Tilden. The
Republican electors remained in the same
room and proceeded formally and carefully.
Watts having resigned, was reelected, and
the three votes Of the state were cast for
Hayes and Wheeler, backed by one thousand
and five hundred popular majority, over
which there is no dispute.
Now when the bogus elector comes for.
ward with his certificate from the Governor,
the President Of the Senate will find with il
the certificates also of the two Republican
electors, lawfully elected, which shows that
they are the majority OF the board and that
their election is unquestioned. The returns
which they will bring show that they filled
the vacancy of one in the lawful manner
and cast three votes for Hayes and Wheeler
This will be recognized as obviously the
true board, duly certified to by the Governor,
their votes will be counted, and this last
trick OF the democrats will amount TO nothing.
The Oregon election law provides for filling
vacancy in the electoral college as follows
IF there should be any vacancy in the office
OF an elector, occasioned by death, refusal
to act, neglect to attend, or ohcrpise, the
electors present shall Immediately proceed
to fill, by pird roce and plurality of votes,
such vacancy in the electoral college, The
two Republican electors proceeded strictly
according TO this law.