New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-11
A MISSOURI OPPORTUNITY.

Mr.. Stiefcl. the Republican electoral claimant
from Missouri, is lazy. AS n filler OF vacancies
he is not n success. Let him gaze upon the
bright and shining record of the Democratic
claimant in Oregon and emulate his example
while il is not vet too late. According TO
Democratic law, az expounded by the Demo
cratic Governor and Secretary of State III Ore
gon. Gen. Frost of Missouri being disqualified,
Mr.. Stiefel, his Republican competitor, is
elected. True, the people voted by about
10000 majority, more or less, that he was
the man that they did not want. But MIR.
Stiefel, we trust, is refomcr, ana he mas
the bright example of Tilden and reform. He
will find no difficulty in declaring himself
Democratically if not duly elected. He has
already demanded of the other electors that they
proceed to act with him, and they have baSely
refused. Let him Immediately assemble him-
self az an Electoral College, in any convenient
bedroom or barroom, and proceed to "fll the
"vacancies." He can elect fourteen judicious
Republicans, no doubt, who will carefully vote
for Tilden and Hendricks, while he votes for
HAYES and Wheeler. Then let him appoint
himself messenger to take the certificate to
Washington, as CrOnin did from Oregon, first
taking care to state that, the fourteen oDsti-
natcly wicked electors who were chosen with
him having refused to act, he has duly filled
the vacancies according to law.
A trinng difficulty arises, which, however,
Mr. Stiefel can overcome if he has as much
pluck as an average Democrat. He lacks GER
tiicates But he is an inferior person II he
cannot steal them. The messenger appointed
by the Democratic college has the documents
about his person, or at his house, and with
moderate courage they can be abstracted by
fraud, or at the mouth of n pistol. This may
seem a trife irregular To those who have not
studied Democracy and Reform But Cronin
stole the certificates granted to the majority
of the electSs from Oregon. 1t is Democrat
ically proper to steal certificates and votes.
That let us ever bear in mind, Is Reform
Armed with stolen certificates, and a record
of votes cast, one for Hayes by himself and
fourteen for Tildcn by the persons chosen by
him TO fiji the vacancies, Mr.. Sticiel should
HE TO Washington forthwith, and place his
document in the hands Of Senator Ferry, the
President of the Senate. a dishonorable trans
action? Bless you, no! 1t is only ga little
trick " to secure fair hearing in that mat
ter of CrOnin. Mr.. Ferry, it Is true, may re-
fuse to receive the worthless paper. In fact,
we should rather think he would He has no
more business to accept n certificate of cleo
toral votes from either Stieiel or Cronn
than to accept certificate of the electoral
vote of New-YOrk signed by any boOtblack in
this city, But perhaps, in order to avoid dis
pute, he may think it no harm to put Mr..
Cronin's paper in a pigeon-hole. marked
bogus certificates" and in that case Stiefers
paper ought TO keep it company. If they lie
there until they are counted, either will se
musty, moldy, and illegble through age before
ANYBODY disturbs it.