Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-12-13
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DECEMBER IS, 1876.
The Vote Of Oregon.


ernor of Oregon with reference to the
canvas Of the electoral vote of that
state cannot be too severely condemn
ed. A more despicabie fraud was new
er resorted to by any party. Althou gh
the Republicans carried the state by a
majority of over 100, it is proposed
to have one of the electoral votes coun-
ted for Tilden by trick which is sim
ply infamous. The Governor, named
Grover, whose business it is under the
law to issue certificates to the electors
receiving the highest number of notes.
assumed judicial functions and set him.
self up as court to determine the ele-
gibility of the men chosen. This he
clearly had no right to do, but he ex'
ercised that power and decided that
one of the Republican electors voted
for, named Watts, who was postmas-
ter at the time of the election but sub
sequently resigned, was ineligible. His
next illegal act was to Issue a certi6-
cate to the candidate receiving the
next highest vote, being democrat,
named Cronin. This is contrary to all
law and precedent, but it made no diff
ference with the pig.headed Governor
who was determined to perpetrate a
wrong. He again violated the law in
refusing to issue certificates to each OF
the electors chosen, and making only
one, giving that to Cronin, the Dem
ocrat.
On the day fixed by law for tn e
meeting of the electors, the two Re-
publicans met and were joined by Gro
min who proposed to participate in their
proceedings. The Republicans deman,
ded to know by what authority he
claimed to act, but he declined to ex-
hibit his credentials, and subsequently
withdrew. Assuming that he had
beer legally elected, he defeated him
self by this action, as he created va
cancy in the Board which the two Re-
publicans remaining were required un-
der the law to fill. Cronin afterwards
went through the motions of declaring
two vacancies in the Board and filling
them with two Democrats who under
instructions voted for Hayes and
Wheeler, Cronin voting for Tilden and
Hendricks. Thus it will be seen that
under this programme the vote of Ore
gon has been cast by three men who
were never elected b. the people for
that purpose. Perhaps Tilden expects
to ride into the presidency in that way
but he will find it it game that will
not win.
The action Of the Republican cleo
tors was strictly legal and regular.
The two whose election was certified
by the Governor having filled the one
vacancy proceeded to ballot and all
voted for Hayes and Wheeler, and the
result has been forwarded to the Presi-
dent Of the Senate. Cronin will be there
with his certificate also, not with any
idea that bis vote will be counted, but
for the purpose, if possible, Of throwing
the election into the House. The
President Of the Senate, however, will
have no difficulty In determining at a
glance which is the correct return of
the vote of the state. Happily, the
Governors certificate accompanying
the return of the Cronin electors
shows the election of two of the Re
publicans named in the other return
so that the fraudulent certificate fur.
nishes all the proof that is needed oil
the validity of the other. Thus Gro
yer and Cronin have beaten themselves
At their own game. Grover should
have refused to issue any certificate a,
ALL but then we doubt if state could
be thus disfranchised by the refusal OF
neglect of governor to do his duty in
this respect. If this can be doneithen
che result of an election at any time
can be reversed by a refusal of a gov
ernor to certify the result in his state.
Certainly our Democratic friends will
not claim that if the Governor of New
York we're Republican he could pre-
vent the electoral vote of that State
being counted for Tilden by simply re.