Middletown transcript., 1876-12-09
EDWARD REYNOLDS, EDrroR.
THe SITUATION.

THE SITUATION.
The long suspense and anxiety which
has attended the Presidential election,
though the action Of the Returning
Boards Of Louisiaua and Florida were
waited for ss an apparent settlement Of
the difficulty. is. in reality. no nearer :
solution than it was on the 9th Of No
vsmber last-the day sitter the election
The action Of those Southern Boards
disappointed nobody. It had been an
ticipated BY both the adherents Of Gov
Tilden and Gov. Hayes The democrats
we're well satisfied that, inasmuch az Mr..
Tilden had already 1S4 electoral votes
conceded to him, and that. therefore. It
would be positively necessary to have
all the remaining votes given to Mr.
Hayes in order to give him majority,
that the republican manipulators Of those
boards, who had proved themselves in
previous years to be adopts in rascality'
wsuld be equal to this occasion also. and
would throw out, on frivolous charges OF
.iutimidation" and "fraud," hatched
up in the fertile brain Of such conscien-
tious (1) creatures % Kellogg. Wells.
Packard. Chamberlain and Stearns. OF
whom their own partisans said two years
ago that the only proper place for them
was the penitentiary. enough votes to
overcome the large democratic majorities
and give the electoral vote Of those
States to Hayes. This was accordingly
done, and certificates Of election were
given to the republican electors. in dss-
pite Of the fact that the democratic elect
ors had received a largs majority Of the
votes Of the people. This vas done in
all three Of the disputed States Of South
Carolina, Louisiana and Florida Of
course il was not expected that the dem
ocrats would yield their rights without
4 struggle, and consequently their elect
ors, who we're the really legal ones, as
semblsd on Wednesday, and cast their
votes for Tilden and Hendricks at the
same time that the bogus (lepublican)
ones cast theirs for Hayes and Wheeler.
Both results were sent to the President
Of the U. s. Senate who will, or ought
to, keep them. (the Lord only knows
what republican ofise-holder 'oin do).
until the constitutional time for count
ing them. in February. when they will
BE- opened and ! contest made between
the two parties.
While the republicans were fixing up
the returns in the Southern States and
" counting in" their candidates there,
their infamous schemes were somewhat
checkmated BY the action Of Governor
Grover. Of Oregon. One Of the electors
chosen on the republican ticket was
found to be ineligible to the position on
account Of holding an Office under the
U. s. Government, being thereby dis
qualified BY the constitution. After
hearing the arguments Of both parties,
the Governor decided that there was NO
vacancy in The electoral college Of that
State because Of the ineligibility Of Mr..
Watts, but that the votes cast for him
were merely thrown away and be there
fore awarded the certificate Of election
to the candidate who received the next
highest number Of votes, who. Of course,
was democrat. By this action. which.
it il claimed, is in perfect accord with
the laws Of Oregon. Gov. Tilden has re-
ceived 1856 electoral votes and Gov
Hayes 1S4. electing the former by one
vote. This action is. Of course, bitterly
denounced BY the radicals. who think it
no harm for Returning Board to steal
State bodily 10 the interest Of their
party, but whine terribly about fraud"
when their evil doings recoil upon their
own heads OF course this act Of Gov.
Grover will Be contested, but according
to the teachings and declarations Of the
radicals themselves. who. however,
meant it all 10 reference to their own
actions 10 the South, Congress has no
right or power to 60 behind the certi6-
cate Of The Governor Of State. and thus
they are caught 10 their own trap.