The news and herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1876-1881, 1876-11-23
Tie Ineligible Electors.

surprising, if not serious, and most
lmportant.turn has been given to the
aspect of the Presidential muddle
b'y the discovery to-day that two of
the Republican electors, one chosen
in Oregon and another in the State
OF Vermont, were until yesterday in
the ono and until to-day in tho
other cnse, otlice-holders under
the United States, and therefore, as
is now insisted upon by tho Demo-
Gratis, disqualified to servo in tho
capacity of electors of President
and Vice President.
Whatever force, little or great,
there may be in this argument of
the Democrats, the discovery has
alarmed the whole Republican camp;
for, should the claim of the Demo
Gratis be made good and prevail,
Governor Tilden will have at least
1876 electoral votes, irrespective of
the result of tho election in South
Carolina, Louisiana and Florida.
The two persons referred to are
John w. Watts, late Postmas-
ter at Lafayette, Oregon, and II. n.
Soilace, late Postmaster ut Bridge
port, Vt. Tho word ''late" in this
connection does not, however, and
unfol tunatly probably for Covers
nor Hayes, indicate sufficient nnt:q.
ulty to save the game to the Re
publlcans. Tho resignation Of the
Oregon postmaster is dated only
upon yesterday, November 13, was
forwarded by telegraph and took all
night to come across the Continent
from San Francisco, so that it got
into the hands Of the Postmaster
General only this morning. The
resignation Of the Vermont post
master was written, sent and receiv-
ed to day. Both designations were
ut once accepted by Postmaster
General Tynor.
The trouble likely to arise out of
this matter is rs follows: In the
first place, both men were holding
IN office Of trust and profit under
the United States upon and subsc-
Tuont to the day of election. In the
second place the Constitution, in
Article 2, forbids that any person
'holding an Office of trust or profit
under the United States shall be
appointed an elector." The Demo-
Gratis argue that the election by the
people was the appointment con-
templated by the Constitution, and
a goodmany Republicans arc honest
enough to fear that the Democrats
are right and that the Republican
party in Oregon and Vermont have
made most egregious and mexcus.
able couple of blunders and thrown
away the election by the grosscst
cnrelossness. The Republicans who
"pooh, pooh" the matter say that
the electors are not appointed in
the sense of the Constitution until
their certificates are made out, at
tested in every detail and givcn
into their possession Ill intcrprc-
tution of the Constitution and law
which wouldinvcst the two gentle
men (which WAS postmastcrs" with
the full, capacity of electors, now
that by resigning their Office they
shall not be disqualified when their
certificates come to be made out.
At bost it is n most awkward and
embarrassing complication for the
Republicans.
Should, as the Democrats contend,
tho two men be disqualified to serve
as electors, the consequence would
be that in the States of Oregon and
Vermont tho candidate on each of
the respective Democratic electoral
tickets receiving tho highest popu
lar vote would be chosen Presidcn
tial elector in combination with the
diminished number of Republican
elec tors, the result being gain Of
two votes for Mr.. Tildon. It might
be thought that there il q tic vote
for the parallel and rival sot of
Democratic electors, which would
still further complicato this cxtrnor-
dinary matter, but it is tho cxpe-
riencc of everybody who has ever in
spccted tho result Of an Official can
vass that names, even in SO compact
n ticket as that OF tho Electoral
College of any political party, are so
frequentlyand numcronsly scratched
as to make comparatively wide
differences in tho votes cast for the
candidates on tho same ticket.
Tho extent Of the impression
created i'll official and political cir.
clea may be seen in the fact that the
predetermined status of tho two cleo,
tors was tho subject of portion OF
the discussion in tho Cabinet ut tho
session thereof recently, with what
result has not transpired.
The rather curious feature of the
complication has captured the fancy
OF those who are yet warmly can.
vassing the probabilities OF the
J dN cation of the next. pranidont aud