National Republican., 1876-12-07

Gov. Grover, of Oregon, has committed
a crowning act of infamy. In conjunction
with his Secretary of State, one Chadwick,
and a tool named Cronin, who was the
Democratic candidate for elector, receiving
the highest number of votes on the Demo
cratic ticket, an attempt has been made to
throw the entire vote of the State for Til
den, in defiance ofthe voice of the people.
The State chose Hayes electors by over
1000 msjority. Mr.. Watts, one of the
Republican electors, was alleged to be dis
qualified on account of holding the Office
of deputy postmaster. Learning this, MIR.
Watts at once resigned his office or post
master, thus purging himself of the dis
qualification. He also resigned his posi-
t1on as elector, thus making vacancy in
the college, which the two remaining elect
ors had the power to fill. But Gov. Gro
Ver, who is Democrat, assumed that the
resignation of the postmastership did not
purge Mr.. Watts, and proceeded, on the
ground of his ineligibility, to commission
Cronin, Democrat, as elector in his place.
Secretary of State Chadwick then appears
upon the scene and gives all the certificates
to the Democrat (Cronin,) who put them
in his pocket and organized himself into
an Electoral College of one, with two
vacancies. His next move was to fill
these vacancies with two Democrats, thus
completing the number of the college. OF
course, the College then cast the vote OF
Oregon for Tilden, in utter disregard of
the voice of the people as expressed at the
polls.
This action is only important as showing
the desperate measures to which the Dem
ocrats are willing to resort in order. to
obtain power. 1t remains to be seen
whether Mr.. Tilden has solicited or die
tated this action through his emissaries.
No honorable man can accept the Office of
President profered through such criminal
and infamous means. The Senate of
the United States determined in the case of
the contest between Vance and Abbott
that the ineligibilItY Of Vance did not rem
der valid the claim of the minority candi-
date. A vacancy was declared to exist,
and Senator Ransom was chosen to fill il.
The people of Oregon will loudly protest
against this vile attempt to reyolu-
tionizS their declared will in the.
choice of President. They will speak
in such emphatic tones that Grover and
Chadwick and Cronin will feel themselves
entirely surperhuous as officers of State.
They will hereafter be marked men.
Senator Kelly, who voted in the Vance
Abbott case with numerous Republican
Senators against seating Abbott, has now
stultifed himself by advising Grover and
Chadwick and Cronin in their high handed
viIlainies in his own State.
But as we have already stated, the action
of this selfappointed body of electors is
Of little moment except in so far as it goes
to show that the policy of the Democrats
is the same in Oregon as in Louisiana-to
obtain power "by fair means or foul."
1t will confirm the people in their sus
picions that the object Of the leaders is to
steal the Government by trickery and
fraud which they have failed to destroy
by the sword of rebellion or to take by q
fair vote at the ballot box. The two Re-
publican electors met and organized in the
regular manner, and finding vacancy in
the case of Watts, who was then fou eligi-
bic by means of his resignation, they ap
pointed him to fill the vacan2y. He quail
fled, and the vote of the State was egally cast
for Hayes and Wheeler by the identical
electors chosen by the people. The Consti-
tuition requires the electors to make and GER
tify to heir own action, which they are 20
sign and seal and transmit to the President
of the Senate. The Intervention Of the
State officers is not required in the sealing,
certifying or transmitting Of the vots. In
deed, it is not allowed. The State directs
the appointment of the electors. With
this direction its ministerial duties are
completed. The electors are to be entirely
untramm lied and free from all supervision
or influence of State officers after they be-
come electors. They are not permitted to
intrust the certifying, sealing and forward
ing oftheir transactions to any other Off
Ger or authority. They must do these things
themselves. 1t being an unquestionsble
and undisputed fact that the people of
Oregon ordered the vote of that State to
be cast for Hayes and Wheele-, q fact al
ready officially declared by the: Canvass
ers, the President of the Senate can rec
ognize no other declaration than the one
he will receive under the certificates Of
the Republican electors. To do other
wise would be to stifie the voice OF q
State and throw it against the expressed
will of the people