The Portland daily press., 1876-12-11
The Oregon Case.
Why The Trick Cannot.succeed-A Review
of the Cnse.-The Republican College
the Majority College.

The Republicans in Washington are unmoyed
at the electoral complication in Oregon. They
hold that when the sets of returns from Oregon
are opened by the President of the Senate il
will clearly appear that the Republican electors
constituted legal majority of the college, and
were, therefore, alone entitled to act; and that
only the three votes of the Republican College
for Hayes will be received. Democrats in the
Senate at Washington refrain from expressing
an opinion on the case
The case stands thus: The Governor of Ore
gon issued a certificate that Cartwright aud
Odell, Republicans, and Cronin, Democrat,
were the lawful electors. This certificate Gro
min put in bis pocket. he organized himself
as the electoral college, moved that he fill the
two vacancies, put the vote to himself declared
it carried, elected two Democrats, and made up
return OF one vote for Tilden and two for
HAYES, which he will bring on himself to
Washington and deliver to the President of the
Senate. The two genuine electors met found
majority of the electoral college present,
filled the one vacancy cast the vote for Hayes
in accordance with the verdict of the people,
and made up o legal return in due fern
The President of the Senate will open both
the returns. He will find in the fraudulent
one the certificate of the Governor By this
certificate he will learn who are declared to be
the electors. He will then refer to the conflict.
ing returns to ascertain which comes from
majority of the electors thus certified to. That
return, 1t is declared, he will present to be
counted. The other will be treated as nulity.
Thele will be no going behind the certificate
because the certificate itself, whenever
found will show which is the genuine returns
and which is the fraudulent one. The lcircum-
stance that this certificate comes incosed in the
false return is not important. 1t is perhaps all
the tetter that it should be so, for it exposes the
fraud which it was hoped it would conceal
Republicans now understand this clearly, and
are not at all troubled at this last trick of their
opponents.
The complications arising from the meeting
of the Electoral College of Oregon render q re-
view OF Its proceedings Of pressing interest.
Gov. Grover announced at 10 a. m. in the State
House at Portland that he had determined to
refuse TO issue a certificate to Postm aster Watts
the ineligible Republican elector, and should
issue one to e. A. Cronn, the Democrat who
had received the next highest number of votes
At noon there gathered in room of the Capt.
tol the following persons: John U. Cartwright
Wm. I'll. Odell aud MIR. Watts (the Republican
electors); E A. Cronin "a Democratic elector),
and John L. Miller ard john Parker, private
citizens.
Soon afterward Gov. Grover, in bis room,
issued three electoral certificates addressed
respectively to Cartwright, Odeli and
Oronin These certificates were certified
to by Secretary of State Chadwick
IN tripllcate by Oh idwick, VINO then put them
in an envelope addressed to the electors named
within, aud himself took the envelope to the
room occupied bv the electors. His knock was
answered by Crohin who took the envelope
aud refused to give Oartwright.snd o iell their
certificates. Cronin then told Cartwright and
Odell that he was ready to proceed with the
ceremony OF casting tue electoral ballot with
Them. Upon their refusing TO join him n the
duty Cronin said that as they declined to recog-
nlze him as an elector, he considered the offices
vBcant and should fill them himself. He the a
| appointed as electors Miller and Parker the
| csizens already mentioned. The three men
| then voted CrOnin for Tilden and Miller and
Parker for Hayes. Cronn had no sooner cast
his vote than he hastily left the room, taking
| with him the electoIs' certificates Odel and
Cartwright thereupou formally elected Watts
an eector to fill the vacancy. The electoral
| vote OF the state was then cast for Hayes. The
report of the ballots cast will be sent TO WASH
| ineton, accompanied by affidavits from the
electors