The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-12-30
THE OREGON
1he Inrestiantion Under Wau.

Inc I~nueSttgdti0n Onder way.
Washington, Dec. 29.-The Senate
committee on privileges and elections
commenced taking testimony to-day in
the Cronin case.
Chadwick, secretary of state of Ore
gon, testified that the first intimation
he had of Watts being a postmaster
was after the election of last November.
Witness canvassed the vote of the state
in the name prescribed by law.
Nothing was said on that day about
Watts being ineligible. He did not
prepare the lists of electors voted for
with the vote Of each attached and
under the seal of the state, but the
governor prepared the lists. After
looking over the law on that subject, as
he and witness were in conversation,
he agreed to comply with the acts of
Congress aud the statutes of Oregon as
nearly as possible in the matter. He
said Cronin received the highest num-
Der of votes for elector on the Demo-
cratic ticket. The law of Oregon re-
quires the Secretary to canvass the vote
in the presence of the governor and
other state officers. On the day follow
ing the canvass the point as to whether
the governor had the right to appoint
Cronin instead of Watts as elector
was raised, as Watts was said to be
ineligible. There was a hearing on this
subject before the governor, and a pro-
test was read from Odel against Cro-
Minis appointment. On the 9TH inst,
a Mr.. Hodgkins called on witness and
he gave him certified lists of the electors
voted for, with the vote of each at
tached. On the day that the electoral
college met, witness went at IL O'Clock
to the room of their meeting and hand
ed the certificates to Cronin, who APP
peared at the door. Witness thought
that all the Republican and Democratic
electors were in the room at the time.
w. II. Odell testified that on the day
of meeting Of the electoral college he
went with Cart wright and Watts to
the secretary of state to procure certif-
Gates Of election, and was referred to
the governor, who stated that at II
O'Clock certificates would be given the
electors in the room of their meeting.
At the time specified the secretary OF
state handed an envelope through the
door to Oronin, who stood nearest it al
the time. Cronin took the paper from
the envelope and read that part of il
which certified that Cartwright, Odel
and Cronin were eligible and had beer
elected Presidential electors. Cart
wright went toward Cronin, wher
Cronin returned the paper to the en-
velope and put it in his coat pocket
and upon being requested by witness
and Cartwright to read the pape
through, he refused. He also declines
to give up the certificates of any Of tn
electors. The college was then organ
lied, witness chosen chairman ant
Cartwright secretary. As chairman o
the college, witness asked Cronin t
produce the certificates of electors TO
, the guidance of the college. He de
clined and Watts then rendered hi
resignation IS an e~lector, and it, wa
accepted. Ete /.
Cronin then said: "You refuse t
recognize me-"
Witness replied: mo sir, but W
want the certificates. You must no
: think that We will not act with yor
and you must go from here an
say we would not act with y0u."
Cronin then left the part of the ROOF
where the college was sitting, and tn
college then proceeded to cast it's vot'
Watts being elected to all the vacanc