The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-12-09
OREGON TO THE RESCUE!

| nC WDtlC COuuuJ was
patch from Oregon on Wednesday night that
one of the electoral votes OF that state had
been cast for Tildeu, thus giving hlM the one
vote needed for a clear majority Of all the
electors Subsequent dispatches confirm the
report and explain how the matter was
brought about. 1t was well known that one
of the candidates on the republican electoral
ticket in that state, -Watts-was postnas-
ter, and therefore ineligible. In Vermont,
where like difficulty had occurred, the mat.
ter was smoothed over by the postmaster Ie-
signing botn his Office Of elector and post.
master after the vote had been can
vassed and the certificates issued to the cleo
tors, and there being then q vacancy in the
electoral college, the other electors, under a
law OF the state, filled the vacancy by reap
pointing the postmaster whose disability
was now removed. But in Oregon there was
happily democratic Governor and a demo.
cratic returning board, and different, though
certainly no less legal course was pursued
The returning board deciding correctly that
The votes cast for Watts were, as the conslIu-
ton of the United States says, void" threw
them out, and gave the election to the three
next highest candidates, among whom hap
pened to be one CrOnln, who ran on the Til
den ticket The returning board having duly
certified the election of these three to the
Governor, the certificate Of their election was
made ont by that officer in due form and plac.
ed IN the hands Of Mr.. Croniu. The two re
publican electors refusing to act with him,
he withheld their certificates and appointed
two other republicans as electors, as the laws
Of Oregon required him TO do, and the three
thus constituting the only legal electoral col.
lcge of the state, cast the Vote for Hayes
and one for Tilden.
1t is true the three other republican cleo
tors subsequently met, and accepting the re-
-ignaion of Mr.. Watts, re appointed him on
the Vermont plan, and then pretended to-
cast the three electoral votes Of Oregon for
Hayes; but there is this insurmountablc diff
icuty in the way Of the legality of their &C.
non, that they had no voucher of their cleo.
ton from the returning board, and no certlii
cate from the Governor
Hence the question arises, which-the re-
turn of the Cronin electors, or of the Watts
electors the President Of the United
States Senate open and count?
Doubtless two different sealed packages of
the electoral vote OF Oregon will be placed in
his hands, and from these he may choose
one to lay before the Senate. Which will
that be--the Cronin or the Watts return 2
The law of Congress on the subject prescribes
certain insignia by which the President of
Senate must be guided in his choice The
returns Of the electoral vote of every state, to
be regular, must meet several indispensable
requisites:
/. They must be accompanied by the
Governors certificate to the appointment of
the electors.
. A certificate of the Governor TO the
regularity of the return, &c.
OF course the Watts electoral return can 90
to Washington with no such certificates, and
the President of the Senate, being Il purely
ministerial officer, will not dare to present TO
the senate any return from Oregon that is not
duly certified by the Governor, as the law of
congress requires.
The action Of the Governor and returning
board of Oregon will have at least this ex
'eIlent ciiect,-lt will compel the republican
leaders to come down from the high horse on
which they had perched themselves, that no
returns can be opened by the President of the
senate except such as have the sanction of the
state returning boards and are duly certified
by the Governor. If the return from Oregon
Fan be challenged, so can that from l,ou,si.
ana, South Carolina or Florida and II the de- I
,islon of the Oregon returning board is 10 be
mpcachcd, SO can that be of the returning
board of Louisiana, South Carolina or Flori.
In. Whether the rcton Of the Executive of
oregon shall result in the election of Tildcn
'r not, he at least deserves the thanks of the
country for his courage in taking a step
which will compel congress TO recognize a
IN connection with It's power over
o electoral returns, upon which il had al
Ways heretofore acted, hut which, for the sole
eason that it worked to the dis advantage oftheI
epubllcan party, the members of that party
II congress had determined 10 ignore.
-
THE MESSAGE. T.
We give the last annual message of PrcsI- d
lent Grant on the 9th page. 1t has the merit
If b,ing short, but otherwise is a tame, dull,
prtless document The President annln