River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1877-03-01
The Presidential Tribunal.


and the House having refused to do so, the
vote OF Louisiana was counted for
Hayes. The vote then proceeded
and Maine and Massachusetts, were recorded
for Hayes and Maryland for Tilden. When
Michigan was called the Democrats inter-
posed objections TO the vote OF Daniel L.
Crossman, one OF the electors, declaring that
one Benton Hanchett, having been elected
one of the electors for the State of Michigan,
and having held and still holding the Office OF
United States Commissioner, had absented
himself from the meeting of electors ON the
9th OF December, and that his place had been
filed by the other electors. The objection
claims that the TACT that Hanchett absented
himself from the meeting did not create a va
cancy, and therefore that said Cross
man had not been duly appointed elector.
The two Houses then separated TO
consider the objection and after considerable
debate both hoHses agreed TO count eros S
mans vote. The joint session and count was
then resumed.
Then followed the State OF Minnesota with
FIVE votes for Hayes and Wheeler /; Mississippi,
with eight votes for Tilden and Hendricks
Miss uri, with 10 votes for Tilden and Hen
dric ks; Nebraska, with three votes for Hayes
and Wheeler, and Nevada with three votes Tor
Hayes and Wheeler.
Mr.. Springer objected TO the count Of one
of the three votes of Nevada, on the ground
that an elector, z. NJ. Daggett, was at the time
Oh his anu tOT u long pre-
viously, and thereafter continued to be a
United States Commissioner for the Circuit
andsdistrict Courts of the United States IN
the District of Nevada. The objection il
| signed by Messrs Springer, Tucker, Vance,
OF Ohio, Sparks, Savage, Marsh and jerks,
| Republicans, and by Senators Barnum, Wal
lace and Hereford.
The two houses then again separated. The
| Senate promptly voted TO count Nevada in
| spite of the objection but the House took a
recess until the next day and the count fol
| the day ended.
The House, on the Dist inst. voted
not to sustain the objections to Nevada and
| the Joint Convention again assembled and
Nevada was counted for Hayes and Wheeler,
Then followed in succession the States o.
| New Hampshire, with five votes for Hayes and
| Wheeler; New Jersey, nine votes for Tilden
and Hendricks; New York, 50 votes for Til
den and Hendricks; Ohio, % votes for Hayes
| and Wheeler.
The presiding officer now opened and hand
| ed to the tellers the certificates received from
Oregon. The first was read by Mr.. Stone and
/ proved to be the sworn certificates OF the
three Hayes electors, Cartright, Odell and
| Watts, executed before notary public
| The papers contain q full statement OF the do
| ings OF the three electors the resignation o
| Watts as postmaster; his subse Iuent choice
| by the other two electors the original ballot
| cast by the three electors, &c. They were
read in full, and the presiding officer ther
| handed to the tellers the certificates of the
three rival electors, Cronin, Miller, and Park
| er, authenticated by the signatures OF the
Governor and Secretary OF State, with the
seal OF the State attached. This certificate
| gives two votes to Hayes and Wheeler anC
one vote to Tilden and Hendricks. Senator
Mitchell presented objections to the certificate
of CrOnin, Miller, ana Parker, ON the follow
| ing grounds:
First. Because neither OF said persons wer'
ever appointed by the State OF Oregon In an.
manner whatrver.
Second. 1t appears from the records ant
! papers contained in and attached to the Ger
tiicates of w. II Odell, J. c. Cartwright ant
John w. Watts, that they were duly ap
pointed electors and cast their votes as such
Third. Because it does not appear iron
| the face OF Gov. Growers certificate attaches
| to the returns of the votes of Cronin, Mile
| and Parker, that such certificate was issue
TO the three persons having the highest mum
| Der of votes tor electors but was issued b.
him to persons whom he deemed eligible
though one OF them, E. A. Cronin, was no
appointed thereto according to the laws OF tn
land.
Fourth, Because it appears from the cert
| ficate OF $. +. Chadwick, Secretary OF State
that Odell, Cartwright and j. w. Watts re
ceived the highest number OF votes, and tina
| therefore the certificate OF the Governor, IN s.
| far as it omitted to certify the name of J. w
| Watts as one of the electors appointed; anC
in so far as suOh certificate contained thu
name of L. A. Cronin as one OF the elector
| appointed fails to conform to act OF Congress
III such case made and provided, and to thu
laws OF Oregon; and that such certificate is a
/ to said CrOnin without authority ard of IL
| effect.
Senators Kelly, Bogy, Mcdonald, Steven
son and Cooper, and Representatives Field
Tucker, Lane, jerks, Walling, Clymer, Wig
| CLINTON pDfgplpfOy Vance az Ohio Hurd auC
| Luttrell, object to the counting OF the votes
cast by Cartwright, Odell and Watts. The
| grounds OF the objections are:
First-The papes purporting to be certif
| Gates OF the electoral votes of Oregon have no
annexed to them the certificate of the Govern
or of Oregon, as required to be made and an.
nexed by section 1856 and 1873 United State:
/ Revised Statutes.
Second-The papers have not annexed t.
| them the list OF the names ofCartwright, Odel
and Watts as electors, to which the seal o
/ the State of Oregon was affixed by the Score.
tary Of State and signed by the Governor and
Secretary, as required by section 60 OF chap
| ter 60 OF the general laws OF Oregon.
| Third-1t was the right and duty OF the
/ Governor OF Oregon, under the laws OF thai
State, to give the certificates OF election or ap'
pOintment as electors to John G.. Cartwright
VIM. Odell aud b. A. Cronin, they being the
| three persons capable of being appointed
| Presidential electors who received the highes
number of votes at he election held in Ore
| gon Nov. z, 1876.
Fourth-Cartwright and Odell had no right
| or authority in law to appoint Watts to bt
elector Dec. g., 1876. as there was no vacancy
| in the Office OF Presidential elector on thai
| day.
fifth-Cartwright and Odell had no right
or authority in law to appoint Watts an ell.
ector Dec. 6, 1876, inasmuch as they did not
on that day, compose or form part OF the
electoral college OF Oregon as by laws consti
| tuted.
Sixth-Cartwright and Odell had no author.
| ity to appoint Watts an elector Dec. 6, 1876
because on that day Watts was still pOstmas-
| ter of Lafayette, Oregon, and was still or
that day holding said Office of trust and pro-
| fit.
Seventh-Watts, who claims to be an elec-
| tor in the above described certificates, was in
February, 1878, appointed postmaster at La
iayette, Oregon, and was duly commissioned
| and qualified as such postm 1ster, that being
an Office OF trust and profit nder the laws o.
| the United States, and continued to be and
act as such postmaster from February, 1873,
until after November Is, 1876, and WAS acting
as such postmaster on November 9TH, 1876,
when the Presidential electors were appointed
by the State of Oregon, and that he was ineli'
| gible to be appointed as one Of the said Pres
idential electors.
| Eighth-When the Governor OF Oregon
caused the list of names of electors OF the
| State to be made and certified, such lists did
not contain the name of said Watts, but did
| contain the names of Cartwright, Odell and
| Cronin, who were duly appointed electors o.
| President and Vice President of the United
States in the State OF Oregon, November q
| 1876.
All the objections to the Oregon certificates
having been presented, they were referred L
the electoral commission and the Senate re.
| tired to its own chamber.
| The electoral commission Immediately assem-
bled and Senator Kelly, Representative jerks
and Judge Hoodley argued for the Democrats
against counting Watts vote, and Senator
| Mitchell, and Representative Lawrence in be.
half OF the Republicans in favor oireceiving it
| The argument was continued on the odd.
L rhn ,r-rr,,rr, In Ahn Ar.nnnnn nncf