Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-03-08
THE ELECTORAL COUNT.

THE ELECTORAL COUNT.
The Electoral Commission reassemble
in secret session at 1920 a. m. on the 23d. an
| remained in consultation on the Oregon case fou
and half hours. At three o'clock, the discussi0
being concluded, and Senator Thurman not hay
ing been able to attend on account of Illness
recess was taken ami a committee appointed (
| learn from him whether he would come to tn
Capitol to vote or preferred that the Commissio1
should proceed to his residence and transac
their business there. The latter was his wish
ana ana tHe members o. The Commission p1oceedet
sono,Ss 70 Senator a.o T6nrman,s residence. TIL
/ remained during the entire session. TIL
COMMISSION was called to order and
vote was taken on the several proposition
| noied below. Mr.. Edmunds submitted resolu
tlCn, TO the effect that the certificate signed b.
Gfonln, Miller and Parker, purporting to cast th;
EtectotaI vote OF Oregon, does not cont ain Ger
t1y the Consttutl nal 70 es TO which the State il
entitled. Justice Field offered as substitute 6
/ re-oiution, declaring in substance that j. W
! Watts was ineligible, on the 7th OF November tC
the office OF Elector within the express terms Of
| the Constitution. This substitute was rejected
los. justice Field then offered resolution decar
ing that odell and Cartwright were the only per
sons CHOSEN as Electors in Oregon, Watts being
ineligible because he held an office of profit and
trnst under the United states, and that there was
fai ure on the part of the Stale to elect third
E!ector. 1hls was rejected-7 to s. Justice
tleld ofered a third resolution, declaring that
the ATTEMPTED selection of third ElectOr by
Odell and Cartwright was imperative. It was
rejected Dy the same vote7 to g. Mr. Bayard
offered solution, to the effect that the votes OF
Odell and Cartwright were the votes provided
| lot by the Constitution, and that they, and
Lney only, were the persons duly appointed
Electors rom Oregon, and that these votes and
none others should be counted, from the S ate of
oregon This resolution was also rejected to
g. MI Edmunds' original proposition was then
adopted-ayes, Is; noes, none. Mr. Morton. then
offered resolution that OdeIl, Cartwright and
Watts are the lawful Electors of the State of O.
ma that no xrnta iIol
Ior by the Constitution and should be counted for
President and Vice. President. Mr. Hunton moved
70 strlke out the name of Watts. Disagreed to-
toS; Mr.. Morton's resolution was then adopted
. 10 z. The decision and report of the Com
mis- ion was then drawn up and signed
Dy tne eignt members assenting thereto, in sub
stance as follows: "The Electoral Commission
having received certain certificates and papers
purpofting to be the certificates of the Electoral
votes OF the State of Oregon, and certain papers
accompanying the same and the objections there
to, report that it has duly considered the same
and has decided and does hereby decide that the
votes OF W. ii. Odell j. c. Cartwright and j. W.
Watts, the persons named in the Certificate of the
Sec etary of the State of Oregon as the persons
Dental Electors afe me Of votes far yPfEefi rs tie
coun ed as testified 10 in the certificate of said
Electors namely, three votes for Rutherford B.
HAYES of Ohio. for President, and three votes
for Wm A. Wheeler, for Vice-President." The
report further sets forth that the election
of Watts by the other two members of the
Elec oral College was III accordance with the
Constitution and laws of Oregon. The grounds
for this decision. far they concern the elgi-
blity of Watts are subs tantially that it is COM
petent to 90 behind the certificate of Governor
SO far as the same is not founded upon the action
of the celvassing or returning authority provided
for by the laws of the State, which authority in
the case of Oregon is held to be the Secre ary OF
State The rep TT also takes the ground that 1t Is
not essential TO show that an Elector was eligible
on the nth of November, provided it be shown
that he was eligible when he cast bis vote in the
Electoral Col ege and the fact appears that the
alleged ineligible Elector, Watts, was chosen to
fill the vacancy caused by his own absence from
the Electoral College, and that he was not incl
igible at the time he cast his vote. The Commis-
sion thereupon adj urred to meet in the Supreme
Court room at noon on the tn.
The two houses of Congress met in
Joint Convention at noon on the oath, and the
decision of the Electoral Commission on the Ore
gon question was read. The Presiding Officer
asked If there were any objections to the decision.
Senator Kelly objected on the grounds: First.
that Watts was not elected; second, that he was
not appointed; third, that he was disgual-
or be ause he held an office of profit
and trust under the United States; fourth,
that Cronin was elected and cast the
legal vote for Tilden, and that his vote
sh )uld be so counted. There being no further
objection, the Senate withdrew to its chamber
They reassembled subsequently and counted he
vote Of Oregon for Hayes. When the certificates
of Penns glvania were read obiec1 n was offered
to the vote of Mr.. Morrill,, and he Senate retired
Without discussing the question, the House
took a recess until the 26th
The Senate, on the Goth, oyerruled the
objections in the Pennsylvania case. In the
House, an exciting discussion arose. at the con-
clusion of which It was vo' ed-155 to 119-that
Briggs vote ought not to be counted At 3:15 the
Senate entered che hall of the House of Represen-
tatives, and both houses went into Joint session.
The Presiding officer, after the action of each
house had been STATED, directed the announcement
TO be made, and the vote of Pennsylvania was
Wheeler Rhode
IslaGd was reached, objections were made 10
the vote of VIM. S. Slater, one of the
Elec' ors, on the ground that his appointment was
unconstitutional and void. The Senate retired
and overruled the objections, and the House also
overrued them. AT SIX O'Clock the Senate re-en.
tered the ci amber and the vote of Rhode Island
was afs er the usual form aity, counted for Hayes
and Wheeler. The certificates from South Caro-
lima were next read, and objections tc
the Republican certificate were presented
by Mr.. Cochrane, and objections to the Demo
cratic cei tificate by Senator Patterson. The OBJ
jec ions having been read, the Presiding Officer
| announced their reference to the Elect raj Com
mission, and the Senae retired The House tool
recess until the following morning. The Elec
taral Commission sreassembled after tbs
| two houses had separated. All the member:
were present, Dir. Herman, successor tt
| Senator Thurman, taking his seat for th'
first time. The papers referred to th'
| Commission by the two houses in joint session
were read by the Secretary. In r sponse 10 th
inquiry as to who appeared as objectors, Mr.. Hurt
| announced that Mr.. Cochrane and himself woult
| renee said that Senator Christiancy and himsel
/ would appear for the objectors TO certii
| cate No. 2 Senator Christiancy said h
appeared for the objectors. but they did no
| propose TO occupy the whole time allowed them
| In response TO another inquiry as 10 who woul
| appear as counsel, Mr.. Hurd said he was not pre-
4 pared to state at that time, but would announc
| the counsel TO the Commission next morning Mr
| Matthews stated that Mr.. Shellaharger and him
sell lfwould appear in favor of certificate No. /. TIL
commission then adjourned to the 9th.
The Electoral Commission met on tn
| 27th at ten a. m. Mr.. Hurd stated that no couI
sci would appear for the objectors to the Republ
can certificate. and then submitted his reason
why that certificate should be rejected. Judg
| Black and Mr. Blair at this point volunteered t
appear as counsel for The objec to the hepubl
cen certificate. Mr.. Hurd followed by Nj
Cochrane M>behalf of the Democrats, chargin
disfranchisement of sc, 600 voters through lack c
registration and the presence Of troops, whic
| prevented free election. Mr.. lawrence, for th
Republicans claimed that a want of registratio
did not affect the election; insisted that the forI
of government in South Carolina was republican
and characterized the statement that troops ha
been sent thither to inuimidate Electors as uutru,
Wnen Mr. Lawrence had concluded, Senate
Christiancy waving his right TO be heard as a
objector Mr. Blair addressed the Commission
offering to prove that, owing to the presence
| | troops there was and could be no full and ia
election. At the conclusion OF Mr.. Blar's RI
marks. Judge Lawrence said the Republics
| counsel. in view of the brrv1ty OF the time, ha
| concluded TO submit he case without a-gumen
The concluding argument for the Democrats w,
| made by Judge Black, after which the ComInf
sion went into secret session, and SO remaine
until seven D. N. Al six clock the voting b
/ | gan Mr. Morton offered resolution deciariI
r the offers TO prove that Soata Carolina did u