The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1877-03-01

The Enquirer of Saturday says:

The Enquirer of Saturday says:
The third act of the melancholy
farce of trundling a man into lhePres-
idency over.the fragments OF the Con-
stitution, over unregarted oaths, over
broken laws, over the rights OF ihuu-
sands of disfranchised men ani of
millions of people, over the ashes Ui
respect for the Supreme Court of the
land, that had been held in reyercLc :,
was put on the stage yesterday. IL
was performed IN strict adherence to
the programme. It was not the clos
ing act, but it was the climax. The
lawless, infamous work OF the Flee
toral Commission is now practically
completed. The vote of but one more
State will be submitted. not to its
judgment and decision, as the law
creating it comm1nds, but TO its par
tisanship. But one more opportunity
will be- presented to the Democratic
party TO play the seven spot on the
eight in what was promised to be an
impartial Tribunal. The mockery OF
presenting the vote of South Carolina
TO the consideration Will take place
tia; is all. Oregon has damned eight
men. 1t has crowned their abhOrrent
| record. Mr.. Justice Field adroitly
put them on record by the wording OF
the resolution he offered. 1t was this
'WnEREAs, j. w. Watts, designated
in certificate No. as Elector of the
State OF Oregon for President and
Vice President, on the day of election,
viz : the 7ih day of November, 1876,
held an Office of trust and profit under
the United States; therefore
'ResOiced. That said j. w. Watts
was then Ineligible to the office OF
+ { C or within the express terms OF
the G institution
That J. w. Watts was then ineligi.
bie' were the words of the resolution.
The fact of the holding of the Office at
that time was admitted. The Jan
guage OF the eConstitutioD, which they
were solennly sworn to obey in their
findings, j. that no prison holding All
office of trust or profit uuaer the
hited Staies shall be appointed ali
EiectOr.' While the Constitution eX-
piicitiy made Watts ineligible on tha,
day, no matter what he may have been
afterward, eight men under oath were
found to swear that he was eligible,
This was the most barefaced violation
of their Oaths OF which the detestable
CiSHt i"fe Otctt Suilty. lHct UluutlN y
swOre that the Constitution does not
say what it does say. This was "a
needless violation of their oaths, for
the eight-spot decided that il was not
s'eniial to show that an Elector was
eligible on the 7,h of November. Mr..
Bradley distinguished himself by an
nouici"g the theo' y TN 1t the Governor
had no authority tp pronounce upon
the eligibility of an Eiec,or; but Mr..
Bradley himself did have such author
ity, and how did e.use it! TheDem-
ocrats on the Commission manifesto d
.theif own disposition TO be non-parti-
san by uniting with the Republicans
in voting not to count the vote ot
Cronin, and this was refreshing, how
ever people may differ AS TO the law
in the premises. The fifteen voted to.
gether on one legal proposition.
1t only reInains now cor the Demo
Gratis OF the COngr IS ID determine
whether or not they will tamely sub
nit to the outrage upon free govern
ment, whose tullness they have now
seen. The Republican party has be
come the revolutionary party. Shall
ii be permitted to complete it's work
when il can be prcyented within the
law?