, 1877-02-11
MORE TO FOLLOW.
Namely, on the Road Taken
by the Florida Elect
oral Vote.
Such > a Result indicated by
Justice BradIey's Ar
gument.
The Electoral College the Sole
Judge of all Electors
Eligibility.
4 Curious. Medley Of Sound and
Sentiment from the
Tilden Camp.
Noticeable Prevalence of IT.
ritability Among Ex-
pectant DEM
Ocrats.
In Their Distressed Condition
Some Again Hint at
Revolution.
But The Majority are Inclined to Submit
to The Inevitable.
A Full History of the Watts Case,
Proving His Eligibility.
The louisiana Electors also
Prove Their Title
Clear.
Gov. Stearns an Improbable Wit
ness for Fields Com
mittee.
Gov. Stearns an Improbable Wit
ness for Fields Com
mittee.


h1Ch1NG.
PAsTME IN WHICH THE DEMOCRATS ARE IN
DULG1SG.
Special Dftpdtch to 1nt Tribune.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 10.-Thc crisis in
the Presidential question vas reached last night.
1t has not ret ended. The Democratic leaders
we're advised Of an expression OF opinion Of
Justice Bradley within the Tribunal from which
they infer that Bradley has formed conclusion
which will result in his voting against Tilden
IL both the Louisiana and Oregon cases. That
opinion is represented to have been expressed
in the form OF an obiter dicsuna in the Florida
cnse, in which lie is understood to
have said that the question of the eli
gibility of an Elector Is to be de-
tcrmincd by the Electoral College OF a
State. aud that If the question is not raised BY
the State authorities before the Electoral
yotc was cast, the United States Government Is
barred from making the inquiry. There is rea-
son to believe that Justice Bradley did ayow
such an opinion, II not In the set terms. It is
this ayowal which has created "
CONSERVATION IN DEMOCRATIC CIRCLES,
and rendered Democratic leaders desperate.
The fact was reported late last evening. There
we're two conferences of prominent Democrats
in session most OF tue evening. Speaker Randall,
Proctor Knott, and Lyndc Of Wisconsin, were
in ycry earnest consultation in the Speakers
room at the Capitol until nearly 10 o'clock. At
that hour messenger was dispatched bearing
package to the hotel where Pelton, Tllden's ad-
jutant, has his headquarters. TO this place
Speaker Randall and tho persons named soon
proceeded, and found there several Democratic
members of the Electoral Commission, the most
prominent Northern Democratic leaders, David
Dudley Field, and the principal counsel for TIL
den. Ostensibly the purpose Of the conference
was to determine upon the
DETAILS OF THE PROTEST
which WIS presented to-day against the approval
Of the award Of the Electoral tribunal iE the
Florida case. The real purpose OF the consul
tation was to consider the situation, and to see
whether any plan could be formed to defeat the
award Of tho Electoral tribunal, If it should be-
come certain that its Judgment would insure
the Inauguration Of Hayes. During the evening
several telcgra1ns were received from Ti1dcn
z,aking, it is said, very earnest inquiries as to
tic situation, and fnt!mating that
SOMETHING OUGHT TO BE DONE
to prevent the tribunal from giving its decision
IN favor OF Hayes, or Of defeating such decision
II 1t should be made.
Various plans are understood to have been
suggested by which the leading point could be
accomplished. The first was by filibustcring.
The language OF the Electoral law which cre-
atcd tbs tribunal would permit recess
to be taken until IL o'clock the succeeding day
whenever contest is made over any point as to
the counting Of the vote Of State. It was
even thought By some that It would be possible
to take ~
4 RECESS FROM DAT TO DAT,
and to prevent any action whatever until the
9TH Of March, when the House could declare
there had been no election, and could prt'~
claim Tildcn elected. Others denied that
the law could be SO construed, but maintained
that the Speaker could rule that recess could
be taken for every new objection, and as thu
9TH. Of March comes three weeks from to-mor~
row Sunday there are States enough yct to be
counted to entirely consume the time without
completing the Presidential count. Others sug-
gested that rather than assent to the election uf
Hayes the time to the ath Of March should be
consumed, and the chances taken Of
-. l. NEW ELECTION
in November under the law Of 11g5, viii, the
President ,pEo tenn. OF the Senate as acting
President One other p1au Was suggested, which
is reported to hare come from the fertile, in
gcnious, desperate criminal lawyer, Dudley
Field. That was that the Electoral Commission
should be broken up by securing the resignation
Of all the Democratic members. It would not
suffice that tho Democratic Judges, for such
most emphatica1ly Field and Clifford have
proved themselves to be, should resign The
Electoral law provides that in case Of tho death
Of either Of the Judges the remaining
Judges shall Immediately fill the vacaney
from the Judges of tho Supreme Court
There would remain two Judges, Swayne aud
q unit, who would be eligible, both Of whom are
Republicans The Democrats -
COULD GAIN NOTHING
from any such experiment, but II the Demo-
cratic members OF the Commission should all
resign, the House might absolutely refuse to
fiji their places or consume so much time in
d1ibustering, while osrensibly engaged in doing
this, as to completely nullIfy the operations Of
the Electoral act and the tribunal until Aarch