The Portland daily press., 1877-02-19
The Oregon Case.

CduuiuaCe auu Iue party WOulu refuse 10 pIOnb
by the Oregon trick. Some said that honest
men could not take advantage of the scandal
GUS ruling by which a certificate was given to
Cronin. That is true, and the inference to
be drawn from the present conduct of Demo-
Gratis is net fattering to them. Democratic
virtue has not strength enough to resist two
months temptation, and to-day the Demo-
Gratis are eager in their effort to elect Tilden
President by the Oregon vote. All their
scruples have vanished. As soon as it came
to question between honesty and opportun-
ity for public plunder honesty went to the
wall-the Democratic party would have none
of it.
But there is no reason to believe that the
friends of Mr.. Tilden can win the case for
him by means of the Grover certificate to
Cronin. There is no doubt that Watts was
ineligible at the time of the election. But
the assumption of the Governor that this
fact elected the Democratic candidate is not
tenable. The Governor has no right to pass
upon the question of eligibility. Further
more it has been clearly established that the
ineligibility of a majority candidate does not
elect the minority candidate. As for the
Governors certificate, that bears the same
relation to the determination of the canvass
ing officer as the certificate of the clerk to
the judgment of court, and go presents no
difficulty. The truth is that only two elect
ors we're legally chosen. Such condition
the law of Oregon fully provides for, pro-
vision which effectually disposes of the Dem
occatic case. 1t provides that eff there should
be any vacancy in the Office Of an elector,
occasioned by death, refusal to act, neglect to
attend, or otherwise, the electors present shall
Immediately proceed to fill, by uiua uoce and
plurality of votes, such vacancy in the Elect
oral College," This covers the whole diff
Guilty. 1t empowers the electors to fill the
vacancy, no matter how it occurred If
Watts was not elected, there was vacancy
which the College legally filled. If he was
elected but disqualified from acting, he re-
signed and thus created vacancy to which
he was elected by the College after the dis
qualification had been removed. In either
view it is clear case.
The claim that because Watts was ineligi-
BILE there was no election and therefore no
vacancy to fill is too absurd to be taken into
serious consideration. Oregon is entitled to
three electors. If but two were present in
the college there was one place to be filled,
and it was filled by the two electors accord
ing to the forms of law.
The conspiracy to obtain the Cronin certi-
ficate has been fully exposed by the publica-
ton OF the Oregon dispatches. Senator Kel-
ly, the man Patrick, Governor Grover, and
Mr.. Tilden himself conspired to buy Re-
publican elector who would recognize Cronin.
Patrick, Tidens agent, needed money for
the purposes of corruption, and to prevent
delay Kelley advanced the money. The
scheme only failed because no Republican
eector was purchasable, and the conspirators
were obliged to fall back upon Cronin and his
bogus college. The kilograms tell the story
SO completely that the most obtnse will ask
no further evidence. On the 29th of Novem-
ber Patrick and Senator Kelly telegraphed
directly to Mr.. Tilden's home, No. Is Gram
WY L alhs 4NCW LOAh, a. iOlOW6s
Certificate will be issued to one Democrat
act scith Democrat, and secure vote and prevent
trouble. Deposit 1000 to my credit with Kounize
Brothers Wall street. Answer.
On the 30th similar telegram was sent
also to Mr.. Tiden's home. On the first of
December telegram was sent from New
York to Patrick wanting to know if the gov
erncr could not convene an extra session OF
the legislature, to choose an elector, in order
to defeat the will Of the people of the state as
expressed at the polls. No signature was at
tached to this message, but on the second of
December "K for P" (Kelly for Patrlck)
sends reply to Mr.. Tilden's home:-
Impossible to convene legislature. P. left before
telegraph arrived. Can't draw the deposit,
Charles DimoHd, one hundred and fifteen Liberty
street, order Bush and Ladd, Sa loon. Must have i
Monday.
The next day, (Dec. 3d. ''K." (undoubt.
ely Kelly telegraphed more urgently to No.
Is Gramarcy Park
'T have to borrow money on my ndivi dual re
sponsibility, in trust you can replace it,
To this ON the same day the reply wen
back from New York over the wires to Sena
tor Kelly
Telegraph Hemlock 60 ahead. You shall be re
im6urSed. DO not fail. Alt important. Advis
progress.
On the 5th of December another dispatch
from Oregon to Mr.. Tilden's home says:
Can't you deposit the eight Charles Dimond sub
ject the order Ladd and Bush Salem. Can't ge
money here. Must have 1t Wednesday. Telegraph
me Salem
Meantime the Tilden managers, with thu
hope of covering their tracks, had arranged
that the money should be transferred by wa.
OF San Francisco, and the 9th of Decembe
the final cipher dispatch went from the latte
| city to Senator Kelly:
The eight deposited as directed, this morning
Let no techntcdtity prevent ginning Use your dis
cretion.
| So disgraceful transaction has never be
fore been known in the history of the repuh
lie. The men and the party countenancn
it have forfeited the respect of the nation. ]
is striking Illustration of the low tone {
morality in the Democratic party that n
| Democratic leaders and no Democratic joul
nails have word of condemnation of th
conspiracy. Yhey all regard it as justifiabl
political expedient.
THE people Of India are so notoriousl
superstitious that the English Government