Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-11
OREGON.
OlhETON.
e Senate Committee on Privileges

The Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections commenced taking testimony in
Washington on the 29th ult., in regard to the Ore
gon case. Stephen Chadwick, Secretary of State
of Oregon, in reply to questions put by Senator
Morton, Chairman of the committee, testified that
the first intimation he had of Watts being a
Postmaster after the election, last November; !;
witness canyassed the vote of the State on
the day and in the manner prescribed by law,
and nothing said that day about Watts
being ineligible for the office of Preslden-
tial Elector; witness did not prepare the lists of
Electors voted for with the vote of each attached
and under the seal of the State; the Governor
prepared the lists, after looking up the law on
that subject, he and witness in conversation
agreed to comply with the acts of Congress and
the statutes OF oregon as nearly as possible IN
this matter; witness gave TO Mr.. Hodgkins a
certified list of the Electors voted for, with the
votes of each attached; on the day that the Elec-
toral College met witness went at twelve O'Clock
to the room of their meeting and handed the GER
tiiCates to Cr0nin. who came to the door when
witness knocked thinks all the Republican and
Democratic Electors We're III the room at the time
there were arms armed men in the Capitol
on the day the Electoral College met, to witness
knowledge. w. q. Odell, of Eugene City. Oregon,
testified tnat on the day of the meeting of the
Electoral College, he went with Cartwright and
Watts to the Secretary of State to procure certlf
Gates of election, but was referred 10 the Gov
ernOr, who stated that at twelve O'Clock the GER
tiicates would be given to the Electors in the
room of their meeting; at the time specified,
Chadwick, the Secretary of State, handed an
near TO lt at the time; Cronin took paper from
the envelope and read that part of it which cerIi-
fed that Cartwright, Odell and Cropin were
eligible and had been elected Presidential
Electors; Cartwright went towards CTonin, when
Cronin returned the paper to the envelope, and
put ii in his coat-pocket, and, upon being request
ed by the witness and Cartwright to read the paper
through. he refused; he also declined TO give up
the certificates of any Of the Electors; the Col
lege was organized, witness was chosen Chair
man and Cartwright Secretary: Chairman of
the College, witness asked Cronin to produce
the certificates of the Electors for the guidance
OF the College; he declined to do so; Watts
then rendered his resignation an ElectOr, and
it was accepted; Cronln then said: You refuse
to recognize me?h Witness replied: mo, sir;
but we want the certificates; you must not
think we will not act with you, and you
must 90 from here and say that we would
not act with you;" Cronin then left the part
of the room where the College was sitting, and
the College then proceeded TO cast the vote
Watts being elected to fill the vacancy in the
Electoral College by his own resignation; witness
heard of no purpose 20 arrest anyone on the day
when the Electoral College met; he saw no arm
cd men, but has since heard that there were
twenty in the room near where the College met.
W. H. OdeH testified on the Both ult
& 6F The The SgPg 0f th had s556S Sd M
eral times, Cronin replied that they might
as well understand, first as last, that he
would not give them; witness regarded
G onin as an impostor, and the action of Gov
Grover in issuing certificate to Cronin out
rage and a nasty business. JOhu G. Cartwright, a
Republican ElectOr cOTrObOrated Mr.. Oden. DR. j.
w. Watts gave detailed account of his going to
the Secretary of State with Cartwright and Odell
to get the certificates, and also OF the meeting of
the Electors. His testimony did not differ from
the statements of Odell and Cartwright The
postoffce he resigned was worth from $40 to
$500 per year He never knew that he was in
eligible until after the election.
e. A. CrOnin, the Democratic ElectOr,
testified, on the Sd, that he had not made any ar
rangements with any person or persons whereby
the Electoral certificates were to be handed to
him by the Secretary of State; he was convinced
he was lawfully appointed to replace DR.. Watts,
and he put the certificates in his pocket because
he afraid they would be taken from him by
Odell and others; he had refused to come to
Washington as messenger of the Electoral College
unless he should receive s., 600 for expenses
and the money w as furnished him; it was raised,
he supposed. by subscription among Oregon
Democrats; witness knows man named Patrick,
who lives at Omaha; said Patrick had said to him
(witness) thai . if Tden is elected President he
viii give you anything you want;'' he Informed
Patrick that if he (Patrickl acquainted with
Tlden he might tell him that he had nothing to
give which he (CrOnin) wanted; witness little
angry at Patrick for talking in such a manner;
Patrick said nothing about money in his inter
view with witness; he (Witness) did say at first
that he would not act as Elector if a certif-
cate was given him, but changed his mind after
looking up the law and after hearing of the &C
tions of the South Carolina, Florida and Louisiana
Returning Boards. William NJ TGrner, Manager
of the Western Union Telegraph office, at jack
sonville, Oregon was next examined by Senator
relating to kilograms sent from received at that
office