The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-02-24
THE PRESIDENTIAL COUNT.

In urlast we left the Odd Man Commission
in the midst OF the controversy over Louisi'
ana On Friday evening the commission
reochod The conclusion to receive no evidence
Of apy sort except the electoral certlflca'es-
~, evidence of the illegal constitution OF the
returning board, Of It's glazing frauds, or IN
regard to the ineligibillty OF any electors.
OF course this ended the case, and there was
netting for the commission to do but to de-
clare that the Hayes electors were lawfully
appointed. AS to the Ineligible electors, the
commission made the outrageous decision,
condemned by every precedent in the judi
cial annals of Europe and America, that II
made no difference whether the elector was
eligible or not on the day of the election il
the disability was removed when he cast the
vote. But even that did not cover the case OF
one of the Louisiana electors, who still holds
his government office,
On Saturday the commission made known
its decision to the two houses OF congress,
but instead Of proceeding at once TO act upon
III.
At II O'Clock Monday the two houses met
in convention to consider the decision of the
commission, OF course they disagreed and
separated, when each had two hours to de
bate and decide. The senate did its two
hours talking and by vote of Al TO % APP
proved the finding Of the commission. The
House adjourned to Tuesday, preferring to
sleep on it another night. But on Tuesday
the talk was opened promptly at 10 O'Clock,
and 1t is needless to say the speeches were
anything but complimentary to the commits
sion. Among others who repudiated the find
ing, and denounced the hideous frauds
which it endorsed, lcgalized and made etfec'
tive, were representativeslSeelye and Pierce
republicans from Massachusetts, The vote
on rejecting the decision Of the commission
stood l72 to 90, all the independents and sew
era republicans voting with the democrats
\ As both houses, however, did not reject the
finding of the commission, II stands, and
when, on Tuesday afternoon, the two houses
again met in the representative hall TO proceed
with the count, Louisiana was counted iol
Hayes AS other states were now called, sew
eral objections were interposed as TO lnellgi
BILE electors. One was objected to from
Michigan and overruled; then Nevada was
objected to and also overruled the two
houses separating each time to vote separate
ly on the objections. Finally the coun
reached Oregon, where two certificates were
presented; upon which, under the new cleo
toral law, the papers were referred to the
Joint commission, and the houses separated
to await its decision.
| The Joint commission re.assembcd at
O'Clock Wednesday and took up the Oregon
case, and although every point it involves
was virtually decided in the Louisiana case
it was decided to argue the case at full length
Senator Kelly, OF Oregon, and representative
jerks presented the objections to the Haye!
certificate, and Mitchell and Lawrence to the
Grover certificate, each occupying TWO hours
ed to Thursday.
On Thursday the case was argued for tht
Hayes side by Stanley Mathews and w. NJ
Evarts; and for the Tilden side by Mr. Mer
rick. Then the commission went Into secre
session, continuing there until 10 o'clock 8
night, but coming TO no decision, adjourned
to 10 o'clock yesterday. Doubtless we could
buy dispatch this friday evening, givinl
their decision, but as we already know wha
it will be, the outlay would be waste o
money.
p 5. The dispatch has come The com
mission decided by the usual vote OF to Z
to count the votes OF Oregon for Hayes.