The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-01-04
OREGON.

OREGON.
The Senate Committee on Privileges
and Elections commenced taking testimony
in Washington, on the Goth ult., in regard to
the Oregon case. Stephen Chadwick, Secre-
tary of State of Oregon, in reply to ques-
tions put by Senator Morton, Chairman of
the committee, testified that the firstintima-
ton he had of Wat S being Postmaster was
after the election, last November; witness
canvassed the vote of the State on the day
and in the manner prescribed by law, and
nothing was said that day about Watts being
ineligible for the office of Presidential Elec-
tor; witness did not prepare the lists of
Electors voted for with the vote of each at
tached, and under the seal of the State; the
Governor prepared the lists, after looking
up the law on that subject, as he and wit
ness, in conversation, agreed to comply with
the acts of Congress and the statutes of Ore
gon as nearly as possible in this matter;
witness gave to Mr.. Hodgkins a certified
list of the Electors voted for, with the vote
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 their certificates to Cronin, who
came to the door when witness knocked;
think all the Republican and Democratic
Electors were in the room at the time; there
were no arms or armed men in the Capitol
on the day the Electoral College met, to
witness knowledge. w. II. Odell, of Eu-
gene City, Ore, testified that, on the day of
the meeting of the Electoral College, The
went with Cartwright and Watts to the Sec
retary of State to procure certificates of
election, but wss referred to the
Governor, who stated that at twelve O'Clock
the certificates would be given to the Elect
ors in the room of their meeting; at the time
specified Chadwick, the Secretary OF State,
handed an envelope through the door to
Cronin, who stood near to 1t at the time;
Cronin took a paper from the envelope and
read that part of it which certified that
Cartwright, Odell and Cronin were eligible,
and had been elected Presidential Elec ors;
Cartwright went toward Cronin, when Crouin
returned the paper to the envelope, and
put il in his coat-pocket, and upon being re-
quested by the witness and Cartwright to read
the paper through, he refused he also decIin-
ed to give up the certificates of any of the
Electors; the college was organized, witness
was chosen Chairman and Cartwright Secre-
tary; as 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 as an Elector, and it was ac-
copied; Cronin then said: " You refuse to
recognize me?" Witness replied: No, sir;
but We want the certificates; you must not
think we will not act with you, and you
must never go from here and saw 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 to
arrest any one on the day when the Electoral
College met; he saw no armed men, but has
since heard that there were twenty in the
room near where the College met