New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-01-04
POLITICAL.
An Interview with the Vice President


Elect.
NEW YORK, January 3.-The Herald
prints a report of an interview with Hen.
William A. Wheeler, who has been stop.
ping in this city for q few days. In reply
TO the reporters remark, "You have un-
doubtedly read the statements that You are
hostile to q compromise with Governor
Tilden. by which he is to be
elected President by the House, and
you Vice President by the Senate"
Mr.. Wheeler responded: "Such PROPOSE
tions are necessarily absurd. How can
there be any compromised do not believe
that the suffrages of the American people
can be made the subject of dicker or bar.
ter. What right have any men to fOrestall
the constitutional settlement OF the ques-
tiOn by bargain, arrangement or cOmpro-
mlse-call it what you will{ As to my sub
mitting to serve under Governor 11lden's
presidency, if he is lawfully elected,
what could ! do but to submit oheerfully
and respectfully. / may have my indi-
vidual preferences, but if Governor Tilden
is lawfully summoned by the House to the
Presidency BY a failure of a count, and If
the Senate elects me Vice President, l
would, of course, yield to him that ready
and hearty allegiance with which every
American citizen should submit to the law
fully chosen President, be he who he may"
Mr.. Wheeler, however, said: 81 do not
conceal nv conviction that / have been
elected by the people. 1t is my
firm conviction that Congress can never
be constituted q national eanvassing or
returning board. The Congress can not
% behind the returns beyond the mere
question of the regularity of the certificates.
Understand me clearly, for it is point on
which would not like to be misunderstood.
The Congress can not investigate whether
Louisiana has gone for Tilden or Hayes.
The action of the Returning Board on
this point has been fnsl and conclusive,
and who decides as to the regularity
of the returns, Congress or the Vice
PRESIDENT This is question on
too freely. will not assume to say whose
function this is. The act of 1899, and the
subsequent acts on the subject, leave the
duty of eleeting the President entirely to
the States. The whole theory of the con-
stitution is that the people of the several
States, and not congressional board of
ma ional canvassers, elect the President.
Now, mind you, l have never seen the
certificates, and for all / know they
may all be irregular, and may have to be
rejected but ii / can trust the newspaper
reports that these certificates are regular
then can freely say that believe Gov
ernor Hayes to have been legally, honestly
and fairly elected by majority of the Elec-
tOral College. And how Is Congress to ar.
Governor of Oregon has certified Dem
OcratiO eleetor, and the House will probably
try to throw out the votes of Louisiana
and Floridai Is this loss to be off
set by throwing out Tilden's votes
from Alabama and Mississippi as is
now limited in some quartersa Mr..
| Wheeler's face assumed an expression of
contempt, which was a trustworthy guide
| to his views. "As / have already told YOU,
| / de not admit the right of either or both
| branches of Congress to canvas the votes.
The action of the State Returning or Can
| vassing Boards being final and conclusive,
and q majority Of the electors legally
chosen having voted for Governor Hayes,
i the only question before Congress is. Is
| that fact legally certified If il Is the cues
/ ton is settled. Aud the Oregon difficulty
/ how is that to be NETT 1t is not worthy oi
/ serious consideration. The face of CrOnin's
/ certificate shows that the three Repub
lican electors we're chosen by the people,
and two being majority they could legally
I'LL the vacancy by, the appointment o.
another. And Florida and louisiana
understand that Florida has been conceded
to the Democrats 90 far - the guber
material vote IA concerned. However, the
main fight viii be over louisiana. In
Louisiana, Il is my honest belief, that Il
there had been free and fair vote, unob
structed by intimidai Or fraud, th'
NSpHDllc4Ee AoNtu ~ tAlAltQ To,
ate by ct least 100. In the ivs
sbulldOzed parishes;' the registration
shows that these parishes belong 10 the Re
How do you arrive at that fact, Mr.
| Wheeleri"
why, everybody knows that in th,
South, and more particularly in Louis
iana. the blacks arc Republicans
Now, in these parishes the registration
shows that the blacks are 10 a great nm
merioa1 majority, and yet the Democrat
claim TO have carried them."
"The Democrats claim that you yOurael
"a a member Of the laat investigating CON
mittee have stigmatized the Louisiana r.
turning Board IS great raacAlsn
I Ne VVhaalar hroasae fhnHounf1u. |nr.tss.a,al