Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-06-28
WHEW! HEWITl!.

W ILL w " \ l. L.
4bran.s Reply to Henry JYatterso,s---Ihe
ADDRESS He had Prepared. but Witch
Never Satc the LiDht---A Labored Ttnds-
catton Of HIS Course in the Presidential
Contest.
New YORK, June 21, 1878.
To the Editor Of the Sun:
Leaving you to reconcile with your sense
of propriety the publication of such state
mants, not supported by any evidence, as
you represent to have been made by Henry
Watterson in regard to me personally, and
my connection with the late Presidential
election, it seems proper for me to say that
ever since I refused to listen to his insane
and ridiculous proposition to call out $780,
600 men, in order to put MIR. Tilden into
the White House, he has never ceased to
misrepresent my declarations, purposes, and
action with maignlty which he scarcely
seeks to disguise. Hitherto have been 81
lent, because his statements have been too
vague to require denial. Now, however, he
begins to descend to particulars. He
has persistently accused me of sup
pressing telegram from Cover
uOI luutu LII IeBd1u ~ I1O 0iOO.
toral commission, whereas the fact is that
never received from Gov. Tilden telegram
Oh that or any other subject after the meet
ing of Congress in 1876, and Gov. Tilden
has assured me that he never sent telegram
to me, so that Mr.. Watterson cannot even
Justify bis assertion by the poor excuse that
it may have been miscarried. did, how
ever, receive some kilograms from MIR. Cooper,
which ho1 tn, ho1iouo xUQr
by Mr.. Tilden, but no one of these was ever
who had a right to know their contents.
In the account of the interview with him
which you publish, he makes another state
ment, which, perhaps, 1t is well to contradict,
because it enables me not only to prove that
place my true position, SO much misunder-
stood and so malicionsly misinterpreted,
before the public. Waterson says of
me "Why, he wanted to issue
an address early III December, 1876, resting
our vote upon the return of Oregon, and a
few of us had time in suppressing him. =
given to the public. So far from "resting
our vote on the return of Oregon it does
precisely the opposite, and rests the Demo
cratic case upon the will Of the people, upon
substantial Justice, and not upon TECHNICAL
ties Of any kind. Mr.. Watterson has no ex-
cuse for misrepresenting it, for he heard it
read; but he had nothing to do with sup
pressing it, because he was not a member of
the national committee, whose executive
committee decided against my will and pro-
test) to issue merely brief announcement,
claiming the election of Tilden and Hen
@Io 1oi,
grounds whatever. This, in my Judgment,
was blunder. and at this distance we can
the wisdom of the address which I
prepared, as follows:
70 The People Of the United Suites: Pursuant
to the provisions of the constitution. the
electoral colleges met in the several States on
the first Wednesday Of December and cast 1863
votes for President and Vice President. Of
this number, Samuel J. Tilden and Thomas a.
Hendricks each received 1876 votes, while Ruth
erford 3. Hayes and William A. Wheeler each
received 1874 votes. On the face of the returns,
therefore, already made public, but not yet
officially counted by the two Houses Of Con-
gress, as required by the constitution, Samuel
j. Tilden is elected President, and Thomas A..
Hendricks Vice President, CT the United States.
Included, however, in the 1874 votes counted
for Hayes and Wheeler, are seven votes from
South Carolina, four votes from Florida, and
tlSut VOLcS lIOM NulC1l, LII Jul
Judgment. belong to and of right should have
been cast for Tildcn and Hendricks, and III the
votes counted for Tilden and Hendricks is one
vote for Oregon, cast by an eector who, while
he did not receive ma iority oi
the votes Of the people OF that State, did re-
ceive the certificate of election from the Gov
ernor in accordance with the law Of Oregon,
because the candidate who received the ma or-
ity of the votes was ineligible by reason of the
provisions of the constitution of the United
States. Assuming therefore, that the inten-
tion of the people, rather than the fraudulent
returns in the three Southern States, and the
provision Of the law i'll the Pacific State,
should be respected in the final count by the
two Houses Of Congress. Tilden and Hendricks
will be declared elected by 203 votes cast for
them, against 1G6 votes cast for Hayes and
Wheeler. In either view of the case. therefore,
whether it be decided to make the count on
the face of the certificates, or according to
the real intention and actual vote of the peo-
tional committee feel that they are justified
in claiming the election Of Tildcn and Hen.
bricks, in accordance with the strict pro-
Wis ions Of the law, happily ratified and con.
frmed, not only by majority Of all the States
but by large majority of the popular vote Of
the whole nation.
The committee have reason however, to ap
prehend that an attempt will be made, in plain
violation Of the provisions Of the constitution
and of the expressed will of the people, SO tc
pervert the final counting of the votes by the
two Houses Of Congress as to reject the one
vote of Oregon cast for Tilden and Hendricks
on the plea that it does not express the voice OF
the people of the State, and to count for Hayes
and Wheeler the votes of South Carolina, Flori
da and Louisiana, on the plea that it is not
competent to go behind the official returns
duly certified in accordance with the provisions
of law. The inconsistency Of this position
however it may be disguised, is too obvious te
deceive the people, who to use a phrase homel,
indeed but more expressive than whole vol
ume Of rhetoric, believe that it is "a poor rule
that will not work both ways"
So far as the committee is concerned repre-
sentlng the great national party which put
Tilden and Hendricks in nomination, we DE-
not hesitate to declare our conviction and posi-
ton in favor of the doctrine of substantial jus
tice, and of giving effect to the real will of the
people. We believe that the returns sent to tn.
Vice President can and should be inquired into
We believe that only genuine and not false o
fraudulent votes should be counted, and. t,
quote the words of President Lincoln, tina
1.-THE two Houses Of Congress, convened unde
the twelfth article of the constitution, hav,
complete power to exclude from counting al
electoral votes deemed by them to be illegal.
We also believe that full effect should be give,
to the voice of the people when expressed &C
corning 10 bue IaNS Oh tUe OGale anu OF Tue Uni
ted States within the limits and under the re
strictions of the constitution. If (by the ap
plication of these rules Of justice fairly ap
plied) the result should be that. on the On
hand, the votes of Florida, South Carolina. an,
! Louisiana should be received, and on the othe
| the vote Of Oregon should be rejected, thus Sc
curing the election Of Hayes an,
Wheeler, we feel safe in say
ing that the result would be cheerful
acquiesced i'll by the people: but if these rule
should be applied only where they inure to tn
benefit of the Republican candidates, and Re
iected when they work to their detriment, "
have no hesitation in declaring our belief tina
the people of this county will never submit t
such an act Of injustice and usurpation. Re
sistance should and undoubtedly will be mad