Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-17

Tor flrst place and with him was Joined
| GOV. Thomas A. Hendricks of Indiana
for vice president.
| Two minor political parties came into
existence. The Greenback party, which
advocated the payment of the govern
| inent opllgatlon in sreenbacks and an
| increase of the volume of currency nv
| the issue of paper money, nominated
| Tor president the venerable Peter
Cooper, New York philanthropist.
Inc Proh1bitionists put forward G. CLAW
Smith.
It was clear from the first that the
democratic party put up an attra ctive
ticket winch showed every promise of
success. On the morning after the cleo
ton nearly ali the newspapers of the
country announced that Tilden was
duly elected president Most of the
republican leaders likewise conceded it.
but there was one notable exception.
rms was the manager of the Repub-
llcan campaign. the iastute Zachariah
chandler Of Michigan who in the
early morning hours of the day follow
ing the election, announced. on his
own responsibility, that Rutherford B.
hayes had received lS5 electoral votes
and was elected.
On the face of the returns Tilden had
carried the northern states of New
ork- New Jersey and Indiana together
Win al the southern states. But Mr..
Chandler. having received what he re-
sarded,as evidence of fraud and intim
ldatlon in the three southern states
OF Florida. Louisiana and South Caro-
ma, decided to set up a claim to those
states.
Illden had unquestionably received
1874 votes. or one less than the number
required TO elect, without counting the
vote of the three disputed sfatas
Hayes had undoubtedly received 16s
votes, exclusive of Florida, South Caro-
ma ana louisiana. In other words.
ftayes needed the entire vote of these
thfee states to elect him. This vote
could be secured by the Republicans
returning boards-bodies which had
iull power to determine the results of
; elections IN these stately throw
~ us Hut tne votes OF any place where.
y. theif opinion, fraud and intimida-
ion mad occurred, and counting the
vote for Hayes and Wheeler. This was
cone and the electoral vote from these
rec states was sent to Washington as
having peen cast for Hayes and Wheeler.
Another set of returns was sent 70
washington by the Democratic authors
t t,n. WI, wto canned that theirs was the
liue return and that the state shouId
Vote Tor lliden and Hendricks.
III the eanWmhile doubtful returns
~ from oregon had also arisen owing to
me discovery that one Of the three Re-
pupncan electors who had been chosen
TO cast the vote for that state was tech.
nlcally disqualified under the consti-
tuition and, being compelled to resign
the democratic governor of oregon
gave the Oregon certificate to the Dem.
ocratlc elector receiving the highest
NUMBER of votes If Tildep couId Sc
cure the vote of this one elector he
would be secure. There can be little
uoupt, however, that the Republican
party honestly carried Oregon. and the
canVassing officer certified to the cleo
tlon OF the entire three electors.
Inc constitution of the United States
provides that the electoral vote of each
state shall be sent to the seat of gov
eminent. addressed to the president Of
the senate, who shall, in the presence
Oh the two houses, open all certificates
and the votes shall then be counted
The president of the senate was a Re-
publican. and a few of his party took
the stand that by the constitution he
was vested with the power. not only Ia.
open but to also count the electoral
vote. and hence could decide upon the
disputed returns. On December IA.
1876, the house Of representatives an
pointed committee of seven to act
With a similar committee of the senate
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