a Democrat was chosen who had received less
than a majority of the votes, or to use the phrase of the
Governor, "received the highest number of votes cast for persons
eligible," because his Republican competitor was not eligible;
and he, therefore, certified that the Democrat had the largest
number of votes cast for persons eligible. That Democratic
elector proceeded then to hold a meeting, at which he was
the only person present, and as the two Republicans whom everybody
admitted were lawfully chosen, did not meet with him, he proceeded
to fill two vacancies himself.

The Secretary of State made the canvass required by law,
recorded it and filed it in his office. He made that canvass
in the presence of the Governor. He could not change it.
He could not tamper with it. He had completed his official
duty when he had completed it. So that the Governor's certificate
as to the effect of the election was of no more official character
than a like certificate of the Governor-General of India would
have been.

There was no claim or pretence in any quarter that the Republicans
did not have a lawful majority of the votes cast for electors
in Oregon. The only claim was that one of the electors was
postmaster, and that he did not lawfully resign before he
was chosen elector. He was postmaster at the time of the
election, but resigned a few days later. He was also chosen
after he had resigned to fill the vacancy in the Electoral
College, if his ineligibility created a vacancy, in the regular
form according to the laws of Oregon. There was no question
or pretence in any quarter that the will of the people of
Oregon was not given due effect by the judgment of the Electoral
Commission.

I do not believe that there are any considerable number of
intelligent persons in the country, now that the excitement
of the time has gone by, who doubt that the will of the people
of South Carolina and Florida and Louisiana was carried into
effect by the judgment of the Commission; and that their judgment
baffled an unscrupulous conspiracy to deprive the majorities
in those States of their lawful rights in the election because
those majorities were made up largely of negroes.

CHAPTER XXVII
FOUR NATIONAL CONVENTIONS
1876

It has been my fortune to be a delegate from Massachusetts
in four National Conventions for the nomination of President
and Vice-President--those of 1876, 1880, 1884 and 1888. In
the first I was a delegate fro