ee also,
Bigelow's _Life of Tilden_, Vol. 2, pp. 180-223.]

[Footnote 1530: From an editorial signed by Henry Watterson, January 8,
1877.]

[Footnote 1531: Rhodes, _History of the United States_, Vol. 7, p.
243.]

On the other hand, Republicans believed Tilden endeavoured to buy the
presidency. Although nothing was then known of Marble's and Weed's
efforts to tamper with the canvassing boards of South Carolina and
Florida, the disposition to "steal" a vote in Oregon, which clearly
belonged to Hayes, deprived Tilden's cause of its moral weight.
Indeed, so strongly did sentiment run against him that the _Nation_
"lost nearly three thousand subscribers for refusing to believe that
Mr. Hayes could honourably accept the presidency."[1532]

[Footnote 1532: The _Nation_, June 25, 1885.]

When Congress opened the Democrats, being in control of the House,
desired to continue the joint rule of February, 1865, directing that
"no electoral vote objected to shall be counted except by the
concurrent votes of the two Houses." This would elect Tilden. On the
other hand, the Republicans, holding that the joint rule expired with
the Congress adopting it, insisted that, inasmuch as the canvass by
Congress at all previous elections had been confined exclusively to
opening the certificates of each State, sent to Washington under the
official seal of the respective governors, the Vice-President should
open and count the electoral votes and declare the result, the members
of the two Houses acting simply as witnesses. This would elect Hayes.
To many and especially to President Grant this controversy seemed full
of danger, to avert which if possible Congress adopted a resolution
providing for a committee of fourteen, equally divided between the
Senate and House, "to report without delay such a measure as may in
their judgment be best calculated to accomplish the desired
end."[1533] On January 18 (1877) this committee reported a bill
providing that where two or more returns had been received from a
State such returns should be referred to an Electoral Commission
composed of five senators, five members of the House, and five
justices of the Supreme Court, who should decide any question
submitted to it touching the return from any State, and that such
decision should stand unless rejected by the concurrent votes of the
two Houses. By tacit agreement the Senate was to name three
Republicans and two Democrats, and the House three Democrats an