The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-01-15
IN. Senatorial Matter.

IN, Senatorial Matter. .t'
r,..r,,r We give plain unvsrni'hed state
-, ., N. r..ult Of the caucus Of ReproUem
mcmbrr, Of our State legislature on last inu''-
L. evening week. The conclusion TO WHICH, Us
usbsyeve. every unprecedented mini VAL COME
!. rat utnnib,l Himlin is the nominee oy one
,,.,,-;,v There ,fcrr one hundred anu my
-. f,,r caucus. One hundred anu ior-
Zine cbos, 70 be represented, and only that
number. or the number thus choosing 10 Oe
,cpr,sen,el .e,,uty-dye cOnsiitu.ed majority
NJ. Y,us,, r-,ei,eI that requisite number
Thus FIR We are AL asrr'd TOD
TIE defeated PARTY, or rather Its revolutionary
Is,lcrs. repuliate that vote, and elamor Tor an
other. because Mr.. Psrryor ArOOs'ook choso to
throw blank piece orpapcr; aud therefore they
,,v ,hs, Mr.. Hamlin dd not receive a majority
A maIori,y o. vhs,' lie did not receive " ma
iority OF blanks, but blanks would not have
elected any man. Votes were the only means
whereby either Mr.. Ham,m or MIR. Morrill, could
possibly be nominated, and Himlin did receive
a majority or,o,es. "a" p i-..'
Because Of thisa claim. unheard Of before In
parliamentary bodics,s set up, that, to he noui'-
mated. Mr.. n. must have received majority OF
all those who had n rightto vote m caucus
The result OfMr. Pcrry's action WIS precisely
the same as though he hal gone home instead
If going 10 the caucus. liadhc done 50, tins
frivolous plea would never have been heard OF.
Had he gone home he would have chossn, vol
UNFAIRLY or from necessity, to be unrepresented;
in casting that blank piece Of paper he chose
to be unrvprcsentcd. right which he undOubt-
ely had. lie had also the right to attend the
caucus and have deposited nothing in the ballot
box--haye ..refuscl TO yOte''---in which case
seyenty-dve would have been. rs now. a majority
Of all the votes cast. As il was, he chose to de-
post blank piece Of paper which was no more
a vote than an old button ora tobacco quid would
have been. IL had not even the merit Of being
"scattering" '.'' u' 81 .'.-.. .i'.. .l.'..
There IRE well settlel.prineiples Ofparliamen-
tary law which govern all organized delibera-
tive bodies the worli over, and they are as well
defined as the Common Law which governs our
Courts, always authority where nothing to the
contrary il expressly adOPtcd---Us, for nsenoc,
that motion to adjourn is always in order with
one exception, and the right of n member, as
mentioned in the preceding paragraph is uni
Versal right. Furthermore. were this not true,
il would be true that minor bodies acting for
the future lclberatiOn OF the same men in n ca
pacity where positive law upon the very point
in dispute, governs theui when their action has
the force Of statute law. should from andlogy,be
governed by that positive law. Let us see what
that law is:
Constitution. Art. Q, Sec. IT, The
elections shall he by written ballot ,r.
Rerissl Siafyiss. Chap. 4, Sec. 22,-No
ballot shall be received at any election OF State
cr town officers, u,.l - ia writing or printing.
Sec. 26-Blank pieces Of psper shall not be
counted. The person having the
highest number Of pOiss given at such election,
shall he declared elected. ........
These same men next Tuesday will vote ON
the same subject upon which they voted in eau
Gus, anil by law blank win not be counted.
Blu, this is not ALL The committee to receive,
sort, and count the votes for candidate, saw
the blank piece of paper and unanimously rec
osnizcl the principles laid down above, by vOt-
ing that in conformity with the law Of elections,
the blank should not De eouRici. Nor is this
all. Mr.. Perry has declared that he intended to
he unr,rlesenteI in that caucus, AID that he
hrcr hc. 6leat piece Of paper kiOlrisgiy dad
ciR cCrsh5rg,i. therefore all prctext
for dcmtr,;irg a new ballot, has, with this
sta,emcut MALI by Mr.. Perry, fallen to the
ground, Odd. ........, ..... ..r
We have thus sccn that two gcntleHpen went
into the SENATORIAL tight. one al lelst supPosins
that he was TO he trcatcl flirly, openly, and
honestly, that the usages Of the party from time
out of mipI, we're to be adhered to, and that
whoever revived minority Of tSs votes Of
those competent to decide the issue, was to
gracefully submit to their decision. MIR. Nor
rll received that minority. but instead Of &C
quicsciDg in the result, q few Of his desperate
friends declare that Mr.. Hamlin shall not be ac-
corded the nomination which lac has fairly Won.
That any considerable portion OF those who
voted FOR Mr.. Morrill,, arc PrsParei to follow a
desperate and unprinciplcl lead, and take upon
themselves the responsibility Of dtsruptine the
Republican party in this State, We 10 not be-
lieye Tho people have no sympathy with
scheuing and ,enal politicians, aud they can