The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-02-23
SOMETHING FOR HONEST REPUBLICANS
TO READ

sion.
SOMETHING FOR HONEST REPUBLICANS
TO READ.
A case occurred in the Legislature at Au-
gusta last week. which sheds so much light
on the dark ways OF the dominant party, and
so illustrates its much Wanted honesty. truth
and adherence to correct principles, that we
cannot forbear to rccite its history The
facts should be known to every man, woman
and child in the state, as q commentary up
on the manner in which they are being gov
erned.
At the last September election the candi-
dates for representative to the Legislature in
the class composed Of Bethel and adjoin-
ing towns in Oxford county, were Gideon A.
Hastings, Democrat, and Moses G. Foster,
republican. Ma or Hastings was popularity
known as Aphonso Hastings, few persons
being aware that he had any additional
name. Some written ballots for A. Hast
ings were cast. These were counted as tor
q third person, and the certificate of election
given to Foster Major Hastings contested
the seat, and the question came up on the ac-
ceptance of the committees report in favor
of the latter. The debate that followed
showed that the Legislature had repeatedly
decided in accordance with the report, as
had Congress in parallel cases. The rule
had been to ascertain what the intention of
the voters was. There was no other person
of like name in the district. A copy of the
republican paper of the county was produced,
in which the candidate was spoken Of as
Maj. A. Hastings" All the voters who
cast their ballots for A. Hastings made oath
that they intended to vote for Mai. Gideon
A. Hastings. 1t will thus be seen that Gy all
rules of fairness, precedent and legality, Maj.
Hastings was entitled to the seat
And there were other reasons. Major
Hastings was a soldier during the rebellion,
| and Of excellent record. He raised 3 com
| pany for Gen Shepleys regiment, was made
captain promoted to Major during the war.
and served faithfully to lis close They
didn't look at the muster roll Then, to sec
whether the name of this brave man was
written with all his initials or not They
were glad of his services, whether the clerk
wrote half or the whole of his name In
1862, when Major Hastings had enlisted, the
republican party was protuse in its promises
to soldiers. In its State Convention of that
year it passed the following
Resolved That the soldiers in the army, and the
sailors in the navy of the Union. have the sympathy
and the support of the nation, for whose life they
are CALAMITY battling, and that we cordially ap-
prove all measures proposed by our state govern
ments for their relief and their reward.
| "Their reward" so far as Democratic SOL
diers are concerned, may be found in the
action of the radical house of representatives,
which declared by almost Il strict party
vote, that he was not entitled to the scat
And among the members of the Convention
| that passed the above resolution, and of Con-
ventions that repeated it as long rs the war
lasted, were many members Of the present
Legislature who voted not to admit Major
Hastings to the seat that the voters of his
district had given him fairly and legally. 1t
brings to mind the story OF the gallant sol
der who came back to Paris from one Of the
bloody folds which changed the rulers of
France, and was told by the police Of the
new government that he must not wear the
said he, pointing to q sabre cut across his
face, cam / at liberty to wear my scar %
Democratic soldiers who are deprived of
their rights by radical majoritics, should in
quirc if they have leave to bear about the
scars they got in the late conflict
There remains one other branch of this
subject to consider What is the record of
Moses G. Foster, in whose favor the rights Of
Major Hastings were overliaden ? He, too,
was a soldier. In the Adiutant Generals Re
port for 1862, may be found the following, in
records of Company II, 18th Regiment
Moses G. Foster, Newry, mustered into
the United States service, Dec. IL, 1861
DESERTED, Dec. 81. 1861.
That record runs through the successive
reports for tour years and stands to-day I'M
erased and unchallenged. Laws passed and
approved by the party now dominant in the
Legislature, declare that deserters are dis
franchised and rendered incapable Of hold
ing Office
Yet, in face of all these recorded pledges
and laws, they vote to deprive of his rights q
brave and faithful soldier to whom they had
promised ''relief and reward" and to install
in his place u branded deserer who is, by
the records and enactments of the same men
declared to be infamous.
AS our readers may be curious to see the
record OF the vote on the passage of the re-
solve for giving Major Hastings his seat we
append the yeas and nays
YEAS. Messrs Adams, Atwell Berry of Damar-
iscotta, Berry of Buxton, Blanchard, Bliss, Brown,
Carleton, Chaplin, Cleaves, Clock, Cobb, Cousens,
Gushing, Deering, Emery, Fitch, Googins. GRAY
Hacker, Hammond, Haskell of Garland, Haskell
Of Portland, Hastings, Hathaway, Heath, Ill.,
Huxley, Hobson, Jenkins. Jones of Springfield
Keegan, Lane. Moore of Machiasport, Osgood of
Lewiston, Parsons. Rawson, Ray, Reed of Waldo
bOro' Reed OF No. II, Reynolds, Sanborn of Bangor
Sewall, Snow. Storcr, Strickland Talbot, Wass
Whitehouse, Weed, White of Winterport, Whit
more Wilson, Willard, Winter, Woodbury. Sc.
| NAYS. Messrs. Andrews of Otsfield, Ander-
son, Bean, Bird, Bonney, Bragdon, Brewer Bur-
CESS, Chase, Clark of China, Comins, Crehore,
Dngley, Drisco, Dustin, Gannett, Getchell Good
win, Green of Wilton, Hartman, Hayden, Heal
Hobart Holt, Hopkins of BlueilII Hopkins of
Mt. Vernon, Hutchbls, Johnson, Jones of Norway,
Knapp, Knight, Mahony Martin, MAYO, Minot,
Mooers, Moore of BuckfeII, Norcross. Nutter,