New-York tribune., 1872-09-18
THE MAINE ELECTION.
ADMINISTRATION CORRUPTION.

CALAIS, Maine, Sept. 1.-THE result of the Con-
cross election in the Vth District of this State de-
mauds an explanatOn-nOt because 1t is Of any more
consequence in itself than any other district but be-
cause the exposition viii impart useful information,
and throw light upon the Government methods oil
destroying opposition in the popular contests now
going or The explanation will show how TINS elec-
tan ,as carried and will exhibit with perfect clear
noes lust what will be done in the elections sun 10
take plaee in other States. Post-mortem examlna-
tous of this kind are not usually exciting reading
being reqarded az only the cries of the wounded OF
lamentations over disappointed hopes l am not ao-
diced 10 the expression of such sorr0ws ana eAcuse
nv present observations solely on the grouhd
that useful lesson may be derived from tnem lor
immediate use elsewhere. Let me make my STORY
short The Republican majority IN this dlstrlct III
1863 which has been the only test OF party srehgtn
in it of late years. was, in round NUMBERS SooC
votes At the time Of and after the Convention hed
June o. to renominate Mr. Hale, there were not less
than 1000 Liberals and anti-Hale Republicans who
were determined to defeat him; and there has been
no time during the canvass when the actual majority
of the voters of the district has not been against
him. If the late vote had been cast unbiased by SIM
lister influences, he would have been beaten by from
500 10 600 majority 1t appears that at least 15OO
Liberal and other Republican votes were actually
thrown for Pike and under ordinary circumstances
the number was ample to have elected him. But yet
Hale is elected by probably some 1,500 or more ma
jorty. -,,
Let us see how it was done. / will not indulge in
any general denunciaton of corrupt practices, but
come at once to the bottom OF the matter, and
demonstrate how this result was accomplished. L
will take a single town as a sample OF what was
done all over the District and scrutinizng the action
there in detail disclose TO the feeblest comprehen-
sion Just what was effected and how 1t was elected
should perhaps premise that the revolt against te
Government candidate in this District was threat
enipg from the start, and it was regarded in Ad-
ministraton circles as quite too formidable to be
overlooked AS the District was also part Of MIR,
Speaker Blaine's baIhwick, who has aspirations OF
his own which would be seriously damaged by any
break in the Eastern division OF Government Con
pressmeu the determination TO suppress the revolt
At whatever cost of men and money, was early
resolved upon. The whole weight or the GoV-
ernment was thus thrown upon 1t. FIRST, an over
whemng array of eminent public speakers traVersed
every part of the District up to the nlghU preceding
the election second the whole body OF revenue
and other public officers who swarm upon the IRON
tier; third all the Government contractors, whose
employees fill the stone quarres on the coast fourth
the powerful body of smuggers upon the line Oh tne
st. Croix, leagued with the Custom-house, Drought
up the rear These, however were only preliminary
to the final swoop upon the voters on election day'
When everything else had been done, ana all the
throngs of employees had been marshaled at tne pOs
the ballot-boxes were opened, and the greenbacks
were unToed in front of them Every other agency
had been subOrdnated TO this one great hnal coGrnp
tion at the close of the campaign, Inc popular
heart had been fired for the last act OF the DRAMA
ONE WARD OF ONE TOWN.
Let Ms 90 into one town. take one subdivision of
it. and see by that in what way the whole scheme
finally eliminated. Then we shall not be confused
by the noise and the uproar Of other precincts all
over the district going through the same process OF
wholesale debauchery. Take the town of Calais
This is Mr. Pixies home, and it was deemed expe-
dent and necessary that this town especially should
feel the weight of Government rebuke. The third
officer of the Government came in person to this
town to engineer the punishment of the refractory
fair canvass of the votes OF TINS place on the day
nrecedinc the election, showed that the POLL as be-
tween Pike and Hale was just about an even one.
Under far vote there would be but handful either
way on the Congress ticket Yet the town in the end
threw 800 majority for the Government candidate.
Take the Fourth Ward of that city. IL there be an
honorable place in the city, it Is this central ward
1t casts 400 votes, more or less In IT, almost every
body is known 10 almost everybody else. What are
called doubtful votes are comparatively few. Ihls
ward was thoroughly canvassed by both sides, and
the lists made up. Now it is well known that n our
newfoundland towns the votes can De ana are
computed before the election, under ordinary cir
cumstances just about as correctly as atterwaId.
The Liberal Republican lists and count gave the
ward to their candidate by small majority. 1he
Government side claimed it by from y TO possibly ~
majority according TO their luck with the doubt
ful.n This was on Saturday preceding the election
on Monday. Monday came, and when the day closed
the recorded vote stood 256 for Hale to 80 Ior IKE,
or 100 majority in an aggregate vote OF 35@!
ANY PRICE FOR A VOTE.
Let us pause for moment over this astounding
fact Astounding not SO muoh.In itself but as indi-
eating the tactics of the Administration party and
as the sign and symbol of their proceedings through
out the District. A word explains it. The Govern
ment canvassers of this respectable center of re-
spectabe New England town surrounded the poll in
an almost impenetrable Gordon, and brandished
their greenbacks in front Of it, They opened with
an offer of $50 vote, and closed according to trust
worthy information, at S105. The day was lost to
the Liberals from that moment The figure could not
be met by any effort possible among the handful of
private citizens who had charge of the Liberal Repub
lcan canvass supposing they were ever well dis
posed 10 accept this unexampled challenge to meet
the Government in the arena of bribery and corrup-
ton. The Liberal Republican candidate, If he had
staked his whole private fortune. might have won
the barren victory Of personal triumph In his own
town. But the main object Of the contest, 1t was
seen at the start not 10 be secured at any price
that could be paid. His election was made an i'm
possibility from the first hour Of the voting. Arti-
sans aborers hitherto of entire respectability,
who went to the polls with the openly declared in
tention and desire to vote the Liberal Republican
ticket in this ward, were tempted, confused, and
overcome by this unblushing and unexpected
bribery, which rose with every demand of the voter.
1t seemed as though instant demoralzation had
seized the of the voters and they left the cand
date of their choice in scores and plunged into the
whirlpool of degradation prepared for them by tie
highes. officers Of the Government.
WHO FURNISHED THE MONEYS
The Liberals fought retreat only throughout the
entire day. The Government challenged them TO
contest of the corrupt expenditure Of money. They
declined the unequal combat, and pointed TO the
challenge as blasting evidence of all that and more
than had ever been uttered against the corruption of
the Administration. Behold, then, this limited the