The Portland daily press., 1879-12-29
GOV. DINGLEY'S SPEECH.
A Keen Review of the Executive Usur-
patton.

A Keen Review of the Executive Usur
patton.
The following is the full text of Ex-Gov
Dingley's speech at the Lewiston indignation
meeting Friday night:
We are here tonight for the purpose of express
ing condemnation of the action of the Governor
and Council of Maine in their capacity as canvas
sers of returns. whereby the verdict of the people
at the polls at the last annual election has been de-
Hberately reversed 1t is important therefore, tC
have clear understanding of the law and facts.
First-It is conceded by all parties that the Stl
of September at fair free and fully attended cleo
tion the Republicans elected by not far from 5000
majority Legislature having seven Republican
majority in the Senate and tweDty-nine in the
House. 1t is conceded that the vote as declared
corded and returned to the Office of the Secretary
State, without dissent from any quarter, showed
this result.
Second-The Governor and Council who are all DO
tically opposed to the Republicans have canvassed
these returns and have issued certificates as te
make a Senate with nine and House with seven
teen Democratic and Greenback DIETER known as
fusion) majority and have issued certificates tC
twelve Republican Representatives from the large
cities of Lewiston, Portland Saco, Bath and Rock
land. 1.-THE excuse for this amazing result, as Off
cially announced over the signature of the Govern
Or is that in strictly applying the constitution and
laws, regulating the canvassing of legislative re-
turns they have found so large a number fatally
detective that the counting Of returns legally
made has given this remarkable result. And it is
added, that if injustice has been done in any direc
ton the two houses constituted by the Governor
and Council can apply a remedy.
1 ask you to look this excuse in the light of the
law and the facts.
1t is bejieued the fusion returns at uitaI poi1,ts
acre SHrreptiiostU corrected 1t is not incredible
that the fatal defects in original returns made
by five hundred sets of municipal officers, should
have been so nicely adjusted as to count out eight
fhnS and yuap
the House; and not single fuS50ntSt from etthel
House? l have aided in canvassing the legislative
vote of abe State twice, when occupied the execu
tive char, land found more of these defects which
are now styled 'fatal" in returns from the towns
which last fall gave fusion majorites than in Repub
lican towns notice it suggested as explanation
for this remarkable state of the returns that prev
Gus to election the fusion managers warned theil
clerks to be careful in making returns and that THU
warning saved them from errors. But this explana
ton is set aside by the statement of the Governor
that the usual percentage of errors are found ever
now in fusion returns, but always at points where
they do not lose them Senator or Representative
Even where fusion records wrong, the returns al
vital points come out generally correct AS no on'
could have known before election what returns
| would be vital, how does it happen that thost
which were essential to particular result SHOULD
turn out all right while scores OF others were fatal
| ly defective?
| The republicans universally believed that the
fusion returns at vital points surrepttiously
put in order either during the five weeks in which il
is confessed the returns were opened or previously
| and that it was for the purpose OF bringing thi
about that the returns were illegally withheld, a.
| they never were before, from the opposite party
More than this: c. B. Rounds, Esq, attorney fo
Washington county, offered to prove, II the GOV
| ernor and council would order an investigation
| that corrected fusion returns vital points ha,
been surreptitiously made out, on information tina
| must have been furnished from the State Hou e
| and forwarded to Augusta, but no notice takel
of the offer, Notwithstanding the changes vitality af
| fected the canvass then going on.
2. The echolesate counting out shoes that the taa
,cas t,csted oith q Uieto Of Mcartag, rather thai
carrying out the cerdct at the polls. Indeed, it il
| claimed by the Governor as a Jacksonian virtue
| that he has applied the technicalites of the lay
| with a strictness never before known and see al
example which entities him to be styled the defen
der of the constitution. 1t is indeed true that thu
almost uniform rule of previous executives, iron
| Gov King who presided over the convention tina
| framed our constitution, to Cows. Morrill, Wash
burn, Chamberlain, &C., has been to literally con
strue the laws regulating the canvass OF returns, s.
as to give effect to the peoples will. The techn
calites of law have been used to entrap voters
| Where the law admitted of possible construction
| any of doubt, the governor has always aske'
| the Supreme Court for an opinion. For fifty -nin
years the party which triumphed at the polls in tn
| election Of legislature, has never had any dout
that the votes would be countedso to give expires
| sion to the popular will Last year, indeed, ,whe
| the Republicans had the Senate and a large plural
| ity of the popular vote, and a change of six mem
| bers would have given them majority of tn
| House, Republican Governor and Council prompt
ly carried out the will of the people, notwthstan6
ing there were as many defects in returns as ther
| are this year. They then, for example, certificate
TOUR hepuDl1cttQ representatives IRON U
| a return precisely the same as one which is thi
year declared fatally detective, in order to coun
| out five Republicans.
| 3---The Governor and Council conducted thei
canUosS with the apparent purpose Of counting OF
republicans, and counting IN ttsi0niStS. Republi
| cans refused access to the returns for f1v
| weeks, allowed to see them only four days befor
| the canvass was concluded; when the uniform prat
tice heretofore has been exhibit the returns to a.
| interested from the moment they were opened. A
| the same time it is evident that fusionists wer
| made acquainted with anything it was necessary fo
| them to know. No return ever before rejecte
without notice and hearing to all parties interest
| ell. This year no notice has been given no inform
alton has been furnished as to defects in returns
| and no hearings given except in four or i've case
| where parties interested accidentally learned Una
| their returns were liable to be thrown out. Rule
| have been laid down with view OF counting out Rt
publcans and saving fusonists after careful STUD
| of the returns. More than this-returns have bee
rejected after parties interested had been assure
| they were all right as in the cases of Lisbon an
| Webster. No Republican could ascertain before
| hand what facts were needed to lay before tn
| Council to meet secret charges on which their II
| turns threatened. The consequence is tha
! towns on allegations which are untrue, and whic
| have since been dsapproved And now the mon
| strous position is assumed by members of the Coun
Gill; that even in cases where 1t IS proved ana auii
| ted that Republicans We're wrongtully counted ou
| it is too late to correct their unjust action.
| leaed defscts. and tMsionists counted in ,cheJ
| the same defects eristed IN their return
For example, Jay is counted out to secure a fuslol
Representative the claim that her record was no
made IN in open town meeting "a matter into whicl
| fine Governor and Council have no right to inquire
but fusion Buckfeld is counted to secure a fusio
| made m in tbe same manner. In the Ashland dis
trict. John Burnham, Rep) is counted out becaus
the return of a Republican town in tn
| district spelled his name Burnam; an
| Alfred Cushman Dem0 is counted in by giving hin
the vote of town whose return is for Afford Cush
| man. Certainly Burnam is much nearer BurnLaI
| than Afford is Alfred
5-The Constitution has BEEN ignored to defeat
good return and ignored to prerent the CORRECTION
an atLeqed defectice return. For example, Farming
thrown out on the ground that their returns did
| correctly state the whole number of ballots as re