Daily Republican., 1879-12-18
THE STOLEN VICTORY IN MAINE.
The Infamous Plot Fully Carried
Out-Fllmsy Excuses for Count.
ing Ont RepubIicans.

AUGUSTA, Me-, Dec. 6.--The first part
Of the Democratic scheme was fully
carried out to-day. The Governor and
Council issued their certificates to their
counted-in Legislature, and Its political
complexion will stand as stated in Mon.
days dispatches, namely, 50 Republi-
cans in the House instead of 30 as elect.
ed, and Is Democrats, instead Of 81 ss
elected; and in the Senate 20 Democrats
% majority in the upper branch where
the election showed Republican ma
jority of seven. In every case Of sub
stitutioD, Democrat is substituted fol-
Republican, and in no ease Is Demo.
crat.. counted out.
The character Of the rulings by the
Governor and Council is shown by a
slight examination of them. In Port
land, 300 votes were returned as scat
tering, and Republican members Of
the House were returned as chosen.
The 300 scattering votes, added to the
vote of the Democratic candidate re-
celving the largest number Of votes,
would not have made his vote equal to
that of the Republican candidate re-
ceiying the lowest vote. The whole re-
turn is rejected by the Governor and
Council, and nobody admitted.
In the Marlborough district, Hail,
(Rep.,) who received 300 majority, is
thrown out on the ground Of alleged
irregularity in the election on the aft
davit of two men. Another remarkable
case is that of the counting out of Stew
ard, of Skowhegan, who received 32O
majority. He is thrown out because the
paper on which his votes were printed
was little longer one way than anoth.
or. The remote towns were generally
selected for the contingent process
The cities which lose their Represents
tives, lose them on the flmiest Of pre-
tences, as is shown in the case of Port
land, cited above.
Many prominent Democrats are
loud ii. ..denunciatie n of this audaciou'
steal. Judge Sibly is conspicuous
among them. He expresses his un.
qualified disapproval Of the entire
scheme. The indignation throughout
the entire State is great, and it is be-
lieved the expression of the popular
opinion against it will be SO emphatic
that it will be next to impossible for
the leaders to carry their plot through
to the end. 1t is generally believed
that the plot was arraigned immediate
ly after the election aud planned be-
fore it. 1t is asserted that corrections
of returns from Democratic towns, and
in some cases the substitution Of late
and corrected returns for the original
ones were permitted.
1t was rumored before the election
that some such plot was to be carried
into effect, and men were appointed lii
each town to see that the returns were
made out correctly. That the blanks
for the returns were not sent ont from
the Secretary of States Office until tho
last moment, and were then SO ar
ranged as, to all intents, to mislead in
their making up, is regarded, in the
light of recent events, as most signif-
cant. Just what course the Republi-
cans will pursue has not yet been de-
termined. There will, however, prob
ably be no extreme course taken, but
the opposition will be checked at every
step and their stolen victory DO made
a serious THING for them.