The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1879-12-26
served EN- Right.


How Are You RAIDS?
Maine. over which the Republicans
crowed 50 loudly last month turns cut
on fair count. not to be Republican
after ALL whereat that party il now
wrothy and sings Fraud as ionily
- Tilden did. The Democrats and
Greenbackers have majority in both
branches ofthe Legislature II seems. aud
viii elect fusion Governor. Maine Isl
now safe for Democratic Greenbaek
Presidential candidate ia 1850, and Jim
Blaine's goose is cooked at home In
answer TO the charge Of fraud, ex-Goy-
ernor PiIIsbury sends the following to
the Chicago News:
AUGUSTA, Me-, Dec. IS.
The apparen. republican majorit for
members OF the legislature was obtained
by wholesale svsteFn Of bribery. bull
doing snd fraud. There was a popular
majority for governor in opposition TO
the republican. In many districts giving
. fusion majority for governor the re-
publsSans succeeded in getting MAORI
~ for members Of the Legislature hy
trickery and other frauds. The gov
ernor and conncil have not based their
action on these frauds In any case. not
having jurisdiction. but they have strict
~ followed the constitution. and thrown
out such returns a. were fatally defec-
tive. whether republican or democratic.
In some counties more Democratic than
republican returns have been thus re-
jected. The republicans have been IN
the habit for wears Of secretly returning
defective republican returns to the town
officers for correction. but took advan-
tage Of the defects in the democi attic re-
turns. During the twentv-three wears
or rerublican rule they have never lost
m officer by reason Of such defects
while .ae democrats lost more or less
nearly every year. This has served to
make the democratic town officers more
careful and the republicans more care
less. The present governor and council
have held the republicans to the strict
letter OF the constitution and laws. and
the result Is an anti-repub.ican ma
jority in both branches. They have in
no case travelled outside OF the prccllents
established by the republicans them
selves, and in most OF the cases their
action was based on the opinion given
BY the judges Of the supreme court.
For instance: A Judge gave an opinion
In 1875 that the governor and council
could not count the votes returned fDr
VIM. H. Smith and William III. Smith, for
the same Office. having been given for
one and the same person. Applying
thi, rule this year changes the result in
large number cf districts. Tn 1877 the
judges gave the opinion that the returns
could not be counted where the sigma
ture Of the officers were written BY other
hands than theirs. Several cases OF this
class were found this year. In some II
was the opinion Of the judges that re-
turns could not be counted where the
town clerks so failed to attest them.
This rule changes several cases also. The
returns from the city Of Portland are
fatally defective in not complying with
the constitution in giving names Of per-
sons vofed for with the number Of votes
against each name some lao votes be-
Ing returned as scattering. This changes
the result on three senator's and leaves
five vacancies in the house. In Lewis.
ton, Ssco, Bath aud Rockland the re-
turns were signed BY minority only OF
the aldermen. The law requires the
whole number Of ballots 10 lie given II.
the returns. and there are abundant re-
publican precedcnts for rejecting them
where they fail in that respect; so too,
where there Is material difference be-
tween the whole number OF the ballot.
and votes stated. Several changes have
resulted from these defects. In all
doubtful cases. the governor and council
have consulted eminent counsel be
coming 10 a conclusion, and ia every IN.
stance the action OF the board has been
unanimous. with one exception only.
In that c.se the question NJ issue did moi
effect the character Of the request.
fSignedI l.. r. PILLsBuRy.