Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-23


.Ienersons recital of all the grievances
that led to the overthrow of British pow
er in the Thirteen colonies presented none
that were so CALLING and so intolerable as
that which Gov. Garcelon and his Council
are now seeking TO iasten on the people Of
Maine
Let it be specially remembered that Gov.
Garcelon and his Council do not even claim
that they have knowledge of a single lille
gal vote in any one of the numerous
towns whose returns they have rejected.
They do not claim to show that any vote
was east without being counted or count
ed without being cast, or that the people
anywhere voted differently from the re-
turns made. They only claim that certain
returns were defective on technical points,
narrow and immateral in themselves, and
easily corrected under the laws OF the
State, and then they claim the right to set
aside and disobey those laws. They hold
the towns accountable for not complying
with the strictest letter and the last exac-
ton of one statute, and then dcfiantly pro-
claim their right to nullify another statute
in the same book, on the same subject. In
other words they claim that the statute
regulating the duty of town officers shall
he fulfilled to the uttermost and mlnutest
point. while the statute prescribing the duty
- Il - f'a,,.i1 ha GOT
aside by sort of plenary power of dis
pensation extended to them alone.
1t has taken centuries to educate the An
Clio Saxon race to submit to a majority OF
one. And the moment we refuse to sub
NIT and attempt to overthrow popular
election on any pretext whatever, repub-
lean government is imperilled if not lost.
The nations of Latin origin have suffered
the reproach of not being able to maintain
II republic because the party beaten at
the polls would resort to the sword. But
terrible and calamitous as this resource is
it has in it an element of manly daring
that places it high above the despicable
measures of cheating the people by false
court, made by the men who are solemnly
sworn to perform that duty faithfully, i'm
partially and honorably.
Maine has hitherto been blessed with
honest government, no matter which po-
ltical party was in power. And when the
people decreed change, the State add
ministration has always shown ready and
cheerful acquescence in the popular will.
The Adams men yielded to the Jackson
men, the democrats to the wings, the
wings to the democrats, the democrats to
the republicans and the republicans to
the present dynasty, not merely with
readiness but with a chivalric courtesy
and 9,ood feeling that did much to remove
the asperity of the preceding contests.
For the first time in our history the party
defeated at the polls refuses to obey the
popular decree, soils the record of the
State with fraud, and invites the reign of
anarchy. 1t is for the people whose will
is defied to find their remedy and vindi-
cate their sovereignty.
AT this very point. while the pen is in
my hand and the ink is not dry on the lasl
paragraph the letter of Gov. Garcelon
reaches me. | beg you to read it with
care and see with what emphasis the
Governor dwells on all the minute direc-
tons for the town officers, and how he
entirely avoids stating that equally minute
directions are prescribed by the same law
making power for the Governor and Coun-
Gil. Had these directions been followed,
the technical defects in every return would
have been cured. But the Governor and
Council chose to disobey them and went
SO far as to usurp the functions of the Ju-
dietary in declaring them unconstitutional.
In his letter to the public Governor
Garcelon remembers to forget all reference
to this controlling fact in the whole case.
cannot withhold my admiration of the
GOODNESS and complaisance with which the
Governor refers the rejected Republican
members to packed House and Senate
for final adjudication of their rights.
After empaneling the sworn twelve with
necessary prejudgment of the case the
merciful Governor turns to the innocent
man who is wrongfully and wickedly ac-
cused and harangues him upon the vir-
tues of Trial by Jury.
1t will be further observed that Gov.
Garcelon deals only in generalities. lie
does not give the reasons in the cases of
the thirty-seven victims who were count
ed out. Democrats beyond the State,
solicitous for the honor of their party, have
demanded Of Governor Garcelon the rea-
sons for his extraordinary conduct, and he
seeks to justify himself in their eyes by
quoting the statutes of NIane-statutes
under which all returns have been count
ed in previous years. The question re-
mains and recurs, how did Gov. Garceon
apply the statutes? Let him answer that,
and when honorable Democrats outside
the State ask him for bread let him not
give them a stone