The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-16
BRIBERY AT ELECTIONS.
Alleged Frauds Investigated in Wash
ington County.

A few days after the state election the Calais
Times made the statement that the Princeton
district in Washington county was carried by
the Republicans through gross frauds, and
claimed to have testimony and evidence suffl-
Gent to back up the statement in court. The
Advertiser of this city at once challenged the
Times to produce the evidence and have the
fraud ventilated through the proper channel
the courts.
To this the Times replied that few news
paper men possessed time or means sufficient
to push into court all the evidences of crime
which came into their possession. 1t, however,
offered, if the Advertiser was willing to as
Sumo task which it urged upon another, to
furnish it with an abundance of proof with
which to wage tie battle in the interests OF
morality, and after some little delay, occasion.
ed by the unexpectedly prolonged absence OF
another gentlemen who had undertaken to act
for the Advertiser in the matter, Geo. Il.
Gould, ESQ.,, of this city, member of Cumber-
land Bar proceeded to Calais on the 9th OF
October, carrying with him a letter from MIR.
Richardson, editor of the Advertiser, introduce
ing him as the authorized agent OF the latter,
and requesting the Times to deliver into h'S
hands such evidence, and the names OF wit
nesses, together with a statement OF the facts
to be proved, and any other direct or indirect
information as might lead to full exposure OF
the alleged violations OF law.
Armed with this document Mr.. Gould set
out on his journey, arriving home Tuesday,
having given five days time to looking the
matter up In Yesterdays Advertiser he
Publishes the result of his investigations in
full, which may be summed up in these words
the concluding portion OF his report; IL ap,
pears that there are two cases OF alleged
bribery in Washington county which are to be
or have been brought before the courts.
1t appears also, that there is more or less
other testimony or guesswork, which MI.
Whidden and his associates do not think it
worth while to produce in court, but which
for some purpose not disclosed, they have car
ried to Augusta. Concerning these matters,
Mr.. Whidden preserved an impenetrable
silence.
only evidence which Mr.. Whidden would dis
close, is already or soon will be before the
grand Jury, without the Intervention of the
Advertiser. Concerning the other matters
alleged, no evidence or hint OF evidence could
be obtained, and Of course the Advertiser can
do nothing.
In conversation with the clerk at the hotel
and with other citizens, I found it was gene
rally believed that there was sharp practlce on
both sides, amounting to bribery IN some
cases, but that the open and shameless pur-
chase of votes, heretofore practiced in Wash
ington county, had nearly OF qnite ceased.
In addition to the above the Machias Union
democratic Organ of Washington county,
was received yesterday. In it was contained
the information that the grand jury, which
has been in session in that county, was dis
missed Saturday. "Quite large amount OF
business was before them,' says the Union,
"but they quite unanimously rejected all but
seven out of about thirty cases." The two
cases of alleged bribery do not appear in the
list of seven bills returned, and the paper
makes no comment upon the failure OF the al
legations of bribery 1t seems then that there
was not one case of bribery in Washington
county that would bear the scrutiny OF grand
jury What is to be thought. then, of the
mass of so-caled evidence which was not sub;
mitted to the courts but has been taken to Au-
gusta? 1t must be weaker than the so-called
evidence which was taken to Machias, and
that was too weak to stand alone.