Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-12-26
The Maine Outrage.

II is q subject for sincere regret that innu-
entail papers, like the Springfield Republi-
can, while denouncing the outrage in Maine
should be 80 disingenuous as TO assert that it
was only resort TO the same nasty politi-
cal methods employed by the Republicans
in the Louisiana count OF 1876, or In other
words that the Democracy are only Fighting
FIRE with fire." The action of the Louisiana
returning board is no precedent for the steal
in Maine. That tribunal was of legal crea-
ton by the legislature of the State of Louis
lana it was clothed with extraordinary pow
ers TO cast out votes In those parishes, where
it was in evidence that the ballot box had
boon captured by bloodshed, terrorism and
fraud. The awful history of that Democrat
ic canvass was sufficient to justify the exer-
else of those extraordinary powers with
which the Louisiana returning board had
been clothed by the State Legislature, and
whatever was done by that tribunal was done
within its legal powers on tho charge aud ev-
idence of the very kind Of political violence
and fraud that the board was created to multi
fly. II did nullify the crime Of the Demo
cratic bulldozers, and it did IL by acting clear
ly within its legal powers and upon ample
evidence to Justify its action. On the other
hand, in Maine, the governor and council do
not allege fraud as a ground for jecting the
Senators aud Representatives elect It is
uot Clhlllet lLAl the voters nave COmmltteQ
any error or wrought any wrong. There is
no pretense that the errors of the local can
wasting clerks are other than mere informal
tiles such as leave no doubt as to the inten-
tion of the voters. In face of the fact that
all laws and judicial decisions on the subject
say that every presumption should be made
in favor of giving effect TO the real intention
Of the voter, the Maine conspirators have
nulhel and reversed the real intention of the
people. Not to the returning board of 1876
should the Republican look for a precedent
for this great crime, but to New Hampshire,
where three years ago Nathaniel Head was
counted out Of "A scat in the State Senate by
the Democrats because his name was printed
Matt Head (the name by which he was uni
versally known on some Of the ballots.
from the New Yorf Tribunel
Let it be remembered that there is no pre-
tense of Irregularities in the voting or any
material errors in the ballots. The Informal
tiles which have been made the preteXt for
reversing the popular decision are as a rule
mere clerical and technical mistakes of the
returning officers. The vote of Portland was
thrown out because in one ward the word
scattering was used to cover few ballots.
Pennington was DISTINGUISHED Oh account Of
an error Of addition in stating the total mum.
Der Of votes, an error which could not affect
the canvass because the number of votes for
each candidate was given correctly. Nearly
GOO Republican votes were discarded IN Skow-
hogan because the names on the ballots were
printed i'll two columns instead of one. $50
law Of Maine expressly provides that when
technical errors, such we have mentioned,
have been committed by the returning Off
GERS they may be corrected before the can
yass by comparison with the original town
records. This law the Governor and Council
chose to disregard They violated the uni
form precedent by refusing to allow the Re
publican candidates or other interested per-
sons to see any of the returns in their pos
session, or ~ know Of any errors or defects.
The contingent was done in profound Sc
crocy, and even yet the full details Of the OPP
Grafton are not disclosed. The public only
knows that after perfectly fair election and
an unusually heavy vote the town and county
returns showed n Republican majority Of in
the Senate and % in the House, and that af-
ter the Governor and Council got through
with the returns the Republicans were left in
a minority Of in the Senate and IL in the
House, with twelve vacancies which the Fu-
slonists of course, will have power to fill.
This astonishing result WAS obtained by count
ing out 30 Republicans and counting in -
Fusionists
1t is n noteworthy fact that in not solitary
instance was q return rejected when the con
sequence would be the unseating Of Fusion
list Those who are able TO believe that all
the informalities and mistakes were commit
ted in Republican towns are welcome to
their creduiity.