Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-12-30

! llll tne NOuuCli grants tHS luNtStlSdtlOl
asked by Mr.. Rounds. Ordinarily in
former years week or ten days sufficed
for an honest Council to count the returns
Sixth-To make some sort of covering
for the atrocious fraud they have COM
mitted great effort has been made to
prove that the Republicans have carried
the election by bribery and corruption
This is Fictitious and fraudulent pre-
tense got up to cover case. Why don't
they indict somebody? They tried it in
September before grand jury two-thirds
of whose members were Fusionists and
they came very near indicting Democrats
instead of Republicans They have got
up large number of affidavits from men
of certain character telling how they
had been bought for one or two dollars
or some triAing sum. Many of these
afhdavits have been recalled by the par
ties, who made counter statements, de-
claring they had made the first affidavit
when drunk on the liquor which the
Democratic agent furnished. If man
will sell his vote for a dollar or any other
sum he is hardly the witness to appear as
public prosecutor of great party. The
whole effort to sustain the bribery charge
has been attended with disgraceful con-
duct by the men who started it and who
have Systematically bribed their witnesses
to commit perjury. These Democratic
and Greenback agents have really been
guilty themselves Of bribery, of suborna-
ton of perjury and of getting men drunk
enough to be participants in both crimes.
Seventh-Some OF the Democrats who
chuckle in private over this infamy and
do not wish to come out in square ap-
proval of it are in the habit of charging
it off against Louisiana where they al
legc the Republicans cheated the Demo-
Gratis. Well, certainly the Maine Re
publicans did not cheat the louisiana
Democrats, and even if somebody else
had done it the Maine Republicans ought
not to be made vicarious sacrifice. But
there was no cheat in louisiana. The
bulldozers and murderers of that State
were warned by law that wherever they
wrought violence in parish and destroyed
the right and power Of peaceful voting,
the parish should be thrown out. This
was the law, whether wise or unwise is
not for us to determine But It was the
law and the enforcement Of that law de-
feated Mr.. Tilden and elected President
Hayes. But where on earth is the analogy
to sustain a fraud in Maine, unless you
consider it good morals to steal my purse
in Maine because YOU think an acquaInt
ance of mine robbed your friend in Lou
isiana.
Eighth-And now we are asked with
the insolence of the highwayman making
off with stolen property what we are
going to do about it: We are pursued
with the taunt that we cannot help our
selves and are boldly told that the same
tribunal that has done the counting this
year will be in position next year to re-
peat the game, and such | have no doubt
is the deliberate intent. Success always
inspires courage and if the people of
Maine weakly submit now they will be
called upon for a still greater display of
weakness hereafter. The prizes next
year, besides that of State officers. are
five Representatives in Congress, Sena-
tor of the United States, seven Presiden
tial electors and the undisputed posses
sion of the political power Of the State
till January, 1888, as we are to have
biennial elections hereafter. Within that
time they could apportion the State into
legislative and congressional districts to
suit themselves, gerymandering at will ;
appoint the valuation commissioners who
would punish certain sections of the State
by an undue and unfair share Of taxation,
and generally run riot after the reckless
style of the administration already in
augurated. This is the treat to which
the people of Maine are invited. This is
the burden for which they are asked to
bend their backs. This is the degrada-
tion to which they are expected to sub
nit. a great popular uprising will avert
these evils and restore honest government
to Maine,-and the people are already
moving.
LETTER FROM HON. 4. P. MORRILL,.
Fellow citizens-I deeply regret my in
ability to meet with the citizens of
Augusta this evening to take counsel in
regard to the question of duty that is
forced upon the people of this State by
the recent action of the Governor and
Council whereby in the most fragrant and
unprecedented exercise Of power, in open
defiance of law they propose to change
the result of the peoples action as clearly
expressed at the polls at the September
election. They are to do this by arbitra
rily counting out sufficient number of
Republicans elect filling their places with
men on whom they rely to aid them in
carving out their reasonable purposes
and thereby continue their own political
lives instead of giving place to their
chosen successors. To this end the Gov
ernor and Council have finished their
labors. They have notified persons whom
they have selected to occupy the seats of
members chosen by the people and they
now await the consummation of this
great crime on the first Wednesday of
January next. The question arises are
conspirators to be permitted to carry out
their infamous scheme; To that ques-
ton there should be but one answer, an
indignant "No!" Every honest man, of