New-York tribune., 1879-12-20
RnLLDOZLNG ~ MINE.

While voters of Maine, including q great
many of the honest and intelligent Demo
crats are organizing methods for a public
EXPRESSION of their Indignation at the trick by
which entire towns and cities have been dis
franchised scme of the politicians and party
newspapers are attempting to defend the
fraud with disingenuousness almost incred-
jble. The Hon. +. f. PnlsbuIy, for example,
who is charged in the Milne newspapers with
the authorship of tie counting-Out scheme,
published manifesto, asserting that the
"appaTent Republican majority for members
&" of the Legislature was occasioned by whole
I" sale systematic bribery, bulldozing and
fraud.r He admits that the Governor and
Council did not make these outrages the os-
tcnsibe basis of their action, but the majori
ties having been unfairly obtained they were
morally justified in taking advantage Of all
technical imperfec;iOns IN the returns in order
to overthrow them.
This gives up the whole case. To begin
with, Mr. Pnlsbury's charge Of Wholesale
systematic bribery. bulldozing and fraud p"
is false and absurd on its face. The Demo
Gratis made numerous accusations of bribery
as soon as it appeared thlt they were de-
feated on the popular vote. and some investl-
CATIONS were set on foot ; but the result was
a collapse of all the charges and a demonstra-
ton that the Republican campaign had been
conducted by strictly legitimate methods. II
there had been any bribery, either wholesale
and systematic or retail and irregular, the
law provided punishment Tor the crime and
a remedy for those who were cheated by it.
The Democrats would not resort TO the legal
method of correcting such wrong because they
had no proof of the offence. and their leaders
probably did not believe in their secret hearts
that any offence had been committed. Moth
ing is more common than for defeated candi-
dates to attribute their failure TO the use of
money on the other sIde but this is the
first time the vague murmurs of the disap-
pointed have been held to justify the dis
franchisement Of the successful party. And if
the accusation of bribery is mere reckless
defamation, what shall we say of Mr. Pills
bury's statement that the Democratic voters
of Maine were bulldozed"? According to
his story they constituted a majority in the
towns and districts where the results of the
election were fraudulently and violently taken
away from them. Does Mr.. Pillsbury ask us
to believe that Radical minority established
such reign Of terror In Portland, Bath, Saco,
Rockland, Pennington, Lewiston, Skowhegan,
Durham, Newcastle, Wilton. Searsport, and
so on, that the Democracy of those towns
were obliged either to stay away from the
polls or to vote for men whom they detested7
What do the sturdy farmers and lumbermen
think of this plea that is set up for them
Will a single one of them acknow-
edge that be was afraid to vote AS
he likcdi We have heard of Southern Rife
Clubs terrifying and sometimes shooting timid
and ignorant negroes; we know that it has
been the custom in the redeemed" States to
place a shotgun guard around the polls by
way of maintaining the white mans Govern
ment; but if there has been any bnldozing in
Maine, where it is supposed that people un-
derstand pretty well how TO defend them
selves, we want to know how it was done. In
case any set of men should ever feel disposed
to try the effect of terrorism on Maine voters,
whether Democrats or Republicans, we confess