The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-12-25
The Pine Tree State Aroused.

At the Indignation meeting held in Augusta,
Ma1ne,on the lvtn, Senalor bane was loudly called
for, and LOOK the platiorm amid the widest dem
onstratlens. Hetnen reviewed at great length
and with minuteness the grievances OF which the
people complain, saying that on the 9th OF Sep
TENDER last the voters OF Maine. In pursuance OF
their organic law, p7oceeded TO eject Governor
and Senators ana kepres entatlves IN the Legisla-
ture, me eiec'lon was preceded Dy prolonged
tnorougn ana somewhat exciting canvass OF Inc
state. hon. Anson Z. Morfiii toid me that he had
been 1or ni1y-nVe consecutive years IN Maine and
did not pe'leve tnere mad ever been year in
which every citizen OF The state knew 50 we'll
Just wnat ne lntended py MS vote as IN the cleo
ton OF 1879. Ihat Would De the testimony OF
every hohest ana candla man IN the state. The
Vote was iuii' Tree anu iair Ihe result OF mat
election, as SHOWN ny the onciai returns, was TO
| give inc hepupHcan cahuloate 1or governor a
plurality OF 2i'OoO votes over the Greenback Can
didate, and OF 460oO over the Democratic cand-
date In the Legislature, by the official returns,
| the Republicans chose 10 Senators and the oppo-
sition IL Senators, and in the House the Re publ
cans chose 9omembers and the opposition 6l.-
On the Legislative ticket the Republicans had an
] absolute majority OF nearly 5000 on the popular
vote. This was the result as shown by the official
returns made blythe city and town clerks, and
| Immediately made public by the Secretary Of
| State,
When the sealed returns were opened some were
| later to be counted by the Governor and Council.
They disclosed the same result that had been
| published from the clerks returns and common
honesty and common decency. to say nothing of
official integrity. required that the men chosen by
the people should be declared elected. and receive
their certifcatee, but the Governor and council
have declared otherwise, and in collision with
| ~ l..
spiracy to change the result and deprive ting peo-
pie of their choice, and then began the remarka-
BILE count, which has just closed, to the lasting
| dishonor and disgrace of all who had part or
lot in it, They be gan to discover fatal defects
as Governor Garcelop termed tn en- in the RETURNS
from Rep ablican towns Here and there an Il. was
| not dotted. or a ct, not crossed. or a man had a
sir left of his name or the initial letter Of his
| middle name was wrong, or the ballot that elect
ed him had the names printed at right angles to
| the narrow side when they sh 1uld ave been
parallel or the signature of all the town officers
| to the acute eye OF single councillor without
any other evidence were written in the same
hand or the total numb Der of votes was not filled
out in the right part of tn election blank or one
OF the town officers was an alien or the selectmen
were permitted to swear away their own return
| by ex parte affidavtts although thew had once
| sworn the return was sealed in open town meet
| ing they now swear it was not or the return of
cities was signed by only three alderme inst Sc
| cording to the blank sent out from the office of
| the Secretary of State after being nrenarad az a
| trap or pitfall These and numerous other mi
| nor points of like value were freely used to de-
| stroy the popular vote and maintain in power the
party and the men whom the people have reject
ed. The result OF the whole of this pitifnl and
| wicked pettifoeeine was 10 change a Rennhlican
majority of in the Senate and % in the House tn
afusion majority of 9 in the Senate and 10 in the
House.with republican cities completely disfran-
| chised and denied nv the Govarnor and conncil