The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-12-23
The Political Trouble in Maine.

The Governor and Council of Maine, who
act as returning board, or body OF State
canvassers, have used the letter of the law
to defeat the manifest intention of the
voters. They have not merely thrown out
votes when the full name was not correctly
printed on the ballots, but whole towns
have been DISTINGUISHED for the most
trivial clerical errors of local officers. In
cases where the ballots for republican
candidate were perfectly correct and regu-
lar, and n careless town clerk, after giving
the full name in the body of his return.
substituted the initials OF the Christian
name in the appended summary trivial
informality which the face of the return
both disclosed and furnished the means Of
correcting-all the votes for that candidate
were rejected, although correct in form
when deposited and although legally
counted and certified by the selectmen of
the town. By wholesale sharp prac-
tice of similar description republican
majority of seven in the Senate and twenty
nine in the House has been transformed,
under color of strict adherence to the law,
into fusion majority of nine in the SEN
ate and seventeen in the House. AS the
choice of Governors thrown into the Legis-
lature the political complexion of the en-
tire State government is changed and the
election Of a democratic Senator of the
United States rendered possible. It is no
wonder that the republican party of Maine
is in state OF boiling Indignation.
What ho ravv,a1u2 10 not o1oo~ that
there is any effective remedy, although
several have been suggested. The most
desperate that has been named is that of
redressing the wrong by force. This would
only make a bad matter worse. The method
by which it has been proposed to bring on
the collision is for the republican majority
who were really elected to assemble as q
Legislature, proceed to organize and resist
by force if an attempt is made to disperse
them; all this to be done with view to in
woke the interpretation OF the President under
the federal law for suppressing domestic
violence in State. But there are great
difficulties in the way. In the first place,
no member can legally hold Seat and take
part IN the organization unless he holds q
Legislature so irregular and illegal could
not make valid application TO the Presi-
dent, and it is not probable that he would
comply with one from such a source. It
would be unwise for the republicans to re-
sort to such device at the risk of civil
war. In spite of some rash advisers the
republicans will not have recourse to SO
desperate remedy.
The action Of the Governor and Council
is not by law final determination Of the
title Of members to seats. Each house for
itself is the constitutional judge of the cleo
ton and qualifications Of its own members
It is in the power of the Legislature to re-
dress all the injustice that has been com.
mitted; but the Legislature cannot act
on this subject until it is organ
lied, and as only those who have
received the Governors certificates can par
! ticipate in the organization the claims Of
| the rejected republicans will be passed
upon by the Fictitious fusion majority.
| The chance of redress from this source
seems, therefore, unpromising, but 1t is the
only source from which legal redress can
| come. If there can be found fvo fusionists
| in the Senate and nine in the House fair
minded enough to vote with the republi-
cans on matters which ought to
be decided in o judicial spirit, JUS
tice may be done and the inten-
tons Of the voters respected and for
aught we can see this is tue only hope. We
suppose the indignation meetings in Maine
are held with q view to create public SEN
timent which will make it easy for b small
number of fusionists in each House to rise
above party in a matter which appeals SO
strongly to the sense of personal and polit-
ical honor. This effort will be strength
ened by the course Of number of demo-
cratic journals outside the State that de-
| nounce the action of Governor Garcelon.