Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-18
THE COUNTING OUT
CONSPIRACY.

The full details of the count made by the
Governor and Council Of the election returns
show the following result:
In the Senate the fusionists are given 20
members and the republicans IL.
In the House the fusionists are given 70
representatives, the republicans 6l and five
cities with twelve representatives. Portland,
Bath, Lewiston, Rockland and Saco are dis
franchised. The House will thus be twelve
members short at its organization.
The actual result of the election, accord
ing to the official returns before they were
changed by the council, was as follows: In
the Senate the republicans had 10 members
and the fusionists IL. IN the House the re-
publicans had 80 representatives and the flu
sionists 81. The Governor and Council
counted cut 8 Senators who were elected,
and counted in fusion candidates who were
defeated, as follows: Two senators in York
county, three senators in Cumberland cOun-
ty, one senator in Franklin county, one SEN
ator in Lincoln county, one senator in WASH
ington county.
This makes net change Of sixty-two-eight
in the Senate. ID-tho House they counted
out seventeen republicans who were elected.
and counted in seventeen fusion candidates
who were defeated in the following districts
Durham, Haynesville, Sherman, Newcastle,
boro', Norway, Exeter, Lebanon, Skowhe-
gan, Smithfield, Princeton, Cherryfeld,
Perry and Searsport.
The House, as elected, gave 30 majority to
gives II majority to the fusionists-a net
change of 46.
BY the election returns the republicans
had majority of SO on joint ballot. As
counted by the Governor and Council the
fusonists have a majority of &c Oil joint bal
lot. The Governor and Council have thus,
by their mode of counting, made net change
of 62 in the two branches.
There is not single instance, either in the
Senate or the House, where they have counted
out fusionist and counted in republican,
or where they have declared a fnsionist not
elected who was reported as chosen the morn
ing after the election. As there has been
some dispute on this point an agent of the
Associated Press has critically examined the
list counted in, and he reports with absolute
confidence that the changes are only in re-
publican districts, both in the Senate and in
the House. The Council state that they
found no error in any fusion district either of
Senate or House, of sufficient note to cause
their rejection 1t was only in republican
districts that errors of any magnitude &C.
Cured. The difficulty of securing access to
the returns ever since the result was an
nounced, renders it difficult to give the cause
of rejection in all the cases. The cause in
four cities is fully set forth in Mr.. Wake
fields letter, sent herewith. Portland was
thrown out because the word scattering
was used in the return from single ward to
cover few votes, and was thus embodied in
the return.
In Skowhegan the republican ballot had
the names printed in two columns instead of
one and tor this offence five hundred and
and ninety-ive votes were thrown out. The
statute forbids the Council to take any no.
tice of the character OF the ballot after the
officers receive it-but the Council set the
law aside as unconstitutional. In the Farm
ington district the entire vote of Pennington
was thrown out because the total number of
ballots was inaccurately stated by an obvious
-. IL H. ~
can candidate 437 votes, and the fusion can
didate 40l votes, a republican majority Of
80. The little plantation of Perkins classed
with Pennington gave the republican candi-
fourteen. Throwing out Pennington, the
Council declared the fusonist elected by one
majority.
1t is not practicable to give in full detail
out in all the seventeen districts. But a
member of the Republican Advisory Com
mittee, now present, desires to have it stated
that in no single instance has it appeared be-
fore the Governor and Council that a false
or fraudulent republican vote was cast in any
city or town, or that any vote was returned
differently from the intention and desire of
the voter, or that the returns did not on the
whole and in detail represent the precise re-
suit as it was counted and declared in open
town meeting, throughout the State. The re-
jections and changes were wholly on techni-
cal grounds. every one of which could have
been readily corrected according to uniform
practice of the State administrations of all par
ties in the past, and according to precise direc-
tons of statute. Gov Garcelon and Coun-
Gil disregarded the precedents and set the
law aside as unconstitutional.
Some inquiry having been made as to how
the Governor and Council are divided be-
tween the democrats and greenbackers, it is
proper to state that Gov. Garcelon ran as
democrat and that two members of his coun-
ell, Brown and Monroe, have been demo-
Gratis. The remaining five members Of his
Council are greenbackers.
The following letter from James w. Wake
field of Bath will explain itself:
AUGUSTA, Maine, Dec. II, 1879.