The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-29
THE MAINE MUSs.

eters is down coquetting with zero and
the disreputable negative qualities below,
while the temperature of the people is
up among the "nineties" and rising.
And this torrid state of the popular
temperature is all about an election.
1t would seem that the thermal inau-
ences of contested election might be
economically utilized to overcome the
rigors of cold winter. As manifested
in Maine it proves to be the ''sovereignest
thing on earth" to evolve caloric in the
human system. Under its heating effects
there the price of coal and pine knots
ought to decline. For, despite the low
register of their Thermometers, the peo-
pie of that frigid zone are just now
"red hot"
From what can be gathered at this dis
tance it would seem that Maine has had
two elections, one by the people and an
other by Governor Garcelon and his six
Councillors. Some think that this is one
too many. And, unfortunately for gen.
eral satisfaction, these two elections diff
fer materially as to results. The election
held by the people gave the Republicans
legislative majority in both branches;
the election held by the Governor and
Council reversed this, and gaye the "Fu-
sionists' a majority in both branches.
To effect this result thirty-seven Repub-
lican members had to be counted out;
and so it was done, eight from the Sen
ate and twenty-nine from the House.
And this it is that has so raised the tenn
perature Of the people of Maine in mid
winter.
The people assemble in mass meetings
and "indignate" with great fervor and
vehemence. Their delegates requested
to see the returns before the final count
was declared. The Governor and his
Council couldn't think of permitting it.
The people appealed to the Courts for
authority to inspect the returns in the
Governors hands. The Courts decided
that they had no power to direct or con-
troll an Executive act. Thereupon the
people assemble and indignate more
fiercely than before; and send their in
dignation to the Governor for his prayer
full perusal.
Bat Governor Garcelon informs the
sovereigns that he is obeying the law;
and that indignation on paper is not
dynamite, and don't hurt. The scrutin-
izing Governor and his six microscopic
Councillors find that, in the returns from
Pennington, "the total number Of ballots
was inaccurately stated by an obvious er-
ror in adding" The returns showed
that S42 ballots had been cast. On ex-
amining the ballots it was found that 4
of them had no name on for Representa-
tive; the ballots were there as printed,
but the blanks for names had not been
filled. So, instead of correcting the
"obvious error in adding" by deducting
the 4 blank ballots, leaving S3S, the Gov
ernor and Council threw out the whole
S42, good and bad together, and gave
their election to Democrat who, out of
81 votes in another precinct, had re-
ceived IA, just one vote of majority.
Thereby the Republican Representative
was eliminated" as they called it.
So toe, in the returns from Danforth.
the scrutinizing Governor and micro
scopic Council found that Charles A..
Rolfe had been voted for correctly by that
name on all the ballots cast for him.
But the Town Clerk had returned the
vote as cast for Charles Rolfe. The
Governor and Council decided that
Charley "must CO." And 50 another
Republican was eliminated"
Again, the returns from Webster
showed the election of Thomas, Re-
publican, over Beal, a Democrat; but the
Governor and Council rejected the re-
turns on the ground that the names of
the three election judges seemed to
have all been signed by one person." and
accordingly gave their election to Beal.
So another Republican was eliminated"
And so on for quantity. ..
As to this latter elimination, it is
learned that the three election judges
have since joined in an affidavit stating
that Teach signed the returns for him.
SELF" showing that the Governor and
Council would not answer as experts in
the matter of handwriting.
Under the glow of torrid temperature
produced by this kind Of friction, some
of the people made rather hot-blooded
allusion, in their meetings, to resistance
by violent means. Learning of this, the
Governor sent young man with verbal
order to bring the State arms and ammu-
milton from the arsenal at Bangor to
Augusta, the Capital. The arms and
munitions of war, to the amount of one
hundred and twenty muskets, and car
tridpes to match. were handed over to