The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-16
IS1T TELEGRAPH.
A STOLEN STATE.
THE THEFT OF THE LEGIS-
LATURE EFFECTED.
The Republican Majority in
Both Branches Counted Out.
PROSPECT OF A DUAL LEGIS-
LATURE.



AUGUSTA Dec 15.--No doubt is longer en-
tertained here of the purpose of the Governor
and Council to return a fusion majority in both
branches of the Legislature. The leading
fusionists in this city are open and exultant in
their assurances that the Executive and his
advisors have determined upon counting out
seven Republican Senators elect and thirty or
more Representatives. The most trivial de-
fects will be taken advantage of, the correc-
tons provided for by the act of 1877 will not
be permitted, and the Council will go behind
the returns whenever they find that course
necessary to unseat the Republicans to whom
they have decided to refuse certificates. 1t is
quite probable that few fusion towns will be
thrown out in order to give an appearance Of
impartiality to the proceeding.
1t is reported and currently believed that
certificates have already been issued to 70 fus-
ion Representatives and 20 fusion Senators,
giving a fusion majority of nine in the Senate
and seven in the House were there no vocan-
cies, But it is understood that in the House
Is seats will be left vacant, those from Port
land, Lewiston, Augusta, Rockland, Bath,
Saco and Hallowell. This gives % maioriy in
tue IlUuSc tLu IL Ou JOllt UdllOb' 4iiO NdOoH
cies will not be filed until the Governor and
other state officers are chosen. The plan is to
make j. L. Smith Governor and send Garce-
Ion where he belongs-over the river 1t is
then the purpose of the fusion leaders to I'M
dertake partisan bribery investigation, on
the strength of which they expect to seat fus-
ion candidates for Reprta tives from the
seven disfranchised cities. Some time during
the session the state will be re-districted, or
rather gerrymandered after the Ohio plan
This, of course, is in the interest of Pillsbury,
who hopes to sit in the United States Senate
by the side of the Rebel Brigadie1s with whom
he so warmly sympathized during the war.
The contaminated theft is the topic of con-
versation in the city. While the leading fus-
ionists are jubilant over its success not a few
of the rank and file of the Democrats and
Greenbackers strongly express their disappro-
baton and express the opinion that the action
of the Council will give the stale to the Re-
publicans by an overwhelming majority next
fall. The Republicans are thoroughly indig-
nant, and there is much talk of summoning
the Republican Senators and Representatives
elect and forming Legislature. Public senti-
ment sets strongly in that direction.
From members of the Council nothing can
be ascertained. They decline to say whether
or not they have taken the action imputed to
them. But other fusionists are not so reticent,
and declare that the certificates have been is
sued as stated above in my despatch. They
defy the courts and say the Republicans have
no remedy. The steal is ''offset to louisiana"
they declare.
ITO the Associated Press.
The Opinion in Washington.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.-The talk among
Maine politicians here is that if Gov. Garce-
Ion attempts to carry out his revolutionary
scheme the Republican members Of the Legis-
lature will refuse to recognize snch action as
constitutional, but meet and proceed to organ
ize the Legislature, recognizing such Republic
cans as may be denied their certificates by the
Governor.
BOSTON, Dec. 15.-Dispatches from Augusta
assert that count has been made by the
Governor and Council of election returns
which will result in delivering certificates to-
morrow to sufficient number of Democrats to
give that party majority of both branches
The dispatches assert great feeling among the
OWlUS W tulS COlululOl VI dudiio,
The Advertisers special from Augusta says:
"The Republican majority in both branches of
the Legislature has been counted out. The
Republican members have been counted down
from 80 to IS and Democrats counted up from
81 to 49,"
1t is claimed this was done on technicalities
and informalities in the returns.
The Senate under the count will have
Democratic majority of nine, there being I'M
der the count twenty Democratic Senators and
eleven Republican Senators. The Governor
and Council count out three Senators from
Cumberland, one each from York, Lincoln
ard Washington and two from Androscoggin
The Democrats will have majority large
enough for quorum in the absence of all Re-
publican members.
They have thrown out Republican Repre-
sentatives from Portland, Bath, Saco, Rock
lane and Lewiston and other places sufficient
to make vacancies in fourteen Representative
districts