Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-23
SkOWHEGAN FULLY AROUSED!
Great Indignation Among the LIE.
gal Voters.
The Patriotic Voters Utter Their Protest
against Usurpation and the High Handed
Crime Of Gorernor Garceion and ms
Council.

A monster meeting of the citizens OF
Skowhegan and vicinity, was held at Coburn
Hall, Saturday evening, the 10th inst. Gen.
Isaac Dyer called the meeting to order and
read the call "Indignation Meeting at Co
burn Hall, Saturday evening, Dee. Goth. All
law-abiding citizens of Skowhegan and vicin-
ity irrespective of party affiliations, who are
opposed to the late high-handed outrage
against law, order, or common decency, re-
Gently committed at Augusta, are requested
to Assemble as above, for the purpose of Civ
ing expression to the popular feeling of the
community Ladies are especially invited to
attend"
Upon motion of Gen Dyer, Hon. James
b. Dascomb was chosen President of the
meeting. He was escorted to the platform
amid loud cheers, and thanked his fellow cit
liens for the honor they had conferred upon
him. He said. We have met to take coun-
sci together. The enormity of the wrong
that has been perpetrated against the free vot-
crs of the town, calls upon the peo-
pie to express their Indignation, the
right of suffrage has been taken
away from the people. Six hundred
voters have been DISTINGUISHED. We have no
voice in State legislation; shall we submit to
it? TCries from the floor, NO! no! never
Let us give no uncertain sound. Let us
stand by our legally elected representative,
Mr.. Steward, and see that he takes his seat ut
the State House, and maintains it. And let
the stigma now attached to the names of the
bold conspirators go down to their graves with
them.
On motion of Gen. Isaac Dyer, c. ii. kilby
and George Mitchell were elected Secretaries.
Vice Presdents-L. w. Weston, Esq. Mr..
Geo. S. Webb. Capt. A. s. Emery. lothian
Weston Esq, and Frederick Heyt, Esq. j.
o. Smith. Esq, called for the appointment OF
a Committee on Resolutions. The chair ap-
pointed J. o. Smith. Esq, r. f. Lyon, Esq,
Gen Isaac Dyer, Hon. J. p. Blunt, w. p.
Bailey, Esq. and James Fellows Esq. to
draft a set of resolutions to be presented to
the meeting.
A. G. Emery. Esq, was called to address
the meeting He was received with cheers.
Said he had addressed many public meetings
during his lifetime but never expected to be
called upon to speak at a meeting of this kind,
where his fellow citizens had assembled to
express their Indignation at the unjust actions
of the chief Executive of the State
and his Council He hardly knew how to ex-
press himself upon such a momentous sub
iect. He would speak his own sentiment,
our laws have been boldly trampled upon ;
the rights of the legal voters of our town
have been taken from them by Governor
Garcelon and his seven advisers. The I'M
righteous act ofmerely depriving Mr.. Steward
of his seat in the House of Representatives. will
not make any very essented difference with
the people of this town. There is a vital
principle beyond the mere success of men
or party The question Of law, order and
the perpetuity of the State and Nation is
what calls for action. The high officials of
the State have set aside, and trampled under
foot the laws, and their acts are applauded
by a large party of disloyal citizens. They
say the republicans ought to be count
ed out, the ballot was unconstitutional.
The law says, ''all ballots shall be
printed on clean white paper and
all ballots shall be counted after they are re-
ceived by the Selectmcn. The same size and
form of ballot was used by the republican
voters of Detroit. and why was that vote not
counted out?' Because that town gave a
demo-greenback majority. During Governor
Chamlerlain's administration something sim
liar took place, and the matter was referred
to the S. j. Court 1t decided that the law
was perfectly plain and cxplicit-'It the bal
lot is received it must be counted The law
is so plain that wayfaring man though a
fool. cannot err, unless he be wilfnl cor
rupt demo-greenbacker. We, like the Eng
lsh colonies, are having the chains of despot-
ism fastened upon us. Let us, like the peO-
pie of our mother country, arouse and break
the letters, and declare ourselves free men
and women. He did not advise them to resort
to arms, but to use every lawful means to re-
gain our rights. But we must obtain them.
g no OH hot In
this foul plot will go down to posterity like
that of Benedict Arnold, branded as traitors
and knaves. When Mr.. Emery had retired
from the platform there were loud calls for
"Webb. Webb.
BY request of the chair Hon. l.. ii. Webb,
Clerk of the Courts took the stand, and the
audience showed their appreciation of the ia
favor BY quiet and marked attention. Mr..
Webb said
'There are times when we all feel what we
are unable to express in words. Such are
my feelings tonight The causes which call
so large body of our intelligent citizens to-
gether upon this interesting andimportant &C.
cason, affect our whole country. For
fifty-nine years the legal voters of our State
have assembled at the ballot box, and ex-
pressed their preference for State and county
officers, irrespective of party, and the people
have said amen to the result. Now disloy
atty and crime of the highest order has been
committed by the Chief Executive and his
Council The laws and constitution give to
all men the right to speak and vote as they
choose. The count out of our legally elect
ed Representative to the State Legislature,
is an usurpation of the rights of the people. l
denounce this action by the Governor and
Council as high handed crime. To-day As
millions of people are lookingto Maine, to see
if its loyal citizens will calmly submit to this
gross outrage. hope the republicans will
do their duty, and 1 know they will.
Governor Garcelon did not steal the State
merely to give few men offices whose salary
is too small to support them. No, there is
something behind this. 1t is for the purpose
of getting control of the government; to kill
out the principles attained by free schools,
free speech, free press and free government.
And if allowed to carry out their nefarious
plans, the people will be deprived of all those
inestimable rights and privileges vouchsafed
TO them by their fathers. The executives
have forgotten that the government is of the
people by the people and for the people. The
gross fraud perpetrated upon the people is
plainly seen in the form of the blanks for
making up the returns sent out to cities with
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