Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-01-04
DaiIp Aennebet Journal.
Augusta, Saturday Morn'g, Jan. 4, 1879.
The Governor Question Settled.

The much discussed question, Nno
will be Governor of Maine ? was settled
Yesterday by the election of ALONZO
GARCELON, of Lewiston, the democratic
candidate for Governor in the last cam
paign. The vote in the House upon the
names to be sent up to the Senate was
Connor and Robbie. Ga votes. Garcelon and
Smith, 50 votes.-a strict party result, all
the republicans voting for Connor and
Robe, all the democrats and greenbackers
for taarcelon and Smith. The names OF
Garcelon and Smith were therefore sent
to the Senate, where the ballot resulted II
for Garcelon and 10 for Smith, the repub-
lcans voting solid for Garcelon and the
opposition for Smith. with the exception
of Mr.. Madigan. who cast his vote for
Garcelon. And SO Alonzo Garcelon is
elected Governor of Maine for the year
1879.
The course of the republicans in the set
Element of this difficult and peculiar ques-
ton of the Governorship-and particular
~ VI tlt Va INV ANh"'N -
worthy of the commentator of every
good citizen in the State. The republican
members of the Senate had a most I'M
pleasant duty to perform. They had
voted in September against both the men,
one of whom they have elected Governor.
But they felt that it was their duty
under the constitution to vote for
one or the other of the names presented
to them by the House, and they
manfully performed that duty, without re-
gard to their political or personal feelings
towards the candidates or the slanderous
statements made by the oppposition press
that they would be controlled in their ac-
ton by venal or factous motives. All
honor to the republican senators for the
fidelity with which they discharged the I'M
pleasant obligation devolved upon them.
Their choice of Garcelon in preference
to Smith turned solely upon the sounder
position upon the money question which
Garcelon occupied in the campaign than
did Smith Honest money was the lead
ing question in the campaign. The re-
publcans accepted it rs their platform.
They fought the campaign upon that issue.
Every other question was subordinate.
Old issues were scarcely mentioned dur
ing the contest. Mr.. Smith was the recog-
nized, accepted candidate of those who
clamored and voted for fiat money. Mr.
Garcelon and his supporters claimed for
him that he was in favor of honest money,
and therefore as between him and Smith,
the money question having been supreme
in the campaign and Mr.. Smith being I'M
derstood to stand now upon the Lewiston
greenback platform, there was but one
thing for honest money senators to do,
that was, to elect Garcelon.
Mr. Garcelon, the Governor elect of the
State, was born in Lewiston in 1913. He
graduated from Bowdoin College in 1886.
In 1859 he graduated from the Medical
College of Ohio. after which he returned
to Lewiston, where he has been in the
practice of his profession up to the present
time. He has been a member of the leg
islature, Mayor of Lewiston, Surgeon
General of the State during the rebellion,
and was the democratic candidate for Con-
gress in the Second Congressional district
in 1863. He was formerly republican,
but for several years has been an unwav-
ering democrat.
With the gubernatorial succession set
tied, and the subordinate offices parceled
out, the Legislature is ready to go on with
the general business of the session. 1t is
due to the republican senator's, who the
democratic organs announced would be
refractory, rebellious, trafficking, contuma-
cious and obstructive body, to say that they
have been Just the reverse, and Legislation
has not proceeded faster it has not been
their fault. Even the President of the Senate.
who was represented as being very anx-
ious to occupy the Governors chair, has
been contented to remain modestlv at his
post in the Senate chamber. doing what he
could to hasten the work of the session.