The daily gazette., 1879-11-14
THIRD EDITION
Tne March of Fraud.

fraud in political parties. IL ero"s
an,ce like all i'll weeds, and II seems W
make every place its temple. Inc car
nst-hag Returning Boards Of the oou,h
so fa,nilarized the country Win the
fraudulent perv, rsion Of the honest 'o'e
of the ne, pie, aud they have peeh 80
generally sanctioned by the party 'na'
seemed to profit by their shame that ,ne
yreat mass of party men have ceaseu 70
be annalled by fraud, unless IL assaiis
cir own rights or prejudices. AS WAS
acct natural, with a growing indliier-
ence to fraud among poiitieal ieaue's,
finally reached terrible climax ii re-
iectlng man elected to The fresiuehey
by quarter of a million majority anu
giving the position to the defeated can
didate. Since then fraud seems 10 De
retarded as stronger than tns people oi
their law, and the chief study OF poll
ticians now is to facilitate rather tLan
ovar,brow the efforts of those partizans
who summon CRIME as factor III polltl-
cl struggles. A. H.,
comes up from Maine and II 1t Is con-
templated as il apprehendrd by the ke-
publicans, il would be most AWKWARD
and disgraceful imitation OF the Loui.i-
ana Returning Board in falsiiylng the
returns to elect Governor AID Legs
la,ure. IL would involve no more Vlo-
lence to law and justice, but it would
much more offend the honest sehtim-ht
of all parties, because the puplie Is not
prepared TO regard such men as Govern'
or Garcelon and his Council as unn u
gated electoral thieves. AT the late
election in Ma he, Davis, Repub'ican,
received 6S,463 votes Smlsh, Green
back. 47,5IO; Garcelon, Democrat, 2l,-
ll6 and Bradbury, Democrat, ada SC Il
t.ring 311. Notwithstanding Mr.
Davis majority of more Than twenty
thou and over his highest competitor
and more than double as much over
Garcelon, the present Governor, the pc
culiar laws of Maine say that there is
no election, and the House must noml-
nate two of the four highest candidates
to the Senate, and the Senate will @ ect.
In the House the Republicans have 9l
members TO 10 OF all shades OF opposl
sion, and The Senate stands 10 Republi-
cars and II oppos tion. The Governor
who was the late Democratic candidate
anu his W blNi 10 INih ~ a. ~
or Fusion, are required to compute Tue
vote for Senators and Representatives
and give certificates TO those who, OIL
the face of the returns, shall appear Il
be chosen" : hus the power is confer
red upon he present Democra ic author
ity of the State TO issue certificates u
such Senators al il shall decide to h'
elected; but it has ever been assume'
that the computation would be honestl.
made and the result honestly declared
1t is intimateL, however, that tn
Democratic Returning Board OF Man
will. on Monday next, when the vote
to be certified, reject sufficient returns
displace four or more undoubtedly elect
ed Republican Senators, and give certlt
Gates to the Democratic or Fusion d,
feated candidates. Such action woul
give the counted-in Senators the priin
facie right to the seats, and as the R'
publican Hou.e can send but ole Re
publican candidate for Governor to IL
Senate, because three of the four highe
Candidates are of the opposition, Den
ocratic or Greenback Governor would
elected for another year, before tie Sci
ate could purge Itself Of its Returnll
Board usurpers
Such monsterous defiance of verd
OF the people has worked we'll, appare
ly, tor the Republicans in the South; b
the election of Democratic or Fuse
administration in Maine by the nc
abandoned and coufessedly infamO
Louisiana system, would be cos'llest vi
tory that any party achieved. There "
some excuse for Chdracterlcss ddventuI
and dependent pluuderers thus defran
ing Sta es out Of their chosen ufhcets, i
the carpet>bagger and the scalawag Ia
no hing To lose and they were me- iical
in the face of power; but Govern
Graceloa, whose past HE and present
inistration are esteemed as highly
putable by the people OF all parties, /
better perish 10y the hand Of the suici
than thus invoke the hisslng scorn
every decent citizen of his State.
course, there are the usual excuses
ready made y hich the electoral thief
fers as his apology. There are the saI
reports appa emily authenticated as
political reports can be authenticated
that were gath, red up 10y hired acct
plices in Florida, South Carolina
Louisiana 10 shield The Returning BE
from uniniXod lufamy. We hear
fraud rau rot at he late Maine elect
that operdtlv and laborers were int
dated; that th idle am the veual v
and that Republican power, money
aud defeated the opposition. Doub
there are shades of u nth IN ali these
cuAations, as Is the case IN all wal
contested elections; but no sane
doubts that the Republicans have e
ed their majoriues in tue Senate
House with reasonable fairness, and
II one side exceeded the other IA the
proper control of votes, II was sill
Because Its lie ources were greater
not because the Inclination OF the
was less. But, assuming that there
such charges of fraud AS demand
sid ration, the law fecides thu pl
tlbuDal topass upon them, anu thai
unal Is not The Governor and bis Go
Ii is their duty to compute The vote
certify who, on the face of the It
'.appears to be elected" They can
upon towns TO correct any irregnii
defective form n the return, but
possess no udleial powers; and AN.
tempt to revise or reject returns
he a shameless fraud and reckless
patton oi fui hidden authority.
Il.