The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-31
THE PENNINGTON CASE.
One Of the Strangest Of Many
Strange Cases.
The Fusion Selectmen Swear That
the Returns were Made in Open
Town Meeting.

AS soon as the result of the count was de-
claTed Mr.. L. Warren. Merrill, clerk of the
town of Pennington, wrote to the Secretary of
! State to know the specific objections on which
the ret urns from his town had been thrown
! out. He received reply from Deputy Secre-
tary of State Sawyer that members of the
| Council told him that the return did not
agree with itself: that there were more ballots
| than votes" Sawyer also said that "there was
| evidence that the record was not properly
made, but whether this was considered or not
he did not know" Not the slightest intima-
ton was made that there was any question
raised as to the making up of the returns in
open town meeting On receiving this letter
Mr.. Merrill sent communication to the Lew
iston Journal explaining that the ballots ex-
ceeded the votes because four men cut off the
the name Of the candidate for Representative
and left the words "For Representative. Mr..
Merrill counted these pieces of paper with the
tho name cut off as four ballots as they really
were, and of course the ballots exceeded the
votes by four. The explanation was so conclu-
sive that even the Council was convinced of its
own stupidity, and the next time it said any
thing about the Pennington return it alleged
new reason for throwing it out
The official report of the Council was
begun day or two after the count was declared
A PRESS reporter sat by the side of Councillor
John B. Foster as he was writing it and as he
finished sheet copied it off and sent it by tel
egraph to the PRESS Immediately. Council
lor Foster stopped after he had accounted for
A
Somerset, Waldo, Washington, Cumberland
and York counties. In looking over that re-
port three towns win be found, the votes of
which were thrown out because there were
more ballots than votes. 1t was given out
that the balance OF the report would be made
the next day But when the next day came it
began to be whispered that the completion of
the report was to be postponed. That report
was never completed, but a new one was
made which was telegraphed to fusion papers
last Saturday. In that report the plea that
the ballots exceeded the votes which Cou neil
lor Foster made frequent use of disappears.
The letter of the clerk of the town of Farm
ington had opened the Councillors eyes and
they abandoned that excuse. Pennington
which several Councillors assured Deputy
Secretary of State Sawyer, was thrown out be-
cause the ballots exceeded the votes appears
in that report as thrown out because the re-
turn was not made up in open town meeting.
Now where did tho Council get the evidence
to sustain this allegation? The most natural
source of it would be the selectmen, and as
they were all fusionists they certainly could be
depended on to furnish all the aid in their
power to count out Republican. Did the
Council get it from them? Let the following
afidavits speak for themselves:
PENNINGTON, Dec. 20, 1879.
AT the election held in this town on the Sth day
of September was present, with the exception of
few minutes at noon from the opening of the polls
till the returns were sealed
The returns were made up signed and sealed in
my presence and in tie presence of all the select
and of the town clerk. Each officer signed
the several returns with his hand, each for
himself. The returns were then sealed up in open
Signed CD. RUSSELL,
Selectman of Pennington.
FRANKLIN, S.: Dec. 20, 1879
Personally appeared G. b. Russell, above named,
and made oath that the above statement by him
signed is true.
Before ME, j. G. HOLMAN,
Justice of the Peace
FARMINGToN Dec. 20, 1879.
AT the election held in this town on the eight
day of September last, was present, except few
minutes for dinner, from the opening of the polls
till the returns were sealed.
the presence OF the full board of selectmen and the
town clerk in open town meeting.
Each selectman signed each return with his own
hand each for himself, and each in the presence OF
the rest of the board, after the return had been
made up.
The returns were then attested by the town clerk
and sealed up in open town meeting in my presence
and in the presence of the full board Of seectmen
(Signed) 4. G. PERKINS,
Selectman Of Pennington.
STATE OF MAINE.
FRANKLIN, IS: Dec. n, 1879.
Personally appeared T. C: Perkins above named
signed is true.
Before me, JAMES B. sEvEEy,
Justice OF the Peace.
FARNINGroN, Dee. 20, 1879.
hereby certify that filed ur-3e blank returns
for Governor Senator County officers and Repre-
senatiyes TO tae Legislature at the election held IN
open town meeting, in the presence of the full
board of seectmen; that the returns were carefully
compared by che selectmen with the list OF the
persons voted for, with the number of votes for
each person against his name;'' that each of the
selectmen signed said returns. each with his own
hand in the presence Of the Others and in my pre-
sence and in open town meeting; that attested said
returns and sealed them up in their respective
were in my possession until deposited them in the
post Office the next morning, and that them
put into the mail bag with the 1 seals un6roken:
STATE OF MAINE.
Personally appeared L. Warren Merrill above
named and ma lie oath that the foregoing affidavit
by him signed is true.
Before me, JAMES B. SEyERY,
Justice of the Peace.
The affidavit of the third selectman was not
obtained simply because he lived some miles
from Pennington village aud could not be
reached without much inconvenience. Here
then is the majority of Fusion board OF
selectmen and the town clerk swearing that the
return which the Council says it threw out be-
cause it was not made up in open town meet
ing, agaS made up in open town meeting and
was in every respect regular. The citizens of
the town of Pennington and the citizens Of
the whole State as well want an explanation of
this matter. Can the Council give any?