Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-31
From the New York Tribune.
- Sort al MildeW,"

Dr. Alonzo Garcelon j. the present Gov
ernor of Maine by virtue of having been third
on the list Of candidates voted for at the cleo
ton in 1873, and having been selected by
republican State Senate as choice of evils
between himself and Mr.. Smith, the green
back candidate. One cannot help wondering
what sort of man Smith must be, that Gar
cclon shonld have been preferred to him.
Doubtless Garcclon has developed his capac-
itv since the choice was made. Holding
an Office for which only a ptiful minority of
the voters of Maine supported him, it
is not strange perhaps that he should hold
maiorties in something like contempt Be
ing Governor in spite of them, why. he rea-
sons. should he not continue 50? Or if not
he. some other representative Of beaten
minority? And if the people of Maine have
submitted for a year to the rule of minority
Governor. why should they not submit to the
counting in of a minority Legislature, the
election of minority State officers and a
minority United States Senator? So Garce-
lon and his co-consprators have counted out
the republican majority in the Legislature
and made their arrangements to steal the
State. All within the forms oflaw, ofcourse.
aud upon tcchnicalities which. with rolling
eyes and hands upon their hearts, th9y sol
omnlv vow they cannot conscientiously dis
regard That republican Legislature was
elected they do not deny. hut there are as
not dotted and Is not crOsscd in the returns,
which they say makes them by the Constitu-
ton fatally detective. 1--WE could not
tranlple on the Constitution, you know.
saw they with leer. And when their atten-
ton is called TO a statute law which meets the
case and empowers them to amend the tech
meal defects, they answer at once, ION, that
law is unconstitutional.
Ii is an old habit of these people to use the
letter of the Constitution to stab the State.
They tried it on large scale in 1861. when
they clamored that the Federal Constitution
not ONLY did not contain the principal of self
preservation. but that it actually offered
! shield aud defence TO its assaiants. But
even under this claim of a constitutional right
TO defeat the will of the ma ority. it is not be-
! licved that they can sustain themselves. Inc
whole business has been characterized by
such indubitable signs of a rascally plot on
the part of the Governor and Council to steal
the State: they all point clearly to pre-
meditated purpose and prepared plan; and
the condolences are so striking and signifi-
cant that even upon their technical defence
they feel that the weight ofpnblic opinion Is
overw helmingly against them. They have
been especially called upon 10 explain the re-
markabe fact that the returns have been
! found fatally defective only in such cases as
would result in the defeat of republican can
didates. The latest effort-in this direction is
! in "A letter from Governor Garcelon,
published yesterday, in which he says
Every wear there have been defective re-
turns reiected-that is, not counted-for
..non-compiancc with constitutional or legal
ssproviSiOns" lie neglects to state the fact
that this i the first time in the history of the
State that legally and fairly elected najori-
ty in the Legislature has been reversed upon
such technicalites; perhaps because it is so
well known. "But this year. he adds. sin
addition TO the usual occurrences in this di
ERECTION, a sort of mldew or epidemic seems
ito have infected several of our larger ''cit-
les" "a sort of midew' Well, we should
saw So And he might have added that it was
A ..sort of mildew" that was engendered i'm
the filth of the Office of Eben F. Pillsbury,
the chief fsinctionary of the Maine democra-
cv, and its expectant candidate for United
States Senator. 1t was sent out from there
like the yellow fever germs which another
democrat now Governor of State, under
took to distribute throughout the North dur
ing the war. 1t went in the form of blanks
for returns printed under Pillsbnry's diree
tons in manner purposely intended to mis-
lead returning officers, that there should
be just these technical defects upon which
this gang of conspirators could defeat the
will of the majority and steal the State.
II was Garcelon and Pillsbury and the rest
of the gang who used the opportunities of
their official positions, who set these traps
and put on them the seal of the State. And
now that they think they have
sprung them and caught their vic
! tins. when anybody comments upon
the singular circumstance that all these de-
fects turn to advantage of the fellows who
discovered them, and ask an explanation.
this man Garceon looks up moment from
the grand larceny he is trying to consum-
mate. and says ooh. it's a sort of mildew ~
Maybe il is but it is "a sort of mildew"
that is much more likely to rot the party that
invented it than damage those whom it was
intended to infect.