The New York herald., 1879-12-20
MAINE AROUSED.

AUGUSTA, Dec. 10. 1879.
The indignation meeting to night was attended by
IN immense crowd Delegations from various parts
Of the State imposing feature OF the demon
strston. Granite Hail. where the meeting was held.
could not possibly accommodate the multitude and
Connor presided. Tho assemblage called to
order byMr. Joseph A Homan. who, upon taking the
chair. made q speech expressive Of the sentiments
that demanded the meeting. which was then organ
lied by the election Of Ex-Governor Connor Is chair
man. Several speeches were made and resolutions
adopted condemnatory Of the action of the Governor
and Council. The enthusiasm was intense.
SENATOR BLAnE's SPEECH.
In response to loud calls for Senator Blaine that
gentleman took the platform amid the widest DOM
onstrationsof applause. Mr.. Blaine said:-
1t is WE'LL Mr.. Chairman, In . meeting Of this kind
to understand with precision the grievance Of which
the people complain. Let me state it IS briefly
possible On the 8th day OF September last the voters
of Mane in pursuance of their organic law proceeded
to elect q Governor. Senators and Representatives
in the Legislature. The election was preceded by
prolonged. thorough and somewhat exciting canvass
Of the state. Hon. Anson p Morrill,. who regret in
not able to be with us this evening" told that he
had voted for fty-fve consecutive wears In Maine.
and in many Of the campaigns had A. taken, as we al
long period he had never known political contest
in which the issues before the people had been
ably, elaborately and SO thoroughly discussed.
both on stump and by press. He said he did not
believe there had ever been year in which every
ssndsd BY hi his vote vote as in the election Of 1879 am
sure that would be the testimony Of every honest
and candid man in she State. The vote wa:
election. as shown by the ofaci.l returns.
was to give the republican candidate for
s'sT the srssnbsek candidate and % Of 5000 over over
the democratic candidate. In the Legislature, by the
oio,al returns the Tspu1licans saoss nineteen Sen
House the republicans chose ninety members and
the opposition sixty-one. On the Legislative ticket
nve thousand on the popular vote This was the 70
suit. shown by official returns made by the
public by the secretary Of State. When
the sealed returns were opened some weeks later to
be counted by the Governor and Council. they dis
closed the result that had been published from
the clerks returns. and common honesty and COM
mon deoency. to say nothing Of official integrity.
be declared elected lam ana receive their oertcstes but
the Governor and Council have declared otherwise,
entered into conspiracy to change the result. and
deprive the people Of their choice and then began
the remarkable count which has Just closed. TO the
lasting dishonor and disgrace OF all who had part
lot in 1t. They began to discover atal defects.
~ Governor Garcelon termed them, in the returns
not dotted, or . 81" not crossed or . man had "Jr.
left of his name. or the initial letter OF his
maa.s name was OK dn s rah n1ss sIss
to the narrow side when they should have been
parallel or the signatures Of ali the town ocers
other evidence. were written in the same hand. or
the total number Of votes not filed out In the
sown Sn Or the
were permitted to swear away their own
return BY OK psrts AFFIDAVIT; although they had once
they now swear was not. or the return OF cities
was signed by only three Aldermen. just according
to the blank sent out from tho Office OF the Secretary
of State, after being prepared as trap or pitfal
These and numerous other minor points OF like value
the Se
the people have rejected The result Of whole Of
this pitful and wicked pettifoggng was to chsnge
twenty. nine In the House to . fusion majority Of
nine in the Senate and seventeen in the House. with
denied by the Governor aud Council the poor boon
OF . new election, 90 that Portland, Lowts-
ton Bath. Kocki,nd and $500 are absolutely
the organization Of the Legislature. in the choice
Of Governor In the election Of State officers. in
the original composition OF the House committees
which shape and practically control legislation.
Perhaps the representati chosen by these tive
cool their heels in the antechsmber Of fusion great
for three or four weeks. they may be permitted
to be sworn in whom they can no longer embarrass
the progress OF the conspirators programme and
no longer be able to their consttdents. These
Ave cities have valuation Of than $5l 900.
aud pay nearly onequarer OF the entire taxes of the
State. To be accurate they pay twenty three per
cent Of the whole. This very year the fusion State
has levied and collected from these cities
moro than $20O.0O0 OF taxes. and now:by virtue of
disgraceful trick concocted in the Office OF tho
Secretary OF State four of these cities are dsfrsn
chised. The hfth-our beautiful metropolis Port
land-pays $1l8000 of taxes and IL denied represen-
taton on the paltriest OF dishonest pretexs and is
not even allowed the opportunity OF new election.
But will not allow myself to 90 into . lengthy
speech. Before closing. however. beg you TO OBJ
serve the following points:-
Ftrst-The Governor and Council have refused GER
tifcates to twenty-nine republican members OF the
House and to eight Senators-thirty seven in all
lSecoHd-Of this entire number there not
case for which the law did not provide aud direct
was unconstitutional. and they set IL aside They
gave out that Henry W. Paine. Of Boston.
advised them that was their proper course. When
i opinion OF Henry w. Paine that the Execu-
tive Department may at will aside the laws they
sworn 10 enforce will unite with his other
splendid intellect and the loss OF his admirable jude
mont; until then prefer to remember Henry w.
Paine rs have known him for quarter OF q csn-
Third-There have been ffty-nine annual elections
In Maine. carried In turn by the old national repub
years by the republicans. In all that time not so
many fatal defects" in the have been found
out as Governor Garcclon aud his Council have
counted out this single year. viii not sdd--not
PourtA-And oil the ..fstal dcfects' are in repub-
lican Senatorial and Representative districts. Not
one of the democrats grecnbackers elected
defective return behind him. or course not. after
the returns had been secretly and surreptitiousiy
doctored. openly declared by Mr.. Charles
over at the requirements. aud the Council never
dared to accept Mr.. Rounds offcr to provo his
charges. 1t s understood that they are taking char
scteristic revenge on Mr.. Rounds by counting him
out OF the Office Of County Attorney, 20 which he
honestly elected.
FyiA-A few fusion towns have been counted out
here and there. but always selected effect
the result. and stun moro cunniney selsoted so as
republican town that would destroy republican
Senator Representative. To contrive altthis re-
quired time. ana so the present Council worked
the returns, cooking and doctoring them, from DC
tober 30 10 December IT. For this period they did
IL openly. How long before October 80 the returns
were surreptitiously opened will never be known
till tho Council grant the asked for by
Mr.. Rounds. Ordinarily, IN former years. week or
ten days suflced for honest Council count the
returns.
Sirla-To mako some sort of covering for the afro
cious fraud they have committed great effort has
been made to prove that the republicans carried the
election by bribery and corruption. This is o fac