The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-12-22
rIIE MAINE FRAUD.


on the crime just consummated by the
Democratic State officials in Maine:
"Goy. GarCelon and his advisors have
made u serious political and a not less sci.
ious moral mistake. They have nullihed
the will Of the people OF Maine, as ex.
pressed at the latest election, on account
OF technical errors and overSights. These
errors and o%versights were committed, not
by the electors, but by the local canvassers.
The votes were, In fact, thrown out on &C.
count OF iniOrmality in the manner in
which they were returned. There is nc
pretense that this inIormality was such as
to leave tho intention Of the voters in
doubt. The tenor Of all statutes, judicial
decisions, and treRtises which deal with
elections, is that every presumption should
be made in favor OF giving effect 10 the
real intention Of the voters, The canvass
ers in Maine have unquestionably nulliied
the real intention Of the voters. There Is
no lodging that fact, and with fair.minded
people that fact will be decisive Of any
controversy that may be raised. It Is
plain thR( the defeated legislators who
have thus been counted In ought 10 refuse
to serve, and leave tho organization OF the
Legislature to the Republicans who were
elected to it."
The above is only n partial statement OF
the onormity Of tho crime committed in
Maine. As another Of our exchanges says,
thatthe Garcelon thieves not merely exclud
ed the Republican majoritiOs on account OF
technical irregularities, but they declined
to exclude the defective Democratic re-
turns for the same reason. Tho law Of
Maine provides for the correction OF ir-
regular returns, but the Democratic Gov
ernor and his Council maintained that 1t
was discretionary with them whether or
not they should permit the re!urus to- be
corrected in form so as TO express the real
intent Of the voters, and they determined
that they would not allow the Republi-
cans to avail themselves Of this part of the
law. They permitted Democratic returns
to stand where the requirements OF the
law had been utterly neglected, but they
construed the slightest clerical errors
such as figures where the numbers should
have been written out in words, or the
writing Of ballot in place Of %"vote," or
the use Of 'ditto" to a v time-to vitiate
the Republican majorities, aud refused
every opportunity for a correction Of such
verbal mistakes. All this Ia admitted by
the very men who have ~perpetrated the
outrage, and there is really no difference
OF opinion as to the facts OF the case.
"Now there is this remarkable feature
about the attitude which many Of the
Democratic a~pologists for this fraud have
assumed: they maintain that the Maine
outrage is but a repetition Of what they have
been denouncing for three years as o Re-
publican outrage in counting out the last
Democratic candidate for the Presidency.
They have exhausted the vast resources Of
the English language in condemning as an
Infamous steal the action Of the Electoral
Commission, which was created at the
suggestion OF the Democrats and by means
of Democratic votes. The Republicans
have denied that there was any fraud in
the settlement of the Presidential Contro-
versy which the Democrats have charged
upon them, but now the Democrats admit
that the mime count is in every way as
Infamous a steal as they have ever charged
the Presidential count 10 be, and seek to
Justify 1t On that account. In other words:
the Republicans justify the Presidential
counto on the ground that it was not a fraud,
while the Democrats justify the Maine
count OIL the ground that it was a fraud.
This distinction fairly illustrates the diff.
ference in the characters and aims Of the
two parties"
The crime committed in Maine is so
bold and astounding in its character that
the Springfield Republican, perhaps the
iairest and most independent paper in the
United States, comes out against it with
hot indignation, as follows:
"a crime like this should divide public
sentiment into two camps, not Of Repub.
licans and Democrats, but Of honest men
and scoundrels. An honest nan should
have nothing but round and hot rebuke
for the wrong The time calls in loudest
tones to every honest man in the Demo-
cratic party. Are there none in the false
~ constituted majority Of the Maine Leg.
islature who will scorn 10 share in q party
crime2 Have tho Maine Democrats, sons
OF New England, sunk to the lowest level
Of the most debaSed Southern commune
tiesP They have it yet in their power 10
redeem their State from infamy, Others
can rebuke the crime; they alone can
prevent It's contamination.
Unto the lGnguid debate and petty per-
sonalities in our politics, this wretched
little trickster, Garcelon-this political
accident, who has hoisted himself into
infamy-has managed to sharply thrust
the previous question, which takes preCe.
dence Of all others: Is cheating to be the
law Of American politics? Is roguery
justifable Ms retaliation? Shall we put a
premium first on tho most ingenious
knavery, and, closely following that, on
the most daring forceH Democrats OF
Maine and OF tho country, it is you to
whom the question comes homo."
TheteclinEin Maine over this stipend.
ous outrage is up 10 the boiling point. AT
IN indignation meeting, held in Augusta
on Friday night last, Senator Blaine made
a burning and scathing speech in review
Of the monstrous crime. An Augusta dis.
patch says that "the meeting was attend.
ed by or immense crowd. Delegations
from various parts Of the State were an
imposing feature OF the. demonstration.
Granite Hall, whore the meeting was
held, could not possibly accommodate the
multitude. Ex-Governor Conner presid.
ed. The assemblage was called to order
byJoseph A. Homan, who, upon taking
the chair, made a speech expressive OF the
sentiments that demanded the meeting.
Several letters OF regret were read,
speeches made and resolutions adopted
coudemnatory OF the action OF the Gov.
ernor and council. The enthusiasm was
intense"
The dispatch referred 10 furnishes the
following outline Of Senator Blaine's re.
marks;
HE reviewed at great length and with
minuteneSs the grievance Of which the