The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-12-08

count out the Republican majority of twenty
nine in the House the Republican majority OF
seven in the Senate will have likewise disap-
Reporter-Then you think they intend to
take the whole State Government by this
fraud?
Mr.. Pike-It would seem SO, although 1 was
slow to believe it. The first step is to seize
both branches of the Legislature and that en-
ables them to elect their Governor and choose
the verdict of the people in September.
Reporter. What, in your judgment, is the
motive for this extraordinary course of Gov.
Garcelon and his Council?
Mr.. Pike.-Well, it is looking more and more
as if it goes far beyond the mere ursurpation
of the State Government, and is aided and
allotted by parties outside the State for its pos
sible effect on National politics in the Presi-
DENTAL election
Reporter.-But won't this outrage sink them
below the reach of plummet in the election
| next year?
Mr.. Pike-Undoubtedly it will by fair vote
of the people, but you must remember these
same experts in the act of counting election re-
turns will be in position to do the counting
next year again and if they can succeed in
counting out without rebuke majority on
joint ballot of thirty-siX this year they might
be able to improve in their game by next year.
Reporter is this talk we hear about
their Selling the electoral vote?
Mr.. FlE4.-lb IS clearly cOHpeleub lol thO
Legislature to change the mode OF choosing
Presidential Electors and if they succeed in
installing fraudulent Legislature may they
not according to the terms of the Constitution
choose the Presidential Electors themselves
| and not allow the people of Maine to have any
voice in the election at all? 1t is quite appar-
emit that men capable of defeating the fair re-
suits of this years election would not stop with
the Job now in hand. This greater result,
however, could only be accomplished by the
action of the Legislature and speak OF it as
among the legal possibilities.
Reporter-What is the remedy for this afro
cious outrage?
Mr. Pike-On that point anu not at this
moment prepared to speak. One good meeting
of leading Democrats in any town or city i'll
the State protesting against unfairness in the
count would set the whole thing right. But as
yet have heard of no Democrat or Greenback-
er except Scion Chase who has said a word to
| the public on the subject. No set OF men act
| ing as Governor and Council would go through
| the scheme have indicated and push through
| its captious and fraudulent details unless they
| felt their partizans in the State We're quite
unanimous in approval OF their dolngs. BE-
fore the thing is actually done l hope to hear
some of the respectable Democrats or Green
hackers give their opinions in something more
than general platitudes, and say whether they
| think this job of changing thirty-six Republl-
| can majority into fusion majority should be
| done on any pretext whatever. 1t should al
WAYS De DOrnc III luluu lilttb uO QuOoliou 10
! made by anybody anywhere, that if the vote
as actually cast at the polls is counted this Re
| publican majority of thirty-six will be found
| to exist, and so the bald question is whether a
| minority shall be substituted by the Governor
| and Council for the majority chosen by the
| people.
ITO the Associated Press
| AUGUSTA, Dec. IA petition was started in
| this ciry Saturday to be presented to the Gov
ernor and Council, urging upon them the
| necessity of investigating the charges pre-
ferred by Hon. Charles B. Rounds
| Upon an intimation of Judge Virgin that he
would be willing to hear the mandamus case
| either at Portland Or Augusta to oblige the
parties, Messrs. Baker & Baker sent note on
Friday to Mr.. Cove, Secretary OF State, ex-
pressing their readiness to assent to any ar
| rangement that might be convenient to him.
Mr.. Cove has made no reply whatever.
| Messrs Baker & Baker stated to the advise
ry committee on yesterday that they are the
authorized attorneys under seal for fourteen
Senators and fifty-fve Representatives elect,
and that on behalf of all these and sometimes
accompanied by one or more of them they
have applied to the Governor and Council for
permission to see the returns affecting them.
They have made the request in person when
ever. they could procure admission to the
Council chamber, and have written appllca-
tions pending before the Council every day
since November 18th. Austin Harris, Senator
elect from Washington county, applied in per-
son several times and then wrote letter ask
ing that the Council would furnish him with
list of the errors in the returns from his
G Al htJ,1t IN
them. He never received an answer. Sena-
tor-elect Locke of Cumberland applied in per-
son repeatedly and was always refused. Sen
ator-elect Smith of Lincoln did the same with
the same result, and Messrs Baker & Baker
give the names of many more who have had
the same experience.
Messrs. Baker & Baker sent to the Council
yesterday as attorneys for Mr.. Fernald, Sena-
tor-elect from Franklin, detailed statement
specifying Oh information the errors which
they think will be found in the returns from
Franklin and asking leave to correct the
same under the statute of 1877. To deny this
request the Governor and Council will be
compelled to enforce their views as to the UNI
constitutionality of that statute because the
statute distinctly guarantees the right to have
such corrections made as Mr. Fernald applies
for. Messrs. Baker & Baker applied fora
hearing in the case.
Letter from esentative-elect Goss.
BOSTON, Dec. 6.-The Journal publishes the
GLOWING letter to the Governor and Council
in reply to their recent statement:
To the Hon. Governor Garcelon and Council OF
Maine:
On nv return from New York last night a
Boston Journal was handed to me, in which L
read your reply to the protest relating to the
examination of the election returns (Which
had the honor to sign with others.( Your
honors, through your chairman, +. Il. Parker,
were pleased to say that the protest contains
several very important misstatements; that
neither Mr.. Cutler nor the writer ever made
to the Governor, the Council or any member
thereof any request to inspect any OF the cleo
ton returns, &C.; and you further state that
we have seen fit to sign the extremely false
and partisan statements previously prepared by
others-you believe for partisan purposes,
&c. I feel called upon-by a sense of justice
to myself and to those vino elected me to rep
resent them in the next Legislature-to eX-
plain through the public journals my position,
and assign my reason for signing the protest
which has so incensed your honorable body
as to accuse us of falsehood and partisan de-
signs.
Immediately after the election last Septem-
Der partisan journal of our city accused the
Republican party in Bath of fraud. The &C,
cusation was met with flat denial and proofs OF
fraud demanded. Nothing was done to sub
stantiate the charge, and no citizen of Bath,
whatever his political faith, believed it. Later
on there were rumors of plot to count out
enough Republican Representatives and Sena-
tors, and so elect Democratic and Greenback
Governor. After while these rumors assum-
ed tangible form, and it was asserted in some
of the public journals that proofs were not
wanting that you entertained the design to
thwart the will of the people as expressed at
the polls. The people became excited. Some
of my political friends came to me Tor an
opinion as to whether you would, by any
technicality informality, irregularty OF error
in the returns, go behind precedent and in
violation of law and not allow corrections to
be made, and so wipe out the Republican ma.
jority. felt it to besthe duty OF every lover OF
peace and good order to assure the people that
you would not be party to so disbonorable an
act and incur the Indignation of the public
sentiment which such an act would bring up
on you. 1t seemed humiliating that there was
even the thought of such plot in our law
abiding and intelligent state of Maine. When
YOU were elected Governor you were not elect
ed the Governor of clique or party, but of
the whole people, and every citizen, of what
Ak 1,oI mic IN NV