Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-08

| Reporter.--Tf there was bribery is that
matter in which prosecution could be based
| in our courts.
| M. Iike.-Of course, and it was tried in
our county. Parties came before the Grand
Jury, composed as it was of eleven Fusionists
and seven Republicans and told their stories
| to their hearts content. Ii was just after the
State election and they were full of it. But
after they got through the jury threw the
whole thing ont with great unanimity and with
some disgust too, as they voted not to go in
to any further investigation of the matter.
| The gossip of the thing that the Demo-
Gratis got fully enough before the Republicans
did And while am on this matter l may
saw that as member of the Constitutional
Commission in 1875, | aided in reporting an
anti-bribery oath which if put into the Con-
stitution would have gone far to destroy bril-
berry at elections. Afterwards as Repre-
sentative from my town, | carried il through
a Republican House. The fusionists last
year had majority in the House, but their
zeal against bribery did not endeavor to
manifest itself in legislation. 1t only grew
warm after they had got beaten and they
needed something to divert the public mind
from their efforts to defeat the popular vote.
Reponer.-What do you understand as to
the method by which the Governor and Coun-
ell propose to defraud the Republicans of
their majority of 20 in the House and in the
Senate.
w, Pike-why. if they do it they will in
sst on technical objections to certain returns
| as in Portland, Lewiston, Calais and other
large Republican towns and declare no cleo
ton. This simply decreases the Republican
strength. Then they can take certain class
towns that have chosen Republican Repre-
sentatives and find technical objections to the
vote of the Republican towns of the class
and leave majority of what they will call
the legal vote for the Democratic and Fusion
candidates. This second operation not only
| throws out Republican but puts in Demo-
crat or Greenbacker. And of course when
they have pursued their plan far enough to
count out the Republican majority of twenty
| nine in the House the Republican majority of
seven in the Senate will have likewise disap-
peared.
Repo,ter.-Then you think they intend to
take the whole State Government by this
fraud?
NJ. Pike-It would seem so, although
was slow to believe it. The first step is to
| seize both branches of the Legislature and
that enables them to elect their governor and
choose all the State officers and completely
set aside the verdict of the people in Septem-
Der.
| Reporter. What in your judgment is the
motive for this extraordinary course of Gov.
| Garcelon and his Council?
| NJ. Pke-Well it is looking more and
more as if it goes far beyond the mere usur-
patton of the State Government, and is aided
and abetted by parties outside the State for
| its possible effect on National politics in the
| Presidential election.
| Repoyter-But won't this outrage sink
] tbau boil tha ,f MIN m OF in no q lpc-
| ton of next year?
| Mr. Ptke-Undoubtedly it will by a fair
vote of the people, but you must remember
these same experts in the act of counting
| election returns will be in position to do the
| counting next year again, and if they can sue
coed in counting out without rebuke ma ority
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.. Pike.-It is clearly competent for the
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
apparent that men capable of defeating the
fair results 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.
Repo,1er.-What is the remedy for this
atrocious outrage?
NJ. Pike.-On that point I am not at this
moment prepared to speak. One good meet
ing of leading democrats in any town or city
| in the State protesting against unfairness in
| the count would set the whole thing right.
But as yet, have heard of no democrat or
| greenbacker except Scion Chase who has said
a word to the public on the subject. No set Of
men acting as Governor and Council would
90 through the scheme have indicated, and
push through its captious and fraudulent de-
tails unless they felt their partizans in the
State were qnte unanimous in approval
of their doings. Before the thing is actully
done, l hope to hear some Of the respectable
democrats or greenbackers give their opinions
in something more than general platitudes,
and say whether they think this job OF changing
thirty-six republican majority into a fusion
majority should be done on any pretext what
ever. 1t should always be borne in mind that
no question is made by anybody anywhere,
that if the vote as astually cast at the polls is
counted this republican majority of thirty-six
will be found to exist, and so the bald ques-
ton is whether minority shall be substituted
by the Governor and Council for the majority
chosen by the peOple.