The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-01-27
8. =. L.
An Oatb-bOund Organization
that Threatens the State.
THE HISTORY OF THE Flu.
SION DRILL CLUBS.
Jacobin Jargon and Jacobin
Principles in Maine.
WHY III WAS NECESSARY TO CALL
THE TROOPS TO AUGUSTA.
WHY III WAS NECESSARY TO CALL
THE TROOPS TO AUGUSTA.

ization, protesting the most advanced social
istic and communistic doctrines, and sworn to
deadly hostility to social order and property
rights as now recognized ard established, has
for some months past been suspected in Maine.
During the political campaign last Summer
and Fall speakers from the West, who were
the avowed disciples of Mark Pomeroy and
Victoria Woodruff, who did not hesitate at
any time in private to declare .heir belief in
community of property, in tho destruction of
the family relation and in the overthrow of
the established form of government and sys-
tenn Of society by force, and who not infre-
quently proclaimed these sentiments from the
platform and through the press, made their
appearance on the stump and were received
with more or less favor They were not in
general openly recognized by the State COM
mittees of either wing Of the Fusion party,
and for the most part men disavowed any SYM
pathy with their views or any responsibility
for their presence, They did not, indeed,
claim recognition from the official committees,
but said they spoke in response to invitations
from local clubs whose names were unknown
or unacknowledged and whose existence even,
was disputed.
The honest people of Maine, Republicans
Democrats, Greenbackers, regarded these fell
lows as Kansas men regard
| FLIGHT OF LoCUSTS,
knowing that it will prey upon every green
thing in the country and devoutly hoping it
will soon pass. The Republicans looked upon
them as an unmitigated scourge; the Green
hackers regarded them dreadful but prov
idential visitation upon the people for its
sins; the Democrats hoped they would "raise
he'll with the Republican majority" and then
go away;-all were glad when tine eighth of
September passed, and the plague, as they be-
lieved, with it.
Bat these political tramps had fallen upon
fat fields, and they remained to fatten. Some
OF them became editors Of Greenback and
Labor" papers. Others travelled over the
State establishing a new kind Of political club
| known to mankind at large as Greenback
club, but to the initiated as a
CIRCLE OF THE "B. P. La
During the troublous weeks which have
passed since Garcelon and his Council first
| made evident their intention of stealing a
State Legislature and doing away with cleo
tons by the people it has been limited by the
leaders of the extreme wing of the Fusionists
the usurpations of that remarkably infamous
body and its creatures, if
| FRAUD MUST DE SUPPLEMENTED BY FORCE,
armed and drilled organizations would be
found ready for the work. Almost from the
first some of the Fusion organs in the State
| were vehement and constant in their menaces
of those, justices of the Court, members elect
| of the Legislature, or citizens seeking an hon.
| est count of their votes who disputed the arbi-
| trary decisions Of the canvassing board or
avowed their intention of obtaining legal re-
dress for wrongs committed. We were told
that the Governor would be sustained by men
who were familiar with military tactics, who
were drilled for the occasion, and who were
ready to overthrow Courts, Legislatures, and
all such lumber. For q long time these men
aces were laughed at as the vaporings of dis
appointed men defeated at the polls and en-
titled to the inalienable right to grumble
But as the conspiracy developed itself it be-
came evident that the advocates of force and
fraud were not INDUCING in idle talk. 1t was
ascertained that
ARMED BANDS OF FUsIoNIsTs
were organized in different parts of the State
and were in communication with men who
to constituted authority, were conducting the
plot at Augusta. Armed men were found in
the capitol itself
BLACK AND BLOOD
insolently demanded that the commander of
the State militia should surrender his authority
to them. Messages were sent into nearly
every county requiring the organized bands
pledged to support the conspiracy to make
their appearance at Augusta to seize upon and
hold the State House
For the most part members of the Fusion
party have denied any knowledge of the exist
ence of these armed bands of conspirators, and
for the most part honestly. The knowledge
has been kept from them. Conspirators do not
take into their councils nearly one-half of the
voters of the State in which they are working
their plot and doing their work. Only adven-
turous spirits or men blinded or maddened by |
fanaticism are chosen as the instruments OF |
violence. The rest are dupes to be led astray |
by vehemence Of party spirit or extreme par.i-
san bigotry. The agency upon which the con-
spirators relied was the oath bound organiza-
ton mentioned above, whose 'circles" were
comprised of but twenty men each, indoctrin-
ated with communistic theories and sworn to
shed. 1t was assumed that few active I'M
scrupulous men could shape affairs, could |
mark out course of action and by taking it |
lead their followers the same bad way The |
initiative once taken it was believed that party |
spirit and the flattering hope of success would
carry the plot to prosperous end
TENTATIVE EXPERIMENTS
were undertaken. The canvassing board at
first stole a Senate, then House, then disre-
garded the judicial opinion of the Supreme
Court and constituted fraudulent Legislature.
The fraudulent Legislature, thus constituted |
tried the temper of its hesitating supporters
still further, organized a full State government
elected thing it called Governor and went
on playing at the business of legislation. From
the first there was much grumbling. The men
who voted for Fusion candidates at the polls
and were defeated, recognized their defeat,
and declined to sanction by their approval the
stealing of seats. The conspirators had mis-
taken the people. They had relied overmuch
upon the strength Of party feeling. But they
had gone too far to retreat. They still hoped,
by the use of their armed bands to capture the
State House, and relied upon the wonder and
mute establishment which bold act excites,
for immunity. That Is the story OF the con-
templated attack upon the State House which
was only foiled by the prompt action of Gov.
Davis and his advisers.
THE SECRET SOCIETIES.
The agencies upon which they relied were,
as has already been said, the secret societies Or
ganized and set in motion by the Communistic
orators who stumped the State last Summer
and scattered incendiary documents by the
cart-load.
''HoT DRoPs,'
"Meat for Men," and other tracts denouncing
all constituted authorities as engaged in con-
spiracy to rob the poor and laboring people,
and advising armed resistance to what was
called "the tyranny Of governments and OF
courts,'' were spread about 'The people"
were invited to organize and arm against their
"oppressors'', and circulars were distributed to
those who wished to form can army of bayonet
hOlders' to sWeeD the government from the