The Portland daily press., 1880-01-28
Cant cbese,s Statement

Mr.. EDITOR: I notice by. an interview, orig
inally published in the Boston Herald, and
copied into the Argus, that Capt. Chase, who
was one of Garcelon's councillors, is represent
ed as saying that the correctness of the result
[of the COUNT has never been Investigated by
any man or set Of men, Precisely what the
Captain means 1 am not quite sure. If he
means that no man, except the alleged con-
spirators. has examined the original returns
he is doubtless correct. Nothing would please
the Repubica!s more than to do so and it is
fair inference from the fact that these returns
have been carried off by Capt. Chase or his
friends that nothing would please the conspir-
ators less than to have such examination
made. If the Captain means, however, that
no man has ever examined into the reasons for
the counting out of members elected to the Leg
slature as set forth in the Councils official
statement the Captain must be very ignorant
or very reckless of the truth. To show the
Captain that his statement is erroneous it is
only necessary to cite one case. want to
draw his attention to the town of Pennington.
Immediately after the count had been de-
clared and Republican representative whom
the people Of that district had given 100 ma
iority was found to be counted out, the clerk OF
that town wrote to Deputy Secretary OF State
Sawyer to know the reason for the Council S
action That functuary replied that he had
consulted several members of the Council and
that the reason given him was that the ballots
exceeded the votes. Some weeks later the
Councils official statement was made ana 10
and behold the reason therein given Ior llie
counting out of Pennington was that the re-
Turns were not made up in open town meet
ing.
This is one OF the cases which according to
the veracious Captain no man or set OF men
ever examined So far from this being true
it is matter of record that it was examined so
thoroughly that the Council were driven TO
abandon one excuse for their action ana take
refuge in another which also was SO Thoroughly
examined that it too proved equally untenapie.
If the Captain will look over the lilies OF the
Lewiston journal he will there find letter
| from the clerk of the town OF harrington IN
| which the discrepancy between the number OF
votes and ballots is explained SO clearly that
the blind man though a counclllor coulo noe
fail to see that the returns were strlcty correct
and that in counting them out on the plea
that the ballots exceeded the votes the
Council committed an exceedingly stupid
blunder That the Councillors did see 1t is
shown by the fact that in their official state
ment they abandoned this reason and alleged
a new one. But the new reason, which was
that the returns were not made up IN open
town meeting, was also examined and found 70
be as untenable as the first one. Two select-
men of the town, both Greenbnckers, MADE
afiiavits that these returns were made up III
open town meeting and were correct in every
particular in this respect
These facts have been before the public for
many weeks and yet Capt. Chase has the
hardwood to assert that that no man or set OF
men has ever examined the facts OF the count;
The Captain, however, should be treated
rather as an object of pity than Of denuncia-
ton The strain which he has been under for
the past two months would have betrayed
thar he possesses into rashness. By and by
when he becomes cool he will read his talk
reported in the Argus with regret and will
hasten to apologize for the reckless assertions
and ungentlemanly insinuations contained
therein. He will then see, what his friends do
now, that the company Of such men as Fogg
and Blood is good company for him to keep
out of, unless he is willing to adopt their no.
lions that all property is robbery and turn over
his estate to their use.