Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1880-01-07


Of the Committee on Elections 10
October last nifASovember IL t.
DO person save the committee had
access TO them. Prior 10 Nosem-
Der IL bsd hardly seen q newsps-
per for . fortnight. as | was busy
removing nv resideDre and Office.
That day / went 20 Augusta and
went directly 70 my chamber 10
the Capitol. 10 FIVE minutes ] was
called upon by . committee OF Re-
publicans. who demanded 10 see
The election returns. The confer-
renee that followed has been re-
ported correctly. The very fact
Of these Republicans presenting
themselves served 10 make me
NOW cautious IN counting the re-
turns in q lawful and constitutional
manner. II there has been any
act Of NY life OF which ! Am proud.
Il is Of the performance Of nv duty
10 tsbulsting and counting those
returns. We have simply followed
the Constitution and laws as inter-
pre;ed by the Supreme Court time
and time again. The Constitution
prescribes certain things for cities
sDd towns TO do az elections. II
The requirements OF the Constitu-
ton are not complied with, there
is DO legal election. These proVis-
ions we're made for the purpose Of
securing an honest election. II
turns out some times, that there
are iufornalities 10 returns. The
Legislature undertook 10 provide
by Law for correcting this. That
correction must he made by the
record. II there il no record.
what can returns be corrected by !
IL the record il like the returns.
where can q correction come in
Nov, when this avalanche Of Re-
publican Statesmen came in on me
at Augusta, it popped into nv
head that their very object was 10
see the returns and then 20 home
and see that their records were
made all right. 10 the case OF
the returns were illegal |
and the records were sent for. In, !
the record was found 10 he Just /
like the returns. The Republicans |
say the intention Of the voter must /
be regarded, and not the Constitu- /
ton and law. The selectnen Of
the town Of Danforth bad the pre-
sumption 10 90 10 rhe Clerk and I
demand that be change and correct I
the record. / have a letter from /
Mr.. Berry, Town Clerk, saying he |
Ess threatened with fine and i'm !
prisonment unless he complied. l
That is Whist comes Of this amend /
ing the records Amend your rec
oris three mouths after election 4
and where is the result of any /
election I The tabulations were /
made upon the basis Of the Con-
siiiution as explained by the Courts |
as far o. possible. and If there j. |
any one act Of my life in which 1
am conscious Of performing nv
duty without fear or favor. i, il in f.
:he performance Of this duty i'm
posed upon me. The circumstan- /
ces that have surrounded me have
been unfsvorable. / have. 10 real
i;y, had 10 face a frowuing world
on account 81 the foul lies Of the
Associsted Press and the vitupera-
iion and SANDER hesped upon me
for over a quarter Of a century.
Gov. Garcelon alluded TO the un-
favorable comments upon tbe ac-
ton Of William Pitt Fessepden
from Lewiston pulpit at the time
OF the impeachment trial Of Presi-
dent johnson. and said the very
Clergyman who hurled amaihemas
upon him was obliged TO puhlicly
confess, three years after, that Fes-
sender was one OF the most homes,
men ever known. Every method
that conld he devised has beep
brought to bear upon me 10 induce
me to change my line Of conduct. |
not only by the usual forms of
sour faces and villifcaiions. hut
also by threats Of assassination. ii
received q letter last night, warn
ing me to be careful on nv trim 10 |
Augusts to watch the very food
that put ipto my mouth. This is |
only one of many similar letters a, |
various parts Of the State. / have
faced more terrible guns than these
paper bullets. / have slept where
bullets whistled through theSfrees. |
and / am not to be threatened by
these despicable threats. IfIam
To he assssSinsted for obeying the
laws Of the State. nv life could be
offered on no better altar. 1T
would cause more respect for the
Constitution than ever before.