The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-01-20
Maine.


Maine.
Wa mus have parting word say ABOUT
us,nc. n was singular contest mat was
carried ON 10 Tint State for two weeks
r,rss. IL has all along been pretty gene
rally accepted as a fact that the tus'on's's
were no, all entitled to the seats TOT whoo
sher held certificates; but we bave always
..-.e6ed fha, Governor GARcELoN acted III
good faith. A.. :, r,s
secondly. II Is remarkable that IL was
owing N acts Of commission AMI omission
ON the part respectively OF Governor oaMh-
xox and the Fusiouist Acung-1o'e'no,
T..vrsoS that the Republicans were enabled
% exnel The Fusionist Legislature ana 'oV-
eruor. and install their own Legislature anu
covernor. One OF these acts was The APP
ro,utmen, OF General CHAMBERLAIN as a sort
Of military protector and superintendent
n, public buildings. In virtue OF tue au
tbority which he thus received from uoV-
error (aARcEIoN be held the fate OF the state
IN bis own hands under the circumstances
an which he found himself. He refused 10
recognize either LaNPsoN or SMITH as oov-
crnor, but did recognize DAVIS, the Kepup-
Iican Governor. Had this power not been
entrusted TO him, or had Governor GARcE-
LON empowered some one else TO perform
the duties which he devolyed upon General
CuAMBsRLAIN, the FUsi0nists, 1t is at least
possible, would not have been extrudeo
nor excluded from the Capitol, nor thelr
Governor been deprived OF all power. on-
I'll CBAMBERI AIN appeared, the SWORD was
,yjpe In the other end Of the scales.
Rut even CHAMBERLAIN could not nave
DESTROYED the legal existence OF the senate,
however IT might have been as to the other
house, had not Governor LANPsoN refused
10 swear in the Republican senators who
asked him to do so week before last. These
senators held certificates aud were unques-
tiopabIy entitled to be sworn in. But
LAMpsoY overreacbed himself. He would
not swear them in because $50 1t
was surmise1) he wanted the Flu
sionists 10 get their new Governor.
elected before the Republicans were admit
ted into the body. They had failed TO
qualify before Governor GARcELoN. and
LANPsoN had or professed to have doubts
as to their right 10 be sworn in afterwards
and by him. II they had been sworn in
the Senate would have become at once
BODY whose constitutional existence could
no longer be questioned. So that but for
LAMPsON's blunder the Fusionst Senate
would undoubtedly have become a lawful
body.
Thirdly, the Supreme judicial Court has
laid down some very bad principles OF law.
In Maine an election certificate will not be
worth having hereafter if the rules OF law
set forth By that tribunal are to be the guide
OF the Legislature and TO be respected as
precedents. ANY man who chooses TO con-
slider himself elected has perfect right TO
enter the legislative halls without a certifi-
cate Of election and take part in the organ-
cation Of Senate or q House of Delegates.
Here are two conflicting opinions OF that
court. On the 3D. OF January, in answer to
Governor GARCELON's inquiries, this court
declared that "the representative Is not
deprived Of bis right because municipal
opinion, we are told, was given by at least
six Judges who 10 1877 gave the following
opinion in justification of the counting out
OF Democrats by the Republican Governor
and Council:
"It IL to be regretted that votes are lost
by the negligence OF town officers, but the
obvious remedy is TO choose such as know
their duty and, knowing it, will perform
it,"
IL the Court was right then, it is wrong
now, and uice versa. AT any rate it is a
partisan tribunal.
We do not know Of course at the present
writing what news the night kilograms may
contain; but The morning kilograms OF yes
terday indicated that all trouble was sub
stantiaiy over. We take it for granted that
there Is nothing in the talk about appealing
to Congress, or TO any judicial tribunal. 1t
would seem that the right and the might
have met. We are not disposed to deny
thus much. But we must say that the end
can hardly justify the means.