The Portland daily press., 1880-04-09

rule the new return to be filed in place of tn
one suppressed, without any evidence in tn
return itself which would be likely to lead L
the detection Of the fraud. The expense Q
summoning the municipal officers who mad
up the election returns IS so large, and tn
time for investigation short, that the com
mittee have been obliged to examine onl.
those cases to which their attention has beel
| called either by the appearance of the return
itself, the alteration in the tabulations, or in
formation received from outside parties. A
sufficient number of cases have been examined
to establish the fact beyond controversy, tina
| this practice of suppressing defective returns
| from places giving fusion majorities and thu
| substitution of others which conformed to thu
rules which were established by the Governor
ard Council for the purpose of rejecting Ger
tain returas disclosing Republican majorities
was resored to when it was found to be neces
sary to the election of fusion members
Your committee will briefly alude to a few
Of these cases as disclosed by the testimony
which accompanies this report.
JoNEsBoRo', ADDISON, WHITING AND LINCOLN
In the case of Jonesboro' in Washington
county, the committee found among the re.
turns which came into their hands for exami-
nation an official envelope signed by the Sc
| lectmen and Town Clerk of Jonesboro' bearing
| the post-mark of Sept. 8, 1879, which purported
to contain the Senatorial return from that town
| This envelope contained a blank return which
| had never been filled UP.
Evidence was taken before the committee
which showed that Dec. 8, 1879, Herbert M.
| Heath. Esq, the counsel of the Republican
Senators-eect from Washington county, ex-
| amined the senatorial returns from that coun-
| ty IN presence of Governor Garcelon and e. G.
| Moody, Chairman of Committee on Elections;
that he noticed the envelope from Jonesboro'
| among the returns in the morning., but when
| ne came in the afternoon it was missing, and
after some search it was found ON the floor, and
| opened and the blank return exhibited to him
| as the Senatorial return form Jonesboro', and
| that Governor Garcelon, e. G.. Moody s. S
Brown and Mark Harden were present at the
| time.
1t was also proved that f. NJ Fogg, one of
| the Council, exhibited this, or like blank re-
turn at public meeting in Portland, and
cialmed 1t TO be the return sent from Jones'
boro'. The town clerk and chairman of the
selectmen OF Jonesboro' were summoned before
the committee. Both voted the fusion ticket,
and their testimony was straightforward and
convincing. From them it appeared that the
original senatorial return was made, signed
and sealed up in open town meeting, and
forwarded to the Secretary of State in the
official envelope, which envelope they
lndentlhed as the one before the committee
and that they never did send a blank return.
that about Nov. Sth George W. Drisko the ed
ltor OF the Machias Union, and prominent
democratic politician. brought blank return to
Jonesboro', and disclosing to Mr.. Merritt, one
OF the selectmen, the fact that the return
marks against the name of the Demo-
cratic candidate for senator; requested that the
ofhclal blank return and envelope which he
produced should be filled up and returned tc
the Secretary of State. This was done and it
was proved that it came to the office of the
Secretary OF State, Nov. II, 1879 George w.
Drisko in testimony admitted that he received
two blank returns and envelopes from James
~ Talbot, the fusion candidate for Senator for
washington county, and carried them to Ad
Olson and Jonesboro
Drisko attempted to conceal the fact that he
was III possession of any knowledge of what de-
fects actually existed in the returns of Addison
and Jonesboro. and this was undoubtedly done
Ior To- the purpose OF shielding himself and others
OF more political Importance. Your COMMITTEES
were panied to hear him deny that he had any
such knowledge or that he pointed out to either
OF the municipal officers of said towns the de-
Iect which existed in the returns to be correct
ed. Both Gilbert l.. Tabbut and j. Z. Merritt
testified positively in the presence of Drisko
that Drisko did point out the particular defect
to be corrected and he was further positively
contradicted by James Il. Talbot who testified
tnat ne informed Drisko OF the precise defects
that he was to get amended.
Your committee have never seen the first set
OF returns sent from Jonesboro to Augusta. and
this was probably the reason that thev were
destroyed before the second set was forwarded
to Augusta But the second set of returns
were before the committee, and were fuIly
identified by the municipal officers of Jones'
boro. They were perfect returns and conclu
sively proved that the claim made by the Gov
ernor and Council, that the Jonesboro return
was blank, was purposely untrue. This Sec
ond set OF returns were found concealed in the
State House. The only explanation of this
blank return which seems reasonable to your
committee, is that the first and legal returns
from Jonesboro We're found to be defective
ara destroyed, that it became known to the
Council, that the fact that the second official
envelope from Jonesboro had been received in
the office OF the Secretary of State Nov. II.
1879, as testified by Gallagher, was no longer a
secIet. I IL was therefore concluded to suppress
ana conceal this second return and substitute
blank III It's place, which would not be tabu-
lated-and thereby dsarm suspicion
U. H. Iabbut, chairman of the selectmen of
Addison, testified that Drisko brought to him
blank return and envelope, and reouested
him to make new return from Addison. to
correct an error existing in the first returns by
bling the blank containing the whole number
of votes.
James r. Talbot of East Machias, testified
that III the early part of November he received
these blanks from Adjutant General S. D.
Leavitt OF Eastport, whose office was in the
State House at Augusta, with letter stating
the defects existing in the returns from Addi.
SON. Jonesboro' and Whiting, and requested
that new and correct returns be procured and
forwarded to Augusta; that he applied to
Drlsko, stating the defects to be cured and
gave him these returns
1t also appeared that in the case of Whiting.
III W washington county, new returns were made
ana substituted to supply defects.
Abundant testimony was taken before tn
committee showing that in November new
blanks were sent to Somerville in Lincoln
county; that fraudulent returns were filled m
anu the names OF the selectmen signed to them
without their knowledge or consent by the
town clerk, who admitted the same in his tes.
tlmony, and that they were forwarded to Au-
gusta to be used as the true returns.
In tne original return from Someryille the
name OF Andrew r. G. Smith, the Republican
candldate for senator, was properly inserted,
Whlle IN the second return it was written An
drew A. Il. Smith, whereby Andrew R. g.
smith lost the vote and was counted out.
In all these cases the original and true re-
Turns nave been suppressed and the substitut-
ed returns been tabulated and counted where
oy the fusion candidates have been in every
instance counted in and the Republican candi.
dates have been counted out.
FAIRFIELD.
1t appeared from the testimony of the Select
men and Clerk of Fairfield in Somerset coun
ty, that the official returns were duly made
and sealed up In open town meeting and for
Warded to Augusta; upon a recount of the vote
1t appeared that an error had been made
whereby twenty fusion votes had not been
properly returned. This fact was brought to
the attention of S. S. Brown of the Governors
Council, who resided and had his law office in
Falrheld;. some days after the election the
town clerk received from the hand of John N.
Charming, Democratic politician, blank Off
cial returns and envelopes, which Charming
testified he obtained at the office of Brown,
and made new returns, stating the votes
| according to the facts, which returns were
| signed by the municipal officers In order to
| prevent any improper use of the second set of
| returns, the Clerk attached with mucilage to
the face of each return, in the upper left hand
| corner, Sip of paper containing the words
| Amended returns of the Town of Fairfield
| Sept 20, 1879" and at the same time sent with
the returns the following letter.
| FAIRFIELD, Sept. 25, 1879.
To the Secretary Of State, augusta, Me.
Sir: Herewith please find amended report of
the town of Fairfield, made in consequence Of
an error which occurred in the counting of the
votes on the evening of the election, which we
have made after careful count of the votes
which were carefully preserved.
| f. NJ ToTMAN, Selectmen
III. G. BURLEIGH, of
g. j. GREEN, Fairfield
Attest: f. E. McFadden, Town Clerk of
| Fairfield.
| According to the testimony of Garcelon, the
| Governor and Coancl rejected the returns
from Fairfield upon the ground that two sets
| OF returns each contradictng the other had
| hpa Ia opd thoff .