New-York tribune., 1880-02-20
BURNT, BUT NOT AFRAID or TIRE.

BURNT, But NOT AFRAID or IRE.
The capacity of the Democratic party for
astonishing the country is ineXhaustI5le The
blunder of the extra session was so huge that
all the respectable Democratic newspapers and
Democratic politicians perceived it long be-
fore the performance came to an end, and
ever since the close of It they have been by
turns discaimng the responsibility and trying
to persuade tire country to forget ii. Yet
here, on the very eve Of most critical CAM
paign, we behold the impassioDed represent
atives Of the party in Washington carefully
repeating the mistakes of last summer, ana
cout ting popular odum by persistence in
schemes which havc VIGOROUSLY been discred-
ited The Maine conspiracy was an amazing
piece of political folly which great
many Democrats witnessed with silent disap-
pfoval, and some few even with open con-
demnation and it was followed everywhere
with manifestations Of dlStruSt and irritation
against the Democratic party which the least
astute observer of the popular currents ought
to have recognized. Yet. while the country is
IN the first flush of Indignation at the dis
closure of the plot to steal state. and Of
satisfaction at the defeat of the plotters.
Democratic subcommittee at Washington re-
peats the performance, not only with similar
purpose but by the very same methods.
The scheme TO secure the Minnesota dele
CATION in Congress, for use III case the choice
of President should be thrown into the
House of Representatives, depends. "a the
Maine villsuy did, up n the unseaiinR of II
candidate admitted to have received large
majority OF the votes, and the intrusion Of
,b.t t;oo Il,, rntactnI ot
the polls. Our Washington correspondence
has shown that the subcommittee have under
taken to do tins upon precisely tho same tech
nical pretexts which the Judiciary OF Maine,
by unanimous decision and with the applause
of the whole country, declared TO be uuwar
ranted in law and fraud upon the voters.
In one county, for example. where 53S votes
were cast for Mr.. Washburn and only
1877 for Mr.. Donnelly, this amateur re-
turning board decides that all the votes
must be thrown out because one of the three
county canvassers signed himself Judge Of
Probate " instead of Justice OF the Peace"
The sufiicency OF such a return as this is posi-
lively established by the statutes OF the State,
and the point involved was also fully covered
| nv the Maine decision. 1t is amazing that in
| the face of the tremendous rebuke of a few
weeks ago the Democratic revolutlonists should
| 20 right back to the same crime. Again, the
| subcommittee reports that some 1900 votes
cast for Mr. Washburn must be thrown out
for the reason that the ballots, being num-
bered, were not secret, in the sense OF the
Constitution but one of the very men who
urge this absurd pretext owes his own election
to ballots of the same sort.
This outra geOus scheme Will not be pushed
through the House Of Representatives without an
animated debate and thorough exposure we
are by no m ans certain that it can be pushed
through at all. But whether 1t succeed or fail,
the day will soon come when the men who de-
| vised it will be as roundly cursed by their
associates as Garcelon. Pillsbury g. Co. are by
Democrats whom they have disgraced and con-
| founded