The Portland daily press., 1880-04-03
TABULATOR FOGG's DEFENCE
Escaping one Pitfall to Fall Into Another

| The Greenback Labor Chronicle this week
publishes supplement filled up with an open
letter from Tabulator Fogg in the nature of a
review of the report of Mr.. Hale's committee
Fogg modestly heads the article, "Hale Dis
| emboweled." Like all of Mr.. Fogg's produc-
tions it is very amusing and were it not for its
great length. we should present it to our
readers under our "Cap and Bells" heading.
There is only one point in it worthy of any,
thing approaching serious consideration and
that has reference to the Somerville case. 1t
will be remembered that Arson B. Bowler,
oclerk of this town, testified before Mr..
Hale's committee that about the middle of
December and just prior to the contingent
he received from Augusta blank return for
senatorial votes for the town of Somerville to
De filed out and returned, with letter of in
struction accompanying. He declined to give
the name of the person who wrote the letter,
saying he had forgotten it, but admitted that
the letter had an official heading like others
shown him coming from the Office of Secretary
of State. He made up a return in &C
cordance with instruction and signed all the
selectmen's name to it without consulting
them. The return shown him he admitted to
be entirely in his handwriting and in it the
name of the Republican senatorial candidate
appeared as Andrew A. r. Smith instead of
Andrew R. G. Smith which was the candi-
dates real name and was the way in which it
appeared on the record. A return on which
the name of Mr.. Smith appeared as Andrew
A. r. had been used by the Council in
making up the tabulations for the vote of
Somerville was tabulated for Andrew A. R.
Smith and by this means Mr.. Hobson had
been counted in. Bowlers testimony was
published, as given above, in the Kennebec
Journal and other Republican papers soon
after it was given and up to the appearance
of the last issue of the Greenback Labor
Chronicle though about two months have
elapsed Mr.. Bowler has never intimated in
any public way that his testimony was incor-
rectly reported. Recently he fell into the
hands of Mr. Tabulator Fogg and the result is
the following affidavit which appears in the
Auburn stateman's 'review:"
AUBURN, Me-, March 20, 1880.
1, Arson B. Bowler, on oath depOse and say
that am the town clerk of the town of SOM
erville, Maine; that made out the election re-
turn for the town last September for Senator,
writing on the return the name of A. r.
Smith; that the name of the Republican can
didate was Andrew r. g. Smith that after the
election l received blank for return from
the postmaster of Somerville, A. L. Soule; that
| made out copy of the record on said blank
and left it with the said A. L. Soule to be for
warded to Andrew Lacey; that firmly believe
the return shown me at Augusta, which was
claimed to be a copy of the record, was the Or
iginal return. ANsoN B. BOWLER.
State of Maine, County of Androscoggin, IS:
Subscribed and sworn to at Auburn this .29th
day of March, A. D. 1880.
Before me) VIM. P. HARRIS,
Justice of the Peace.
In the same issue of the Chronicle which
contains this affidavit appears also an inter-
view in which this same Bowler is made to
answer questions put to him by Chronicle
correspondent. The following is all of it of any
consequences:
Cor.-How many blanks were sent you by
the Secretary of Stvte?
Mr.. B.-Four or five I think, I am not posi-
tive. After the election I received blank
for return from Albert L. Soule, postmaster
of Somerville, and request to make out for
him copy of the record. 1 made out copy
of the record andsin no instance did I sign the
names of the selectmen to any return save the
original, or to any copy OF the record.
Cor.-Was the return shown you by Mr.
Hale which he claimed was an amended re-
turn, signed by the selectmen?
Mr.. B.-Yes, but am sure it was not an
amended return, but the original return. The
Republican idea that it was an amended re-
turn came from the testimony of a Mr.. Gid
den, Republican, who knew nothing about it.
Cor.-Did Glidden see you when you made
out the return?
Mr.. B.-No, he did not.
Cor.-Do you think that the Governor and
Council tabulated the original return or q copy
of the record.
Mr. b think they tabulated the original
did not see the copy of the record and know
they had no amended returns signed by the
selectmen. The original return was SO signed.
Cor.-The return you saw and the one tabu-
lated was signed by the selectmen and you
signed the selectmen's names to no other than
the original returns? N
Mr.. B.-I did not. 1 had no authority to do
so, therefore l concluded the paper saw was
the original return, and the one tabulated and
counted by the Governor and Council
Mr.. Bowler now takes the ground that the
return shown him was the original return.
When before the committee he admitted that
he signed the names of all the selectmen to it
and he does not deny it now. On the con-
trary apparently one reason why he pro-
nounces it the original return is because the
| the selectmen's names are all signed by one
hand. for he says he did not sign the names of
the selecrmen to any return save the original.
Now what we wish Mr.. Fogg to explain is this:
If the original return bore the names of the
selectmeD all in one handwriting how was the
Council able to tabulate it under the rules laid
down. New Sharon was thrown out because
the Council thought all the selectmen's names
TO- ho,,J On
erville thrown out for the same reason? Mr..
Fogg, we fear you have jumped out of the
| frying-pan only to fall into the fire.
| Bowdoin College Senior and Junior Ex-
hibition.
The Bowdoin Senior and Junior exhibition
took place in Lemont Hall, Brunswick, Thurs
day evening. Chambers Band furnished
elegant music. Among the music played was
the overture Banditenstricher, selections from
Fatinitza, Illusion waltz and Milvallen,
Segeln galop.
The following was the order OF exercises:
Salutatory Grafton in Latin,
: frank Goulding, Lewiston
English Version from aT TaYssitus, c.u,. -.
| Signs of the Times,
| Richard L. SWEET, Brunswick
| English Version from Mirabeau
| *Carroll E. Harding Hallowell
| Ought we to despise our ancestors?
| Henry B. Wilson, Portland
| Memorial Grafton by j. V. Mueller,
*Frank E. Smith, Augusta
| Compulsory Education
| George L. Well North Andover, Mass.
| Too much Governed, John Scott Clinton
| Napoleon ", Frank Winter Belfast
| Theistic Bearings of Evolution,
HAIRY L. Maxcy, Portland
| The Diver English Version from Schiller)