Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-01-15
The Haine Situation.

for State officers and members ~ the
Legi, laturc. There were three tickets
IN the field, and tha CANVASS before the
election was one Of the most active
and animated ever held in any state.
Some Of the ablest men upon either
side of this triangular contest, both
from within and without the State
were warmly engaged IN the struggle
for supremacy. there being all the
time An evident disposition on the
part Of the Democratic and Gre"naaca
parties, 70 combine 8ailst thu Rnpu''-
lican party, at least so fer as the Leg
islature WAS concerned But when
the votes of tie people came TO be
counted, it appeared that the tepu :
lican candidate Tor Governor nd AN
overwhelming plurality over either of
she ether candidates. AMI tiiz. he came
within two or three hundred of she
combined vote of both The laas Of
the State requiring that when no can
didafe has received i ma ority over all,
the Legislature shall make the chO &c,
course, devolved upon that bully
TIE Legislature o, Maine consists of
Senate OF 81 members and House of
Representatives of 151 me nbers, and
of these. the Republicans at this cleo
tiou clearly elected 40 Senators. Civ
ing them ma ority of ! over both the
other parties IN that body. aad 80
Representatives, giving them ma jori
ty of 20 IN the popular branch, and
making the Republican m,jority on
Joint ballot So Such result would
seem to have been sufficiently emphat-
ic aud decisive 10 have sileuced all
question as to the political complexion
of the State. and SO to all appearance
was it regarded, but it now proves
that deep-lsid conspiracy had been
secretly plotted, by which the will of
the people wss to be thwa-ted, and
the utter subversion of the princi pies
which underlie our representative .or,u
Of government Was To DE accomplished.
The administration was Democratic,
and it took advantage of its official
functions to effect deliberately plan
ned and ieloniously and corruptly ex-
ecuteo fraud upon the rights of the
elective franchise which. in gigantic
crimina!ity, has never hal parallel in
the history at enlightened governments
It instructed its clerical force. In the
FIRST place, to send out fraudulent
blanks to the town officers. forms
which. if followed by the town clerks,
would inevitably make their returns
open to technical sbjectien. Coupled
with this fact. 1t is plain enough since
the result has become known, that Sc
cret instructions were sent to Demo
cratic and Greenback clerks to be par
ticularly Careful and avoid in their re-
turns all technical errors and IrresH-
larit;es of which it WAS secretly pisu-
ned TO take advantage IN respect To
the returns from Republican towns.
This consumately corrupt piece of
fraud accomplished, Governor Garce
ION, with his conspirators of the Coum-
Gil, locked up the returns, aud refuse
any Inspection of them by these who
had right by law to see AMI have
them corrected, while these precious
scouudrels, usurping functions which
did not belong to them, proce edei.
upon these prearranged tecnnicaltties.
90 count out sufficient number of
Republican returns to place that party
in the minority in both branches Of
the Legislature. Eight Republican
Senators and twenty nine Representa-
tives were thus counted out. leavin
the Fusionists nine majority N the
Senate and seventeen in the House.
making twenty six Fusion ma ority on
Joint ballot. BY this thro sing-out
process. several towns and cities have
been entirely distranchissj. having no
representation in the House. there
being twelve vacancies in that body.
Having thus secretly and corruptly
arranged for this stupenduus outrage,
the Governor proceeded to send eeIiiii-
Gates to those who were counted. sn1
this fraudulent body met. the other
day. and organized in violation of the
Supreme Court of the State; The
House of Representatives Lacked =
constitutional quorum to do business
the legally elected members. who had
been deprived et their seats by the
usurping Governor, petitioncd for
their rights and protested against
these unlawful proceedings. ana the
whole villiany was constructed in vie
lation of deceacy. of law. of prece-
dent, and Of established parliamentary
usage Garcelons gub-rnatorial term
has expired. but the functions nf that
Office are exercised ty the President of
the Senate, whose unlawful choice was
effected by the vote of Senators not
elected by the SURFACES OF the pc 'pla.
and who is the plant tool "f the cor
rnpt cabaI that II v holds arbitrary
rule in the State. There can be u.
Just and true characterize ion OF these
proceedings than that they are revolu
,ionary, to al. iutents and purposes
that they are directly s'h'ersiye OF
the principles ofr'pres:' t.;iHe go ern-
ment; that they have ~ rthrown an
trampled under foCi the + ght OF 'uf-
frage, and that q preeede:t has b N
established by them by ,ici any
usurpation, however prepost,roa>.
tina they may ect to &c petuate, a. d
any political vIilianS tn may chose
to perpetrate, AN only ne put dor by
the armed up is 6 of h. people in H.
fense of their pre- GRIP i've AMI c IL i.u-