Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-01
MagnanimOus as Well as Bold.
Governor Garcelon has submitted to the

A>OA~.s
Governor Garcelon has submitted to the
supreme court of Maine twelve questions
of law that cover the action taken in
counting the vote of the state, and has
anew earned the confidence of the peo-
pie in which his conduct has already so
well established him. He has shown
himself bold and honest and wise, and
whether of his own motion entirely, or
through the excellence of his advisers,
he has moved in a difficult pathway with
out thus far misstep. 1t was right that
he and the council of the state should de-
eide the matters the law put upon them
to decide, according to their understand
ing of those laws: and it was right, II
the correctness of their Interpretation
was questioned by any part of the people,
that they should seek the decisive opln-
ion of the supreme court. There is no
possibility of caviling at the fairness with
which the Republican malcOntents are
being treated. The questions which MIR.
Morril asked the governor to submit
to the court have been referred to it
in their essence, though their form
has been changed to relieve them
OF the suggestions of fact that
they were incumbered with. If any dis
puted points of law has not all been sub
mitted by the governor Mr.. Morrill, and
his fellow Republicans will have good
reason to complain but we do not per-
ceive that there has been any such Omis-
sion, and to the charge of form and phrase
ology no objection can be made, since it
was undoubtedly proper for the governor
TO ask for the needed information in his
owp way. If the Republicans get sub
stantially what they are entitled to
expect they have every reason to he salts
fled, since it is only by the grace of the
governor and through his good sense and
his fairness that they get anything at
all.
If the supreme court OF Maine is com
posed of good lawyers and fair men, its
decisions will satisfy the people, though
they be Republicans The Democrats of
the country have no reason to
feel strong confidence in the
fair decision Of politico-cgal questions
by Republican courts, after their terrible
experience with the electoral commits
sion; but all courts are not us meanly
partisan as the United States supreme
court, and it may be that Maine is more
happy than the nation in having, in its
highest judicial tribunal, judges who re-
spect themselves and revere the law more
than they adore their PARTY. There are
plenty of lawyers who would not be
tempted to prostitute their profession to
the demands of their politics, and who
impartially any great question Of the
law they love to conStrue. But the
trouble with us is that these true law
yerS do not always, Or even often, get on
the bench. preferment to which is now
a-days so generally secured by polit-
ical services and political subserviency.
That the bench III Maine has the respect
of the governor we may assume from the
fact of his cCnsenting to take its opinion
and the result of its intervention must
bC W tiilCl tilS tl'luI pIol'it VA tiI'
state The attention of the country cannot
but he attracted by the fact that the
Democratic governor of the state claims
no advantage for his party that the law
does not give it and refuses to avail him
self of his power to permit no appeal
from his own Interpretation of the law.
The habit of Republican politicians to
use all the power they can snatch, legiti-
mately or illegtmately, evadinG and
overrunning judicia! restraints whenever
possible, is so well established and recOg-
nized that the opposite impulse of a Dem
Ocratic governor stands in most re-
freshing contrast to it and re-
fleets the utmost credit upon him
and the party he represents, and
which must, if it is often favored
with SO wise and determined leader
ship, be established on the foot
stools of power that it has so long
been struggling to obtain, but which
have been stolen from the nerveless
hands of its chiefs even when they We're
already within their grasp.