The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-17
Pillsbury
He Defends the state Steal.
Lewiston Journal

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lLewiston Journal
The Fusion exigency in Maine is so great
that +. f. Pillsbury has been summoned
from his retirement in Boston to defend the
Estate steal'' with his adroit speech, and urge
Democrats and Greenbackers to rally under
the contingent banner. When Fogg de.
clared last Spring that the contingent lead
ers could not avoid rallying to his support,
and making the State steal the great issue, he
knew the ground he stood on. Already this
has come to pass; and the man whom common
report holds to be one of the authors and ad-
visers in the counting out outrage has fastened
to the rescue and presents this as the leading
issue.
In his opening speech at Auburn Hall,
Thursday evening, Mr.. Pillsbury presents a
defense of the "steal," and reasons why the
people of Maine should vote for Plaisted and
Fusion and against Davis and Republicanism.
The synopsis of his argument was this
''Twenty-five years of Republican rule in Maine
have injured our material interests; put upon our
statutes Maine Law which las increased crime,
prosecutions and costs; and demoralized the Staee
and has increased taxes 450 per cent. since the
palmy days of 1856 when Democratic Wells ruled.
1t has also introduced system Of machine rule,
more tyrannical than was ever before known; and
in order tosustan this rule, has made the bribery
of votes so common that free election is mposs-
BILE. By wholesale bribery last year, the Republi-
majority to elect majority of Senators
and representatives against the will Of the people,
When the the election was over, the proofs Of this
bribery clear, that Gov. Garcelon and Coun-
ell determined that the returns should be canvassed
strictly according law and Republican precedents
in order that Legislature might be obtained which
would ferret out this wholesale rascaty and carry
out the will OF the people. They dio this, when the
Republicans by subsidzing partisan court stirring
up mobs, defying law and authority, and introduc-
ing drunken militia into the State House, over
turned the lawful government and set up revolu-
rebuked by the election Of Pfaisted Fogg Anderson,
Ladd Murch, &C.; and these noble patriots Gov
Garceon's Council on the stage) must be sustained
This issue is accepted, gentlemen Of the
State steal! And the man above all Others
whom the Republicans would choose to fire the
Fusion heart is Mr.. Pillsbury. He left the
State rather unceremoniously after counting
out failed. But we are glad to see that he is
ready to come to the rescue of his associates,
now that the Fusion;s.s have made the defence
of all concerned in the attempt to reverse the
verdict of the people the main issue before the
people.
Perhaps some of our temperance friends who
think temperance can be promoted by defeat
ing the Republicans and contributing to Fusion
victory will get some light from Pillsbury's
assault on our Republican prehibitory laws, as
to what would come if they should sEoceSd in
getting the Fusionists into poSer. 1t must
require large amount of cheek for Mr. p. to
charge the Republicans with the increased tax
alton (Which in Lewiston and Auburn for ex-
ample is so per cent. instead of 450 per cent
larger than before the war;, and the increased
debt-nearly all of which has been caused by
expenses incurred in crushing Democratic
rebellion!
Mr.. Pillsbury rests his chief defence of count
ing-out on the claim that the Republicans
elected a majority of the Legislature by whole
sale fraud. He cites the fact that the Demo-
Gratis and Greenbackers had 475 (not 1000) ma
iority in their combined vote for Governor,
while the Republicans had several thousand
majority on Senators, as evidence that the bri-
berry came in here Every intelligent man
knows that every Democrat voted for his can
didate for Governor and every Greenbacker for
his; but that when they were called upon to
vote one Fusion Legislative ticket some Green
hackers cut the Democratic names, and some
Democrats cut the Greenback names-thus
causing their Fusion ticket to run behind
Now bribery is grave crime, punishable in
the courts just the same as theft or robbery. IL
it has been committed, grand juries are ready
to hear the evidence, and courts to punish. If
there was wholesale bribery last year, it can be
proved, and the guilty party punished.
year has elapsed, and there has been only one
attempt in the State to bring a case Of alleged
bribery before the courts, and that was In
Washington County, where q Democratic
SfaQQ jury VOleu tQdb Ln6 Charge Wds uOt SuS-
tanned. Mr. Pillsbury is an adroit criminal
lawyer, and if he believed his charges of whole
sale bribery, he would have long ago produced
his evidence in court. If there were 5000 or
more cases of bribery, from, the almost open
nature of the crime, many OF the cases must be
susceptible of legal proof.
Mr.. Pillsbury is very careful not to attempt
specific defence of single one of IS cases in
which the Governor and Council counted out
Republicans. He affirms in general terms that
,,x,ttr dtx,er IN fha
tuition and laws and Republican precedents."
Was the alteration of the "P" in Mr. Brag-
don's s.name in the Gouldsboro return, accord
ing to the constitution and laws?" Were the
alterations in the Berwick, Wells, Dayton and
Hebron returns according to the constitution
and laws?" Was the refusal of the Governor
and Council to correct Republican returns as
provided by the statutes of 1861, according
to the constitution and laws?" Tell us, Mr..
Pillsbury.
The Governor and Council made an official
report of their reasons for counting out 81 Re-
publcans, as follows:
1. We rejected the returns of StoReham, Jay
Lisbon, Webster Pennington and Searsport, and
counted out five Republican Representatives, and
one Senator, because it appeared by parte aida-
Wits that they were not signed and sealed in open
town meeting.
2. We rejected the New Sharon and Hersey re-
turns, and counted out two Republican Representa-
tves because it appeared by er pdrte adavits that
the returns were not signed by each of the select
men in his own hand, but by one person for all.
3. We rejected the Lebanon return, and counted
out one Republican Representative, because the re-
turn was not attested by the clerk.
A. By errors in the middle initial Of the names Of
Republican candidates in the returns of Somerville,
Nobleboro. Exeter, Gouldsboro Sherman Danforth
and Robinson, we counted out five Republican
Representatives and one Senator.
8. We rejected the vote of Fairfield and counted
out Republican Representative because there
were two dsagreeng returns, both purporting to
have been signed and sealed in open town meeting.
g. We rejected the Skowhegan return and
counted out Republican Representative because an
affidavit accompanied it stating that the names on
the Republican votes were printed in two columns,
which we adjudged to be the distinguishing marks
prohibited by statute.
7. We rejected the Cherryheid return and
counted out Republican Representative and
Senator because one of the three signing selectmen
was alien.
8. We rejected the Portland return and counted
out five Republican Representatives and three Sena-
tors because a small number of votes not affecting
the result, were returned as scattering"
8. We rejected the Saco, Lewiston, Bath and
Rockland returns and counted ont seven Republican
Representatives and two Republican Senators, be-
cause the returns were signed by less than ma
iority Out by majority of quorum) of aldermen.
Mr.. Pillsbury declares in general terms that
these were according to Republican prece-
DENTS" Mr.. Pillsbury knows better, and we
challenge him to point out single case in the
whole history of our State where a Democrat
or ANYBODY else was ever counted out as the
law now stands for either Of the reasons given
above except the third. Mr.. Pilsbury knows
there never was such a case; and he knows
further that all but one OF the thirty seven Re-
publicans rejected, were counted-out in def