The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-14
The Argus and the Tabulators.

In general, and vague, and most misty
way. the Argus attempts to defend the count
out, but in no instance, except one, does it
come down to particulars and treat of the
cases of forgery and fraud brought home to
Garcelon and his canvassing board. Some
days since the PRESS, in going over the long
and disreputable catalogue of wrongs com
mitted by the Tabulators, used these words:
''In Wells the evidently amended return
was for Josiah A. Stover, and the record
for Josiah StOver, and the Fusionist Slower
was counted in" If these words conveyed
the impression that certificate was given
to Slower by the Garcelon gang, they con-
veyed wrong impression. That result was
beyond even the wicked ingenuity of the
Tabulators. But the amended return of
Wells was counted for Josiah A. Stover.
And now that the Argus has taken up
the count-out we hope it will not confine it.
self to the Wells return. We once more
invite it to explain the change in the Hebron
return, afac simile of which forgery we
gave the other day. Let it explain how it
was that the rules applied to returns from
Republican towns were disregarded when
defective returns from Fusion towns were
found; that the ditto marks were used to
count out Republicans and to count in Fus-
ionists; that when initials only were used it
was fatal defect in Republican name, a
remedial defect in a Fusion name; that the
whole number of ballots must be given
where a Republican was concerned, and
might be disregarded where Fusionist was
concerned; that a mista Ike in spelling in the
name of a Republican candidate must de-
prive him of the votes cast for him., but
that similar error in the name of "a Fus-
ion candidate is of no consequence and need
not be noticed. Thus sBurnam and Burn
ham were counted as two names because
the candidate from Sherman was Republi-
can, but votes for Alfred Cushman and for
Afford Cushman were counted for one man.
because Cushman was EJlsionist; for the
same reason Redlon and Redlond were re-
garded as two names, Rankin and Rankins
as one, Qnimby and Quinby as one, Skillin
and Skillings, Clark and Clarke as one,
Standley and Stanley as one. In East Ma
chias the whole number of votes did not
agree with the ballots, but East Machias
was Fusion and tabulated. In Hampden
the same defect was found, but Hampden
was thrown out. The New Sharon return
was rejected because two of the names of
the selectmen appeared to be written in one
hand, and the return from Somerville
counted, though all the signatures to it
were written by one hand. Because ditto
marks were used under the names of Re-
publican candidates in Westbrook the Re-
pnblicans were counted out, but the Andov-
er return with the ditto marks was permit
ted to pass. In East Livermore the return
was for Hiram Briggs and the record for
Hiram W. Briggs; and the votes were tabu-
lated for Hiram Briggs.
If the Argus can spare little of the
space it now devotes to the publication of
lists of fictitious Hancock recruits to the
explanation of the extraordinary, inconsist-
ent and dishonest practices of the Tabula-
tors it Will show clearer comprehension of
the true issue in this campaign than it has
yet manifested