The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-01-15
By order of
GarcpIOn'S Rplukn,


The unanimous opinion of the
seven members of the supreme court
of Maine that Governor Garcelon and
his co-conspirators exceeded their au-
thority, in trying to set aside the will
OF the people, has fallen like u bomb
Shell i'll the Democratic camp. and
there is weeping aud wailing in their
wigwams. The would-be usurper has
received rebuke from the highest
judicial authority of the state that is
not only overwhelming but crushing,
ana which will teach him a lesson
that he will not soon forget. All the
frivolous objections and technicaliti,s :
devised by (iarcelon and his counsel.
lors have been brushed away bv a
wave of the judicial hand, and they
stand before the country as convicted
thieves, without possibility of escap-
ing the condemnation and scorn of
those who love justice and denounce
wrong. a bolder piece of raScali'y
was never attempted i'm this countr,
and the clearer the crime becomes the
greater will he the Indignation of
the people. The spirit of the whole
decision is clearly show in the few r. =
marks with which it closes:
This government rests upon the great cor
stltutional axiom that all power is inherent
In the people. ut is government of tn
people, by the people, and for he pcul I,. :
anu II administered in the spirit ofil found
err, sit shall not pr,i>h from tn. ruIi, ,
Its constitution was formed" to use the ant
expression of one whose memory is en-
otlmed In the hearts Of his countrymen. "bv
plain people," and "plain people" must adj
minister it. The ballot is the pride as wcrr
as the protection of all il is tn, lruest indi-
cation of the popular will The official re-
turns required from The municipal officers of
several'plantations. towns and cities are ana
VIII oe' made by ''plain people," and made.
100, in the hurry ana hustle and eXciiement
OF an election. They are not REQUIRED TO he
written with the ScrupulOus nicely of a writ
lug master. or with the technical accuracy oF
plea In abatement. Sentences NAV have
oeeH uhGrahmaticaI, the spelling may de-
Viate lrom the recognized standards but re-
turns are not to be set at nau@ht because the
pehmahshlp may be poor language ungran
m.ttlcai, or rspelling erroneous II is enouoh
ii the returns can be uuderS TODD: and if
understood, full effect should be given IN
thelr natural and obvious meaning. They
are not to be strangled by idle techncaIi1tes
nor is their meaning to be distorted by earn
lug and captious criticism.
III now remains for Governor Garce-
lon and his cOnferees to bow submis.
slvely to the decree of the court, and
not attempt to oppose the highest
Judicial authority of the state IF
they refuse to be governed by the
opinion and advice which they sought
they deserve to be branded as traitors
OF the lowest degree, whose acts of
1nfamy are without parallel.
Already two of the counted in sena-
tors and three of the members have
declared that they cannot consent to
receive stolen goods, and refuse to ac-
cept certificates of election to an Office
that was not conferred upon them by
the people. 1t is probable that other
members and senators will follow in
the same cause, and refuse to disgrace
themselves. Verify. Garceion and his
followers have been rcbuked more
suddenly and severely than the coun-
try expected, which shows that Wrong
cannot always triumph at The expense
of Right.