The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1880-01-22
IN. y. Tribune.1
The Conspiracy.

LII Is nafuly pOSSlDle W uOIlul uIlttu d
conspiracy is in progress of formation
for turning over the Government of
the United States to the Democratic
party, without reference to the result
of the next election If a popular
majority can be obtained for Demo-
cratic candidates, of course the mana
gers will prefer that plan as the chea-
pest and least troublesome; but with
or without the majority they intend
to take the Government. The desper-
ate assault upon the Federal election
laws was a part of the plan. The at
tempt to deprive the President of his
constitutional power of enforcing the
laws was part Of it. The obstinate
and still continued refusal to make
appropriations for the payment of the
deputy marshals is a part of it. When
the Maine rascality began to develop
we warned the public that the scheme
extended beyond the larceny of sim
gle State; it embraced also the steal
ing of electoral votes. Democratic
journals which had sense enough to
condemn the outrage did not hesitate
to charge that the Garcelon plot was
devised outside of Maine, and directed
by men whose real object was the sell
zure Of the Presidency. So daring an
act of usurpation would not have been
attempted except for the chance of
, great prize. The possession merely
of the Governorship of Maine, and
majority Of the Legislature, is not
) worth the risk and the odium of so in
: solent defiance of the popular will
The successive operations by which
the defeated party has now seized the
l commonwealth show a deliberation
5 and ef,rontery significant of matured
5 and far-reaching designs.
| The first step in the process was to
entrap the voters and poll-clerk Ks by
7 the deliberate preparation of defective
2 returns. The next was the counting
r out" To sustain that wrong the
7 Governor dishonorably repudiated an
arbitration to which he had freely and
: explicitly agreed. The Judgment of
e the Supreme Court was set at defiance.
: The Capitol was filled with armed
l men. Finally, when all was ripe, the
: usurpation was completed by the Or
0 ganization of the fraudulent Legisla-
7 fure, in the midst Of a disgraceful up
e roar, and in contempt of all recog-
!. nized parliamentary rules. The clerks
f went through the performance assign
: ed to them with stolid Indifference to
e regularity and order, as if they were
f the agents of a despotic authority
e which had not much respect for any
d thing except it's own power. Maine
: is now ruled by body calling itself a
y Legislature, though nearly half its
f, members were not elected, and even
r counting the intruders, it is doubtful
a whether the lower house contains {
d quorum. Certainly no quorum ap
i pears from the record Of any of the
S votes at the organization. It was de
l. clared in the House that quorum
II was not present; protest was for
IS mally made against every vote and ev
is cry act of the Assembly; but the con
= spirators refused to hear any objec
y tions or to verify the number of mem
rs bers present. They rushed on witt
their work, and then adjourned il
haste.
'e e The doubt as to the legality of tn
u Legislature may have most seriou
IL consequences. If it is true that a quo
;. rum was not present in the House Of
3 Wednesday-and certainly the name
u of persons who were not in the hal
y appear to have been affixed to the rol
y, the gathering at Augusta does no
- constitute Legislature and has n
y power to pass laws or to elect a Gov
le ernor. If then the Legislature, wit
re this flaw in it's title, should proceed t
Z take from the DeoD1e the ripht To vOt
20 for Presidential Electors, it is easy t
81 , see that the most dangerous complica
u tions might easily arise; and it mus
d be remembered that in case Of a dis
u pute over the next electoral count W
u ! have provided no way of settlement
/ nor do the Democratic conspirator
: desire that we should provide any.
J. There is one thing necessary, how
D ever, for the final success of tn
y scheme which the plotters have no
81 teken into account. That is the pa
> tient acquiescence of those uncertain
y voters who constitute the balance O.
/ power The proceedings in Main
= can not but have aroused all over th'
le Northern States a general alarm fo
le the stability of popular institutions i
4 such outrages upon the ballot-box arr
/ to be tolerated; and the conviction i
u u daily gaining ground that unless thes'
u practices are Immediately stopped FREE
le republican government will be i'm
u q possible. With such sentiment pre-
u vailing there will be no doubtful
e States" and the next election will
.e show that in stealing Maine the De