National Republican., 1880-09-21
THE MAINE Ell ECTION.
DI.rntch from senator nlaIne.

who is in the city, sent the following telegram
to Hon. Marshall Jewell to-day
BosroN, Sept. 90.
10 Hon. MlrshaH JeueH Chairman National Re.
pWIicda COmmiHee:
l left Maine on Friday last. Intelligence
reaches mo hero to-day indicating that the
telegraphic report Of votes as published by the
associated press is In some cases modified by
the Clerks returns as they reached tho Office
Of tho secretary of state, where they are open
to inspection Of tho public These modfca-
tions arc of such character rs to render the
contest between Davis and Plaisted extremely
close, possibly requiring the official returns TO
determine which is elected. Official returns
cannot be counted or even opened until the
meeting Of the legislature in January.
as put forth by Mr.. Chairman Bar
mum, is sufficiently answered by the
fact that both parties in Maine have recourse
TO precisely the same authority for their
| fgures-hrst, tho kilograms of the associated
press, and second the clerks returns from
tho several towns Tho agent of the associated
press at Portland, Mr.. Stephen Borry, is i'm.
plicitly trusted by all parties, and is incapable
of williul misstatement or evasion. His ex-
| pcrcnCe in summarizing election returns is as
| long and us varied as that of any man Ia the
country. Up to this hour there is no dis
pute between the parties in Maine touching
the returns from single town. The ouly pos.
sible opportunity for frauds in the election re.
turns under our laws is in the French planta-
| tiOus in ArOOstook, where the assessors sign
Il return expressed In II language with which
| they are entirely uuucquainted. The demo.
cratic, lsh.speaking agent who makes out
returns has abundant opportunity for mis-
stating the facts. do not assert that the re-
| turns from these plantations are fraudulent,
| ipr | Ia EppW | N a
know that frauds have been committed
| there In past years by democratic agents, and
| repeat that nowhere else in Maine is fraud
practicable. The fraud of last year was not
| in the returns ut all, but consisted wholly in
| Governor GarcclOn and his council rejecting
returns that were honestly and regularly
made. Mr.. Chairman Barnum is also in pllpa-
bic error when he assumes that election re-
turns should be at Augusta the day after
| election. He rorgcts that Maine is larger in
territory than the other five Now England
states together, and that the sOuthwestern-
most town in Maine is nearer to any point in
the state of Deluware--nearGr. indeed TO the
city Of Batimorc-than it is to the French
plantations on the upper ST. Johns by any
practicable route. In this statement l speak
oractual distance. In point of time the com-
parison would be still more striking
and significant, for man can 90 from
Augusta TO Chicago as quickly us he can
20 from augusta 10 fOfC hcnu, ne
talk of Burnum about the fusionists
Of Maine being counted out is mere rant
There is nota democrat or greenbackcr in
| Mainc who has the slightest fear of such II re-
suit. The late Governor Clifford of Massa-
chusctts used to boast that the whig party
was the only one then in existence that would
count itself out of power and surrender to its
opponents on an adverse maj ajOrity of one vote,
aliudiug to the cas-, of Marcus Morton US gov
ernor. The republicans OF Maine, when
beaten in 1875 could have retained power on
two or three technical points in the count.
Those who planned the Garcelon count.out of
year later expected the republicans to do it,
and suggested Il fear of it, but there was not {,
single member of the party that ever harbored
such thought. II Governor Piaisted shall
have II single vote more than Governor Davis
the executive chair of Maine for the next two
years is rs vel assured to him AS though his
majority were 10000. JAMES q. BLAINE.
Democratic Claims.
NEW York, Sept. 20.-A dispatch was re-
cciycd at the headquarters of the democratic
national committee Tonight from Fort Kent
81, IL.