The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-01-22
NAMES TROUBLES.
HOW THE REPUBLICANS GOT Pos
SESSION OF THE STATE HOUSE.
Skeleton Keys and Force USed-A Protest FIOm
Fusion Secretary Of State SaWyer-TrOuOIe
Feared Should the FusIOnlsts be Refas
ed the Use Of the Legislative
HAlls--The Decision Of the
Supreme Court, Etc.

Halls--The Decision Of the
Supreme Court, Etc.
AugustS, Jan. 1S.-The rolls Of both branches OF
the Republican Legislature, which elected q
Governor and other State officers yesterday az
ternoon, were read from newspaper instead OF
from certified lists. The proclamation was read
by Mr.. Locke the President Of the Senate, instead
ofbv the Secretary Of State, and the whole pro.
ceedings, the Fusionists affirm, were character
lied by an entire disregard Of the forms Of law
and the Constitution, The election and inaugu
ration OF Davis az Governor were carried through
with rush. His address was delivered and the
adjournment reached by7P.M, Governor Smith
locked his private room in the State House when
he left the Capitol, but Mayor Nash procured skel
eton keys and unlocked 1t and had the room pre-
pared for the reception Of Davis. before the
conclusion Of the Inauguration ceremony The
Secretary Of State, elected and qualified by the
Republicans, attempted to take possession Of the
Secretary's once by demanding the keys Of Sec
retary of State Sawyer, but Sawyer refused to de-
liver them over to q man elected by body the
eonstltutonalty ofwhose organizations is seriously
questioned. Davis sent for Sawyer, who refused
point blank TO deliver TO him the keys Of the safes
or any document In his possession. The Republl-
cans then broke into the Office and found, to their
great surprise, that Governor Smith had taken
away the State SEAL and that the returns Of legIs.
lative officers were missing. To day the following
was made public by Secretary Of State Sawyer:
STATE OF MAINE,
AUGUSTA, January 18th, 1891
TO the People Of Slate Of Aaine:
Actuated by o sense of duty 10 all the people
irrespective OF party, am compelled to place be-
fore them briPi outline Of the proceeding which
have transpIred in this State during the past two
months, In order that none may be deceived or
led into Misunderstanding OF the present polit.
ical condition In the first place 1t is well known
that q majority Of more than thousand Of our
voting population cast their ballots at the last
September election in opposition to the Republi
can party. Notwithstanding this fact, however
almost before the sun went down on election day
the Republican press of the state:and leading pol
iticians heralded abroad that great Republican
victory had been Achieved. That this claim was
the result Of preconcerted arrangement cannot
be doubted by any intelligent political observer.
(He next goes into q lengthy statement about
the counting Of the votes by Governor Gsrcelon
and Council and shows that the Fcsion LegiBlR.
ture was legally Organized,)
On the next day, January II, certain persons
who claimed 70 be elected, but large number Of
whom were not elected according TO the returns
received, and only two Of whom Of the House
and the eleven Of the Senate had. been duly
qualified, met together, and having previously
gone through the form Of organizing Legislature
enacted tho further farce Of choosing Governor
and Council and Secretary ofstate. Immediately
the Executive Chamber was broken into and pos
sessed by this soCalled Governor and Council,
illegally chosen by an illegal and unconsttution-
al body, assembled In open rebellion TO and In
defiance Of the constituted authorities. The state
Department was soon broken into, and possession
taken in the same manner The archives Of the
State are thus in possession Of unauthorized per-
SONS, in violation Of law and order, and rebellion
open and defiant, has been inaugurated, and the
Constitution fthe State and the rights and lib
critics of the people are trampled down and
threatened with destruction.
As Secretary Of State and responsible for the
safe keeping Of It's archives protest against this
outrage, and Isolemnly protest in the name Of
liberty, law, and order, and present the case to
the people In order that they may in ssme degree
understand the true condition Of affairs, and In.
augurate prompt measures for the vlndIcRtOn Of
their rights and the support Of the duly and le-
gally constituted authorities Let no one sleep
while insurrecti0n and treason triumph. Let the
issue be cleally defined. The laws OF the State
have been violated; the Constitution has been
trampled upon; fraud and violence have been re-
sorted to; the partisan opinion Of the members Of
the Court upon an assumed statement OF facts has
been proclaimed as judicial decision, and the
government Of the people is threatened with de.
sructiOn. It 10 another leaf In the history Of the
war Of wealth against labor, and unless steruly
resisted and defeated will seal the doom Of a
liberty loving people; until, ceasing to fOrbear
longer, they will be compelled to purify and re-
generate their free institutions in q baptism Of
blood. PA. SAWYER,
Secretary OF State,
THR COURT DECISION;
The Courts opinion Is still the chief topic OF
conversation. The Standard, Mr.. PillsEury's
newspaper, says editorially: "The Justices Of the
Supreme Court have assumed TO exercise all the
powers Of Government executive and legislative
as well as judiCial-Oontrary to the Constitution.
They claim that their opinion, authorizedly or
unsuthoIiSedly given, is legal decision, binding
upon other departments and upon any citizen OF
the State. This claim has no foundation in fact
or inlaw. 1t 10 sheer, bold, barefaced, unfounded
assumption, Their opinion, given even when
constituhonally requested, has no binding effica.
oy whatever beyond the moral force which It
nKart a ind NJ 49, 49,
Of four executive and legislative bodies, entitled
70 ask Tor information land snlghtment purely.
These Justices tell us in the teeth OF the ConSu-
tuition that the Executive Of the State has no
right to determine from an examination Of the
returns ofvotes for Senators and Representatives
who appear to be elected, but that your Dick or
Harry have an equal right 10 consider the evil
denee and determine the fact. The Constitution
declares that the fact must appear to the Governor
and Council. The Supreme Justices tell US that
may rightfully and legitimAley appear to Baker
and Baker, or whoever else set themselves up ss
umpire In the premises. The Constitution do.
clareB and the Revised Statutes affirm that those
persons, and those only who have the certificates
OF election can claim seats at the opening OF the
Legislature, and participate In its organization,
The Justices Of the Court virtually tell us that
that provision Of the Constitution Ia not conslitu
uonal, and that the statute enacted in pursuance
thereof is also not constitutional, and that every
person whom the newspapers says has been
elected has an equal right with the ecettiied mem.
beHs, and even In place ;of them, to appear aud
act In the organisation They undertake to wipe
out Of existence by their simple fat and that, too
without hearing, the duly organized Executive
and Legislative officers Of the State, whose Au.
thority every citizen Of the State is bound to re-
speot. The assumption by the Supreme Justice Of
the right to exercise the functions pertaining to
the Executive and LegislaNve'departmen under
the Constitution should be frowned upon end
signally rebuked by the people Of this state
Their partisan conduct throughout the whole |
controversy has been dsgraceiul to them as
men and Infamous as judicial iunctionares |
The bar OF the State has reason to blush In view
OF the display OF partisan bgotry, their wholesale
Of COnstltui ional law, and suhversion |
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