The Portland daily press., 1880-03-04

bour, G. G. Loring Heard the count mem
toned very freely among those with whom
was acquainted. Heard Jonesport, Cutler,
Addison. Cherryfeld and Dennysville re-
turns mentioned as having defects in their re-
turns. Have met E. f. Pillsbury few times,
but have no recollection of his being in Wash
ington county last year. Stopped in Portland
on my return from Boston to buy some sta
tionery and books; stopped at the Preble
House; went home from there by steamer,
reaching there the Sth. Found no commune
cations from Augusta at home, and have no
recollection OF writing to Augusta or receiving
from any person in Augusta any letters till the
7th of January 1 received an envelopesicon-
tanning two senatorial return blanks which L
supposed came from Augusta: james r. Tai,
bot (Fusion candidate for Senator) handed
them to me about Nov. 11th. He did not speak
of any particular object he had in view, but
mentioned some towns whose returns he said
were defective,s as Cutler, Whiting, Addison
and Jonesboro.
l was to go into Democratic towns and see it
there were any defects in the returns, and had
looked up the law sufficiently so 1 supposed l
had right to have new returns made out. L
cannot tell what the law was, but that select
men or town officers were allowed twenty DAYS
to correct returns to conform with the CLERK
records. Do not know that the return varied
from the record in any of the towns. DID not
see the town clerk in any town, or ex anime
town record. l thought if / saw the selectmen
they would look up the matter. should have
gone to the clerk, probably, if had not met
the returns so that could not tell where there
were any discrepancies between the returns
and the records.
About Nov. 14th, started from home and
went to Jonesboro and Addison to see if there
were any defects in the returns. In Jones'
boro met seectman, Joshua Merritt, and
spoke about the returns, suggesting. there
might be some defects had heard that the
number of votes were not spelled out, but ditto
marks used. This vote was the common talk
upon the street. Do not remember that he
mentioned he knew of the defect. Sometime
selectmen would mention defects to me as
soon as I spoke about the matter. When I
left Mr. Merritt left a blank return with him
in order to get the correct return before the
proper authorities, and he said he would at
tend to it. did not know whether it was
necessary to have new return made or to
make statement about the particular mis-
take. l never understood that corrections of
returns were refused by the Governor and
Council, though had seen it so stated in the
Republican papers. When 1 started on my
allowed, but had no authority except what I
assumed.
From Jonesboro 1 went to Addison, and
first saw Mr.. G. L. Tabbut, one of the select
men. had previously called at the Office of
Mr.. Austin, the town clerk, and found it
closed. then went to Mr.. Tabbuts, and
mentioned to him that there might be defect
in the number of ballots cast. do not re-
member that requested Mr.Tabbut to do any
thing more than to make corrected return
from the records. Later in the day saw Mr..
Austin, but said nothing to him about correc-
ting the returns or ask to see the senatorial
returns. The reason for this was that Mr..
Tabbut had told me that he (Austin) would
make no correction. Do not know whether he
had conversed with Mr.. Austin or seen the
ratorial returns, but supposed he had from
his remarks. Think it very probable made
arrangements with Mr.. Tabbut to see Mr..
Nash and another selectman and endeavor to
have the correction made. After that time 1
heard nothing from Mr.. Tabbut, as to whether
the return was corrected till saw the other
day in the Lewiston Journal, that new re-
turn was made out by two Fusion selectmen.
l did not know what was going to be done
with the new returns, but supposed the select
men would know what to do with them. In
old Democratic times I may have had blank
returns left with me, and so this was no new
business with me.
When went into Mr., Austin's office, nine
weeks after election, he was working up his
record from slips prepared at the town meet
ing. Though l was around at the time getting
returns corrected by the records, it did
not occur to me tina. it was any of my business
to make any inquiries about the matter after
leaving Mr.. Tabbut
me OF these definite defects, but think I make
general statements about possible defects in
the returns