The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-09-23
The Situation.

The footings of what semi-official returns
have been received at Augusta, supple
mented by ielegraphic returns from the
other towns, indicate small plurality for
Plaisted. Of course there are likely to be
errors and discrepancies in these returns
sufficient to wipe out so small margin.
Errors amounting to two-tenths of one per
cent. OF the whole vote would transfer the
plurality to Davis. The returns sent by
town clerks to the Secretary of State are not
strictly official returns. No official action or
declaration is based upon them. They are
sent merely for the convenience of the pub
lie, in order that they may have some knowl-
edge from official sources of the result of
the election in advance of the formal OPEN
ing of the official returns. These semi
official returns are not made nor certified
by the town officers as are the official re-
turns; but after the formal return of the
Governor vote is made, certified and Sc.
curely sealed up, the returns of Congress
men, State Senators and Representatives
and all the rest are made, certified and
sealed in their several packages and properly
addressed, then the clerk makes, on one
large blank, return of all these things and
sends it by mail to the Secretary of State at
Augusta, who immediately opens it and ex-
poses it to the view of all v 40 may wish to
see it. That errors should be made by
clerks unfamiliar with figures and wearied
and confused by long and trying DAYS
labor is not surprising; indeed it would be
very surprising if errors were not made un-
der such circumstances. Furthermore the
tabulations and footings from these clerks
returns make no account of variations in the
names of the candidates. For instance,
there are some votes for D. F. Davis, some
for Harris Fl. Plaisted, and many more for
various other notifications of the names of
the candidates. The practice, we believe,
has been uniform of placing such votes
among the scattering, and if this practice be
observed in January it may make an essen
tial difference in the result.
So it is clear that so small Emargin in so
large vote shown by these semi-official
returns cannot be relied upon, and no one
will know on which side the plurality
lies until the opening and counting of the
official returns of the Governor vote by the
Legislature in January. Then careful in
spection will be made by the Legislative COM
mittee and the result declared. This much
may be certainly known now, namely, that
the count will be fair and honest one, be-
cause it will be made by Republicans. No
advantage will be taken of technicalities,
and a sincere effort will be made to ascer-
tain the will of the voters and to carry it
out justly. If Gen. Plaisted is chosen by
the voters acting in accordance with the
laws of Maine, he will be Governor. In view
OF the wickedness of last year, there will be
special soicitude on the part of all Republi-
cans to give the opposition every right to
which any candid person would say they
were entitled. We propose to emphasize
the difference between gentlemen and black
guards in the methods of conducting public
affairs so that even Fusionists will see and
appreciate it.