Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1880-08-10
Bangor Wing.
THE RECORD OF ONE YEAR;

OR, THE CAREER OF A FUSION ADMINS
TRATIoS.
The party which came into power in
the State Of Maine in 1873, committed
the following crimes, frauds and INSIDE
meanors, for which. after having been
condemned by Legislative committee.
three CT whose members belonged 10 their
own party, they are now on trial before
the bar of public opinion:
They conspired before the election to
reverse the popular verdict, if adverse to
them, as it proved by the blanks sent out
from the Office of the Secretary sof State
with intent 10 deceive and mislead the re-
turning officers of the several cities Of
the State.
They removed the chairman Of the com
mittee on elections OF the council and re-
placed him by one whom they could de-
pend upon as willing tool of the con-
spiracy.
They violated the law of 1917, pro-
viding for a correction Of the returns by
the record.
They violated the statute providing for
twenty days notice in case OF contested
elections.
They unseated 81 Republican members
of the Legislature on various pretexts, all
of which were without warrant flaw.
They sent out blanks and furnished in
formation for tho correction of fusion re-
turns. and steadily denied all such facili-
hes to the Republicans.
They decided all cases upon ex-parte
evidence and rejected Republican Repre-
.entatives without hearing.
They threw out the vote Of New
Sharon upon the ground that the returns
were all signed by the same hand, which
was false.
They threw out Fairfield upon the
ground that they could not determine
which was tho original return, which was
false, .-.
They changed the Z in Oliver p. Brag,
don's name to b in order to count in u
Fusion representative, which was for
gerry.
In the Senatorial return Of the town OF
Berwick they changed the II in George
II. Wakefield name to an A. in order
to count in Fusion Senator, which was
forgery.
In the towns of Browntield and Buck
field, in Oxford county, the name of nei-
Their town nor county appeared in the re.
turns. They added them, which was a
fraud.
They applied rule to count out Re-
publicans, and the same rule to count in
Fgsionists, which was in violation oftheir
oaths of office.
Their Governor drew. without warrant
of law, over S., 900 of the public money
from the Treasury, and applied it to pay
ments for which no appropriation was
ever made, retaining in his own hands for
over two months after be was out of Of
fee nearly 81 900 Of the public funds,
and accounting for the rest BY vouchers
prepared by himself when called to
account by a Legislative committee. This
was at least q misdemeanor and NAL
feasance in Office.
The members of the Executive Council
drew, on various occasions, double pay
and mileage in direct contempt of the law
Of the State, which was, to call it by no
worse name, breach of trust.
Their Superintendent of Public Build
ings sold and retained the money for car
pets belonging to the State, and this, by
his own confession under oath, is petty
larceny.
A double sheet Of this paper would be
too small to contain a detailed record Of
their rascalities, which embrace almost
every crime known to the calendar. from
treason against the State down to thep
test stealing, including the preparations
for murder if necessary to defend their i'll
gotten gains, as proven by the muskets
loaded with nails and cut lead concealed
in the library.
Now Foge, Eostsr, Parker, Monroe,
Brown, Chase and Garcelon, with Plais-
ted's "bright untarnished blade" shining
like meteor before them, demand virdi-
cation from the people of Maine. The
people of Maine cannot do them justice.
II they could they would be now serving
lie State at Thomasson; but they can and
viii grant them after rext September the
III