Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-01-01
Maine.


tabulating and computing the vote of
the late election, eliminated a few
days ago in disgraceful exhibition
of mob violence at Bangor. What
ever the merits or dement's of this
controversy, the attitude of the Re-
publican leaders in Maine has been
and is shameful in the extreme. They
have for selfish purposes melted the
people to riot and disorder, and all
that has occurred is directly attribu-
table to the intlammatory and seditious
appeals they have made in the name
of law and good government. Even
the sacred precincts of the Christian
church were invaded, and the Wears
of Christ upon earth were paraded
upon the hustings, calling upon the
people they had taught to love their
neighbors as themselves, to enact
scenes of bloodshed and murder, and
all this because the constitution and
the law had been faithfully executed
by faithful officials. The Republi-
cans made the laws, drafted the con-
stitution and Republican Supreme
Court has explained the different pro-
visions relating to the holding of
elections time and time again. Fol-
lowing their clearly indicated line of
duty the properly constituted author
tiles counted the vote. They we're
not deferred by threats of violence,
and the reaction which has followed
the ftful fever of excitement shows
that they were right and the revolu-
tionists wrong. The election machin-
cry in Maine is so complicated as to
be almost unintelligible to the ordinary
mind. There is no State in the Union
that has surrounded the ballot-box
with so many temptations for chican-
cry and fraud. The law was cum
ningly devised for the purpose of
making Republican ascendancy per-
petual. How we'll it worked will be
readily comprehended when we re-
member that Governor Garcelon is
the first Democratic executive Maine
has had for a quarter of century,
and he owes his success to the Repub-
licans themselves. In letter to the
New York Herald the Governor epit-
omises the whole situation in the fol-
lowing brief and pungent manner
"The simple and only question there
fore is, Shall the Governor and Coun-
Gil follow the mandates of the consti.
tuition, the law and judicial decisions
explanatory thereof, or in obedience
to popular clamor violate their oaths
of Office, trample the constitution un.
der their feet, and forfeit not only
their self-respect but that which they
have a right to claim from both
friends and foes so long as they adhere
to the line of duty?'
This is certainly not the utterance
of conspirator who is reasonably
endeavoring to strike down the liber-
ties Of the people or subvert the gov
ernment of great State. 1t is rath-
er the language of an honest man,
who in the discharge of important
trusts has brought with him a consci-
entious regard for the sanctity of his
official oath. When We recall the
fact that the venerable Governor of
Maine is over seventy years old, and
that throughout his long and active
career has borne his name unsullied
and his character without stain, it will
be difficult to believe that now in the
sere and yellow leaf of his life, with
his head crowned by the frosts of
seventy winters and standing almost
within the portals of eternity, that he
would deliberately besmirch the record
Of long and honorable career by
the commission Of heinous offense.
One of the most eminent lawyers in
the country, who is politically opposed
to Governor Garcelon, said in recent
interview that from his knowledge Of
the law,-and from his situation he is
well calculated to iudge,--the Govern
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