National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-01-22

| THE LESSONS OF MAINE.
! Let no man suppose that the plot to
seize the State of Maine was the outcome
of local dcpravity, or meant solely for the
| control of the State for this one year. The
device was beyond the powers of the Fusion
politicians of that State, and had National
aims 1t was incubated in the secret cOun.
| ellis of the Democratic managers {; brought
into life by the New York Clique, and the
party stood ready to adopt and support it
| if sealed 10y success. The same brains that
conducted the cipher correspondence the
same unblushing rascality that sought Elec-
toral votes by open bribery, devised the
Maine iniquity as one of the flank move
ments of the Presidential campaign of 1880.
The action of GARCELoN and his Council
was to establish in that State the same tri-
bunal with larger scope for the exercise Of
their special function in counting in or
counting out the Electors as well as the
Legislature if there should be need.
} To give Maine by any means to the DEM
ocracy would be a most serious blow to the
Republican column; to put that State into
|
victory The end to be obtained was so
great that it seemed TO warrant an extra
risk All that the problem seemed to re-
quire was some six men, either so utterly
partisan that they could not see, or so dar-
ingly dishonest that they would not
temporary usurpation of powers not
granted, the simple conversion of body of
cauvassers into sham judicial forum, only
bold ignoring of law long settled in every
=, State of this Union, only courage to ride
over all principles oil which popular gov
, eminent is founded given these factors, and
the result was manifest Now Democracy
in Maine is bad enoegh but it was not bold
9 enough and bad enough to conceive and
t execute this rascally plan alone.
: The vile matrix was ready, but the vivi-
+ fying impulse came from without, and the
: loathly bantling is q cross breed, with the
a features of Gramercy Park, the mind OF
r SCION CHASE, and the legs of GARCELoN.
e The movement was to capture the Elec-
t toral vote, to derraud the public voice OF
Maine in 1880 by suppressing or changing
the expression of the popular will in 1879
9 1t was the first serious skirmish of the
- great battle. In this view the conspiracy
y rises to q baleful eminence, and is well
y worthy the careful study of all citizens, fol
its aim was National.
, To hold the Legislature and State gov
= eminent of Maine by plain fraud for one
-" year would be bad enough, but the ulterioi
" and its manifest purpose is infinitely worse
- Let it be remembered that there is no dis
pute or serious question about the law o.
the case. All courts agree that no defect
nor misconduct of managers of election
n can be permitted to defeat the clearly,
IS expressed will of the people, for else II
II would be easy for such managers purposely
= to neglect some form or omit some pre-.
II scribed duty, and thus render null
k majority, however large.
Ie So the rule stands in an unbrOken array
g of decision, that in order successfully L
IS impeach the result Of an election by reason
D of misconduct Of managers it must b
Y averred and shown that such misconduc
al varied and affected the result, and hindere
n. or prevented the statement Of the facts a
they actually occurred. Nothing of thi
'r kind is pretended in Maine, and therefor
N even if the Governor and Council had law
&c ful jurisdiction to inquire into these ques
10 tons, their decision under the law woul
Is have been other than it was. But they ha
Is no such jurisdiction, and it is scarcely pc,
/; sible to conceive that they did not know i
e, II was simply a bold scheme to steal til
N mower of the State, to delraud the peopl
a. of the effect of their votes, and to perpetr
n ate the dominion of a beaten minorit,
&c The iniquty of the thing was intensife
III by tho pretense that it was done undo
~ color of law"
The conspirators and promoters Of I'll
" plot, outside of Maine, did not comm
ee themselves openly, by distinct and publ
he appreciation, either in New York or Wosl
A. mgtou. They waited until success shOul
lie cal the enterprise before Endorsement, an
40 were, and are, ready to abandon their con
n. rades in guilt if caught in the act an
ar pilloried by failure. But the understra
90 pers, who had no character or prestige
"a lose. were allowed from the first to susta
. the inchoaie crime, Some independel
rt honest men Of their party could not, al
e. did not, restrain their indignation and co
an tempt for the transparent wrong tn
no struck 50 liercely at the Y cry basis Of tn
"a representative government
Yet, had il succeeded, the entire Dem
cratic party would have taken the robbie
,e. 10 their hearts, and become accessories aft
ed tho fact by division of the plumber.
AS the scheme has failed thanks to t
mr. wisdom and prudence Of tho Republca
in Maine, and thanks above all to the iu'
al ciol manliness of an undivided court, I