The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-01-23
springfield Republican,
The Breaking Strain of Republican
Institutions.

The result in Maine, like the adjustment OF
tt,e electoral dispute in Washington in 1877, Is
another practical proof that republican instltu-
tions rare strong enough to bear the strain of
disnuted succession. No worse strain can
come on government and its orderly adhllnlA-
tration In monarchy such dispute must
be settled by violence, real or threatened. In
a GREAT many republics it has had the same
issue. In the last century half the States III
the Union have had contests over the success
sion of the chief executive, aud with the eA-
cention of the Gulf States since the war, such
contests have uniformly been settled without
strife or bloodshed. The long canvass over
Judqe Morton's election insthis State, the dis
puted election of Clinton when Jay waived his
RIGHTS 10 a contest, the so-called "buck-shot
war" in Pennsylvania, the sharp contest IN
Ohio in 1907, the long legal battle in Michigan
in 1855. all these, like the dispute IN Name,
passed without firing an angry shot. When
the Dorr rebellion came to be carried up to the
federal Supreme Court, the one act OF violence
alleged was "trespass." and the entire serle
of DISPUTED SUGGESTIONS in a century OF republl-
CON Government and a score of commemorative
have led to no worse violence than THIS tramp
of a squad of men across man $ orchard
By great many persons whose faith III the
neonle is weak, peaceful ending was not ex-
Dected in Maine There is general impress
sion among these doubters that republican
form of government good enough when the
piping times of peace call for nothing louder
than a policemans whistle, is not strong
t4Oes''io ssrld i a. altaget the.
weaker then than governments which make
parade of force. AS a matter OF fact and eX-
nerieuce it is stronger. The power OF the SOW
oh a tbOnSand OPaco-
full agencies stands behind them all, ready to
strike its inevitable blow if obstacles oppose
the peaceful execution of the law. Major
Gen Chamberlain commands paper militia,
a few hundred of whom are armed, making IN
the aggregate force about equal to battalion
of two of regular troops; but the commander
of this force, leaving the presidents desk to
which he has now returned, kept the peace IN
the capital of State twice the size oil Den
mark and having more than half OF its popular
ton, as easily as if he had commanded the
little army of 50 600 regular troops which Den
mark supports Maine has State debt OF
81. 843 700 and five of its cities debt of SILL,
4250O0 to say nothing of its other local debts.
A dispute such as has run its course IN Maine,
in any European country would have sent
their securities Pickering up and down on
every stock market where they were sold. No
holder of Maine securities has thought of sell
ing them. Deep down below current threats
and the babble of partisans,. everybody knew
utterance of the court was an end OF strife.
The Fusionists make their protest and appeal
to the people, Republican institutions ar
again proved to have high co-efhclent OF
safety, and their breaking strain is not easily
found.
1t is equally certain that peace will prevail
in the second stage on which the controversy in
Maine has entered. Backed by the highest
court in the State, Gov. Davis acted rightly in
closing the State House against the intrusion of
a body which is not in fact or in law legal
Legislature. The Fusionists have their appeal
to the people and they have nothing else: They
can make their appeal effective or ridiculous as
they prefer If they think that sidewalk ses-
sions and side-show Legislature will help
them at the polls next September they have
right to the diversion under existing laws. iop-
ular government is so strong that it can afford
to disregard this elaborateiplaying at authority.
Scarcely any other government could, but be-
yond voting next Fall, everybody knows that
the men in the Smith Legislature can do moth
ing except make foolsIof themselves. That they
are welcome to. There is no law against it. Ii
they proceed to overt acts, they ought to be
checked as Gov. Davis checked them III the
attempt to enter the State House, but as long
as their hall rent is paid and no law infringed,
the Maine Fusionists can continue their agita-
ton at pleasure If they choose to appeal to
Congress, that will be matter for discussion
and decision on constitutional precedents
which are all against the Fusionists Fully
organized, fairly established, backed by the
moral and material forces of the State the le-
gal government of Maine can await the issue
with serenity.