The Portland daily press., 1880-08-06
The argus and the Count-Ou

SoiAiCo W ULS uClCIlSc VI bQG SlduC steal. OF
| rather it denies that any miscount was at
tempted. In proof of its denial it does not
give one particle of evidence. and is obliged
to entirely ignore the irrefutable evidence
that the canvassers of the vote did seek to
make miscount, and that in order to ac-
complish this object forgery and other forms
of fraud were resorted to. In disproof of
the charges made and sustained by the in
vestigating committee it pleads the previous
good character of the canvassers; pleads
that the returns had to be submitted to the
Legislature, Ia Legislature fraudulently
counted-in by the very men whose misdeeds
it was to pass upon, be it remembered) and,
in further disproof, goes on to make the fol-
lowing extraordinary and altogether false
statement:
Had any wrong been done, what an oppor-
tunity was here for the able men of the Re-
publican party, MesSrS. Hale, Hutchinson
Strout and others, to take those returns ex-
pose the crime and hold the guilty parties up
to the scorn and contempt of all honest men.
Ii a return had been altered, if miscount had
been made, here was'a chance to expose it all
"a duty imposed by law, with power back of
them to bring the guilty parties to condign
punishment.
Did they improve this opportunity? They
did not. Why not? Because they did not be-
ieoe that any substantial aorong had been done!
There might be, and probably were some
points on which honest men might differ; but
the Republican leaders saw and knew that up
on the counting OF the returns they had no
case to go before the people with! They did
not believe they could support their charges,
though they had some OF their ablest and
most experienced men in the legislature. They
1oresaw also the reaction which would follow
an attemptt to establish fraud, and their fail
ure to do it. 1t would be triumph of their
opponents that would break the power of
Blaine q Co. In this State forever.
1t cannot be possible that the Argus has
not seeo the Hale report, though it has done
all 1t can to keep the knowledge of that re-
port from its readers, and did not even
make pretence of reporting the investiga-
ton and did not give the testimony which
Proved beyond doubt that the returns had
been manipulated, in various ways, in order
to count in Fusion majority, had been sup
pressed, had been altered, had been forged
with the intent to overcome rightful
Republican majority. ''Messrs. Hale,
hutchinson, Strout and others" did ''take
those returns,". did ''expose the crime and
held the guilty parties up to the scorn and
contempt of all honest men, did ''expose
1t all, ll,''-altered returns, suppressed returns,
forged returns; and these were the conclu-
sions they came to:
l. That the returns were kept from can
didates, contrary to usage.
?. That during such time alterations,
erasures and forgeries were made upon
them for the purpose of counting out Re-
publicans.
3. That during this time defects in Fu-
sion returns were surreptitiously corrected
and affidavts secured to throw out Republi-
can towns.
4. In all such cases the results invariably
counted out Republican candidates and
counted in Fusion candidates.
s. This result was reached by refusing to
allow Republican errors to be corrected.
6. The rules laid down were strictly ap-
piled to reject Republican returns and not
applied to count out Fusion returns.
I. Many of these rules were evidently in
voked to secure Fusion legislature.
s. These illegal and fraudulent acts were
part of premeditated plan to secure a
Fusion Governor and legislature, and the
Governor and Council must have been par
ties to it,
Let the Argus publish the testimony they
took, the testimony of town officers of all
shades of political opinion, and permit it's
readers to judge for themselves whether
or not there was fraud in the counting of
the vote. Does it question the accuracy of
the report? Let it read what the minority
| members, Henry Ingalls and George F.
Hill, said officially:
The undersigned are unwilling and unable
to give their assent to all of the arguments and
CONCLUSIONS OF such majority report, though
they CANNOT DENY THAT THE RECT
Al OF FACTS IN THE REPORT rs SUB
| STANTIALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH
| THE EVIDENCE. Mr. Moody of the Coun-
Gil of G overnor Garcelon, was before the Com
mlttee, out he failed to Explain the irregulari-
| ties achich had been proved.
Governor Garcelon also testified at later
period IN the investigation, that he had no
Pre- previous is knowledge of much which has been
shown Dy the testimony to need explanation.
A letter, courteous in its language, was ad-
dressed by the Clerk of the Committee to each
Of the other members of Governor Garcelon' s
Councli, saying that an opportunity would be
granted them to appear and testify
The undersigned regret that the members of
the Council have not seen fit to appear and ex-
plain the irregularities uhich seem to erist.
The EVIDENCE BEING UNCONTRA-
| DICIED, the undersigned CANNOT MAKE
| A DENIAL OF THE FACTS PROVED BY
IL, and can only withhold their assent to the
conclusions arrived at by majority of the
| Committee.
| And while its hand is in let the Argus ex-
plain the change in the Hebron return, a
fac siaaile of which forgerywe gave the other
| day. Let it explain how it was that the
rules applied to returns from Republican
towns were disregarded when defective re-
turns from Fusion towns were found; that
the ditto marks were used to count out Re-
puollcans and to count in Fusionists; that
when initials only were used it was fatal
defect in Republican name, a remedial
| de1ect In Fusion name; that the whole
| NUMBER OF ballots must be given where a
Republican was concerned, and might be
dlsregarded where Fusionist was con-
cerned; that mistake in spelling in the
| name OF Republican candidate must de-
| prlVe him of the votes cast for him, but that
similar error in the name of Fusion can
dldate is OF no consequence and need not be
| notlced. Thus Burnam and Burnham were
counted as two names because the candidate