Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-01-07
Che freemau.
MONTPELIER
WEDNESDAY. JAN. Z, 1880.
Down In Maine.

Down In Maine.
The criticism we made last week O
Gov. Garcelon was in one respect unjust
The reports that he htd decided to refuse
to ask the supreme court for their opinion
was unfounded. 1t appears that some o
his council were opposed to his action, bu
the governors course in submitting the
questions goes TO show that he had conf
dence that his action had been legal. Some
have been inclined tn carp ut the fact thai
Gov. Garcelon did not submit Mr.. Nor
rilss questions and saw fit to substitute
others. We have no such feeling for the
governor had right to ask the questions
in his own way and the answers of the
supreme court shows that the questions
related directly to the vital points of the
case.
The answers we give elsewhere. That
governor and council in not regarding the
law of 1877. Answer three covers the
cases of the cities of Lewiston, Saco, BATH
and Rockland where seven republican
representatives were refused certificates
Answer four covers the Portland case
where five republicans were refused Ger
tificltes. The other answers refer to cases
where fusionists were counted in, instead o
republicans who had pluraliles. Answer
five covers the return signed by the Dan
forth clerk pro tempore; six, the Framing
ton, Webster, Jay, Stoneham and Sears
port classes; seven and eight, the Cherry
field case; nins, Skowhegrn; eleven, the
ashland, Stoneham and New Sharon
classes; and twelve the Fairfield case
The tenth would admit the three repub
lican senators counted out in Cumberland
county.
By the votes cast nineteen republicans
and twelve iusionists were elected to the
Senate, and ninety republicans and sixty
one fusionists TO the House. BY the
count" of the governor and council
twelve republicans and nineteen fusionists
were declared elected 10 the Senate and
siyty-one republicans and seventy eight
fl'iDnis.s to the House while twelve dis
triui| were disfrancLised. Had the law
'c:;re1 by the supreme court been fol-
10 we'd by the governor and council they
woll hive given certificates Of election
to iIhteen republican and thirteen fusion
iot senators and to eighty-four republican
and sixty seven fusionist representatives
In other words of the thirty-seven mem
Der, counted out, seven were counted out
properly and thirty in violation of law
No fnsionist was counted out.
ihu legislature meets at Augusta to-.
dhs, The fnsionists are reported t. claim
seventy representatives instead of seventy
six make u quorum. They cannot get
Sr,cnty.six of their men to take their
Seats rs some Of the /" counted in - refuse
Ia act. What will be the result short
time will tell and speculation is useless
The republicans seem TO be acting sensibly
and to be relying only on strc ly legal
measures TO secure their rights. Blu,
the State House has been for some time
2 mrle tby a body of men armed with
m lskets. Ex-Gov. Chamberlain has
qualified rs general of the militia. 1t is
p'e,umable however that there will be no
y,nieAce.
There has been great deal of bad
alvice on both sides. We regret to say
i'..; many pulpit u:terauces have appar-
et'y caunseled violent measures on the
Of the republicans and such i'll
jvsed talk is of piece with the advice
&C Pillsbury that the counted in mem
bers should take their seats at any hoard
in disregard of the fact that the opinion of
HE supreme court shows they got the
certificates by, TO say the least, the mistake
Of the governor and council.
The answers of the supreme court were
sent TO Gov. Garcelon Saturday by Judge
Libbey. Il member of the court who has
always been democrat. Judge Libbev
did not find Gov. Garcelon rs he expected
and the opinion became public before ii
WAS received by Gov. Garcclon. This oc.
casioned some criticism as appearing to
be II slight toward the governor on the
part of the court. But it turns out that
the governor instead of being at the CAPT
tai or ut home was off ut Il " ratification :"
meeting of bis supporters at Watervill
The New York Sun condemns his absence
from his post and this absence doubtless
explains how the opinion became public
before he received it. The Sun by the
way comes out strongly in approval Of
the supreme court and says it will elm
press the whole country rs sound in law
and emnently just"