The Portland daily press., 1880-09-20
Explanatory to Outsiders.

The change in the aspect of the Maine
election since the first returns has caused
great deal of comment and conjecture in all
parts of the country, and as the situation
may not be fully understood by those out
side the State, we think it proper to explain
for their edifcation.
In the first place, this election exhibits
the curious phenomenon of each side gain
ing in the strongholds of the other. Last
year the Republicans were very strong in the
cities and large towns and there the Fusion
lists have made their chief gains The cause
of these gains we will not here discuss,
though it has already been more than init
mated in several responsible quarters, Suf-
flee it here to say that the gains were made.
AS the returns from this class of towns
came in first, the fact became instantly visi-
BILE that, if the rest of the State showed
similar result, the Fusionists would have
small majority. The Associated Press sum-
maries, made up by Mr.. Stephen Berry,
which are the most reliable source of in
formation, indicated on Monday night that
Plaisted would have majority of about
500. On the next day. however, as the re-
turns from the rural districts began to ar
rive more freely, it became evident that the
Republicans had made gains in those parts
and the apparent Fusion majority became
minority, and on Wednesday it became GER
tain that Davis would have plurality, if
not majority. Immediately an outcry
arose from the disappointed Fusion
lists that the returns were being held
back to be "doctored" in the in-
terest of the Republicans. A sufficient
answer to this is the fact, patent to every
body here, that the Republican gains which
effected the change occurred in Fusion
towns whose officers could certainly not be
suspected of favoring the Republicans.
Furthermore, such thing would be sim
ply impossible under the laws of Maine
which provide that in each town the votes
shall be counted in public and the result
publicly declared before the close of the
town meeting; and tits the figures thus pub
licly declared by the town officers which are
sent to the Associated Press agent and by
him tabulated and sent out for publication.
So that any variation from the declared vote
would be at once detected. At each polling
place, also, one person selected by each par
ty, in addition to the municipal officers, is
allowed position in the desk to observe the
voting and to keep "tally." These talies
are very accurate and any considerable vari-
| alton from them in the vote would be al
once noticed. If any ''doctoring'' of re.
| turns were ever possible it would be at the
State Capital when the votes are counted in
November. 1t was tried last year and
| the result OF that performance was not such
as to invite a repetition, even if men capable
of such things were still in power in Maine,
| All these things are we'll known in Maine
and the outcry made by Fusionists who know
anything at all about our laws and customs
is simply and grossly dishonest. Outside
the State intelligent persons, unfamiliar with
the methods of voting in Maine, might be
deceived and it is to them that these words
OF explanation are addressed. The process
OF receiving, counting and declaring the
votes Of Maine render fraud or impropriety
impossible, and we are happy to say that nc
| genuine suspicion of any disposition to
cheat on the part Of town officers of either
party in our Yankee towns, is in the mind
of any intelligent person in Maine. On one
occasion only in all our history was any i'm
propriety attempted by public officials in
connection Nth the votes, and that attempt