The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-01-03
r1rE PARTISAN FUnv IN MAINE,

N = 4 pNHJ VIII De uuly IepOIteu III NuS
In such crises it is the extrem-
lists who first make themselves heard, and |
whose voices are the last to subside after the
truth has begun to appear. Nothing, how
ever, is further from the intentions OF the
Republican leaders in Maine than that their
party shall commit itself to any overt act Of |
violence. Ifthere is a local outbreak of any
kind, il resistance is anywhere offered to the
legal acts of the legally constituted author-
ties of the State, it will be because the un-
reasoning element of the party has taken
the bit into it's mouth and run away under
the in sincere lashings of its drivers whip.
While the organized "indignation" of the
Maine Republicans is exhausting itself, the
facts of the case will gain currency both in
side and outside the State. For ten days
past The Sun has been stating the facts as
tIrey are, not as the interests of partisans
would have them understood. We are glad
already to recognize indications that the
controversy is passing out Of the domain of
passion into that of reason. The process
may be slow, but it is inevitable in the lati-
tude of Maine, whore the sober sense of the
people is sure to prevail when it has had
time to assert itself. There may be riot in
Maine but there will bo no war there will
probably be no riot.
We wish 10 call attention to several points
which are essential to a correct understand
ing af the situation in that State, and which
have generally been overlooked.
1t is assumed, in the first place, by the
Republicans that the next Legislature ought
TO be Republican in the nature of things.
All the indignation of the party, all the
noisy denunciations of the "outrage," the
"fraud," the "steal," said to have been
planned and executed by Gov. Garcelon and
Council, are based upon that assumption.
1t is cool assumption, even for Maine in
zero weather, in view of the unquestioned
fact that the Republicans are actually in the
September, Mr.. Davis, the Republican candi-
date, was defeated by the popular vote. lie
lacked about one thousand votes ofa majori-
ty, and margin Of one thousand votes in
Maine, one way or the other, is relatively
equivalent to a margin ofnearlyten thousand
voteA in New York. Maine is not now a Re-
publican State. The popular vote does not
warrant the Republican leaders in assuming
that the Legislature ought in equity to be
Republican bodv. The natural presumption
is the other way.
How, then, could it happen that the result
of the September election-not as announced
by official canvass, but as claimed by news
paper report and public rumor-gavc the
Republicans majority in both branches of
the Legislature, while they were notorious
ly and confessedly in minority on the whole
vote Of the State? In a commonwealth
where the legislative representation is so
large relatively to the total vote, where the
Representative classes, or districts, consist
each of so few towns, the political complex
ion Of the Legislature, especially in the
popular branch, ought to agree very closely
with the political complexion Of the State
as whole. On what ground could the Re-
publicans, while admitting defeat in the
State at large, claim that the Legislature
ought in right to be Republican, and insist
that the simple fact that it was not declared
Republican was sufficient evidence of fraud
in the official canvass?
As long ago as 1870, when Mr.. Blaine's
party had undsputed control of every
branch of the Government, the Representa-.
tive classes were gerrymandered in such q
manner as to allow the Republicans to car
Ty a majority of the districts and obtain {
majority in the Legislature, even when they
were absolutely in a minority in the State
This will be perfectly ineligible to every
body at all familiar with the workings o
what is called practical politics. In thei
late campaign the managers of the party
took full advantage OF the gerrymander o
1870. They paid comparatively little re
gard to the Senate, but applied their efforts
their money, all the resources of their splen
didly equipped organization, to the clos
and doubtful Representative districts, in or
der to gain majority in the House. AS ia
as determined by unofficial announcement
on the morning after election they did sue
coed in carrying a minority of the House.
Now, it is apparent that any party whic
is in minority Of the whole vote of tn
State, yet claiming to have elected MAORI
ty of the members of the Legislature throug
gerrymander, must have elected its mem
bers by very small local majorties a
around. And it is equally apparent that tn
opposition party, with a majority of tn
classes yet with majority of the popula
vote, must have had large local majoriti'
in its classes.
Here we have an explanation Of poir
which has puzzled good many Democrat
ready TO believe Governor Garcelon's decli
ration that he has applied the laws impa
TALLY to illegal returns on both sides, y
unable to understand why the impartial a.
plication of the law should have affect,
Republicans only. For, in fact, more defe
tive returns from Democratic and GreenbaC
towns than from Republican towns were r
jected under the laws by the Governor al
Council during the recent canvass. .Br
Republican majorities being small in Il
Representative districts claimed by that pa
-ty, the throwing out of a single towns r
turn lost thom the district in several insta
ces; while the opposition, having wild
margin by reason of their larger majCriti'
LIST absolutely more towns than the Repu
licans without losing a single legislative di
triet They did, however, lose the impC
tant county offices in Lincoln, through h
application ofthe law 10 the defective
turns from Monhegan Island, a plantati
reporting Democratic majority.
Gov. Garcelon afIirms that he has obey
the law in the case of every return arc
every ward, township, or plantation in eve
county from Aroostook down to York
he speaks falsely, his falsehood will
speedily discovered and punished, for all
returns that have been passed upon by hi
splf and Counei as n nrali lin,inorv 4, the is