American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-01-31

The following statement by L. "A.
Sawyer. the Secretary of State elected
by the Fusion Legislature of Maine,
was published ON the 18th:
STATE OF MAINE, AUGUSTA, January II.
To the People of the State of Maine:
Actuated by sense of duty to all the peo-
pie, irrespective OF party, am competed 10
ceedngs which have TRANSFERRED in this State
during the past two months, in order that none
may be deceived or led into miSunderstand-
ing of the present political condition. In the
first place, it is well known that a majority of
more than a thousand of our voting population
cast their ballots at the last September cleo
tiOn in opposition to the Republican party.
Notwithstanding the fact, however, almost be-
fore the sun went down on election day the
Republican press of the State and leading poll
1icians heralded abroad that "A great Hepuhli-
can victory had been achieved. That this
claim was the result of a preconcerted arrange
ment cannot be doubted by any intelligent po-
Htical observer.
The returns of the election, being duly re-
ceived in the office of the Secretary Of state,
and by them opened and compared, in accord
ance with the PROVISIONS OF the Constltution
clearly defines the duty of the Governor and
Council in the premises. The influences
brought to bear upon them for the purposes Of
intimidating them and influencing their action
in the exercise of the grave responsibility
under which they were acting are well known
to all our people, and need no repetition here.
Suffice it 10 say that, combining themselves to
the returns before them and rejecting such as
ton the lmpartality of their action necessi-
tatIng the rejection of a larger number OF
towns which appeared to have been carried by
the parties in opposition to the Republicans
than of those which were Republican, they
found seventy-eight members OF the House Of
Representatives and twenty members of the
Senate elected in opposition to the Republican
party, and sixty-One members of the House
and eleven Senators elected by the Repu6li.
cities of Portland, Lewistown, Saco, Rockland
and Bath having been received they declared
these representative districts vacant, and so
reported. The certificates of election pro-
vided for by the Constitution were accordingly
issued to those who appeared to be elected,
summoning them to appear and organize the
Legislature on the first Wednesday in January.
The rolls containing the list of those certified
signed by the Secretary of State, under seal of
the State. and delivered to the Secretary Of
the Senate and Clerk of the House, as provided
by Chapter of the Revised Statutes.
The entire thirty-one members of the Senate
and one hundred and thirty-fve members of
the House who had been summoned, and
whose names were upon the respective rolls,
and all the members of the Senate and seven.
ty-cisght members of the House, being five
majority OF the whole number OF which en- the
Governor and Council, the only mode OF
qualification provided for by the Constitution,
and mode never departed from in a single
instance during our entire existence as
State.
Fifty-nine of the Republican members left
the hall, refusing. to qualify. The two
branches of the Legislature thus qualified or.
ganized and entered upon the discharge Of
their duties. By the Constitution the House
and Senate are made respectively the judges
of the election and qualification of their
members. Having organized in strict accord
ance with the Constitution and law, and deter
mined who were members of the respective
elected Governor and Councillors, and all
other State officers whose election is required
of the members of the Council, as also the
Adjutant-G cneral and Secretary of State,
were qualified and entered upon the discharge
of the respective Offices
On the next day, january II, certain persons
who claimed to have been elected, but large
number of whom were not elected, according
TO the returns received, and only two of whom
in the House and eleven in the Senate had been
duly qualified met together and having
prev iousy gone through the form of organiz-
ing IL Legislature, now enacted the further
f;trce of choosing Governor and COUNCIL and
tive chamber was broken into and possessed
legally chosen by an Illegal and unconstftu-
uonal body ussembed in open rebellion to and
in defiance of the constituted authorities of
the State. The State Department soon
broken into, and possession taken in this man
ner.
The archives of the State arc thus in posses
sion of unauthorized persons. in violation of
law and order, and rebellion open and defiant
the state and rights and liberties of the people
are trampled down and threatened with de-
struction.
As Secretary of State, and responsible for
the safe-keeping of its archives, L protested
against this outrage, and now sOlemnly pro-
test, in the name of liberty, law and order, and
present the case to the people, in order that
they may in some degree understand the true
condition of affairs and inaugurate prompt
measures for the vindication of their rights
and the support of the duly and legally-consti-
tuted authorities.
Let no one sleep while Instruction trea-
son triumphs. Let the issue be clearly de-
fined. The laws of the State have been viO-
lated, the Constitution has been trampled
upon. fraud and violence have been reSorted
to. The partisan opinion of the members of
the Court upon an assumed statement of facts
has been proclaimed judicial decision,
and the Government of the people is threat
ened with destruction. 1t is another leaf in
the history of the warfare of wealth against
labor. and, unless Sternly resisted and defeat
ed, will seal the doom of n liberty-lOving peO-
pie, until, ceasing to forbcar longer, they will
be compelled to purify and regenerate their
free Institutions by baptism of blood.
=. A. SAWYER,
Secretary of State.