The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-01-01
Boston ,Journal.l
Men Who May Prove Themselves
Patriots.

The situation in Maine is so grave as to cause
general apprehension. That apprehension is
not caused so much by the immediate effect of
the triumph of either party in that State as by
the feeling that it is the first Of a series of
usurpations which will weaken and destroy
confidence in popular government. The the
ory of government by the people ia not so
firmly established that it may not b. con-
demned when it is found that popular forms of
government may be made to cover the most
irresponsible of dynasties and sustain the most
lawless of rulers. To the country at large ii
will make little difference whether Mr.. Davis,
Mr.. Smith or Dr. Garcelon is Governor, or
whether the Republicans or the Fusionists
have majority in the Legislature, 50 long ss
the will Of the neople is truly expressed. II,
on the c3ntTa-~. a Legislature is installed by
force ami ir1ai which the people did not
elect; if towns and cities are dsfranchised; il
the sworn authorities turn usurpers and twist
the constitution and ignoEe the laws so as TO
defeat the expression Of the popular will,
everybody who believes in popular govern
mcnt, and who takes pride in the republic,
ought not only to bo interested but take
stand against such conspiracy as that which
party to the carrying out OF the usurpation
conspiracy in Maine and still claim TO be
friend Of popular government and to be ami
mated by patriotic impulses.
Eight citizens Of Maine, namely, DaniA w.
True Of Portland, Edward A Gibbs OF Brdy-
ton, Wm r. Field of Brunswick, B. p Thomp-
son of Jay Isaac L. Hobson of Wiscasset, Jas.
g. Talbot of East Machas, j. Q. bennett OF
ick have received certificates notifying them
that they "appear to be elected Senator'S"
Seventeen other citizens of Maine, namely,
Leonard II. Beal Of Durham, John u. Brown
of Haynesville, Alfred Cussman Of Sherman,
Lewis Voter of Pennington, j. G. White Of
Wilton, Geo. W johnson of Industry, James
Frye Of Sullivan, James W. Clark Of Noble
boro', OsgoOd Bradbury Of Norway, +. W.
Hill Of Exeter, Daniel Snow OF SkoThegan,
Harper Allen of Smithfield, J. Z. Jordan Of
Stockton, A. Fl. Woodcock of Princeton, j.
NJ. Leighton Of Perry and Stephen d. Lord OF
Lebanon have received certificates to the effect
that they appear to be elected members OF the
House Of Representatives. OF Maine for the
year 1880. Not one Of the Gboce named gentle
men tciu hare the hardihood TO assert hct If the
ballots in their respective districts had been so
counted as TO carry ont the plainly expressed
aCW of those tCho deposited them an the bdstot
bo1es, they toouId hare been summoned z, 70 Au-
qasta as Senators and Representatives.. There
fore, If they take the seats Wrongfully nc
corded them by Governor and Council who
have violated the spirit OF the Constitution
and the letter of the law, they will no longer
be the friends of popular government, but its
foes-more dangerous foes even, than those
men who in their individual capacity take
arms and undertake to overturn popular gov
ernment by force.
The men above named have the opportunity
to do more to strengthen popular government
and to insure the perpetuity of our institutions
than a similar number Of men in Maine ever
before Possessed. II a sufficient number of
these men who have been falsely returned as
elected, but who knolc that they were not, will
have the independence and the patriotism to
60 to Augusta and insist that there shall be no
organization of the Legislature until the men
whom the people have elected are seated and
the twelve representatives OF the five disfrsn-
chised cities are admitted to participation in
the organization of the House, they may be as
sured that they will receive the hearty COM
uendation Of every real believer in govern
ments Of the people and by the people. VIII
they show themselves the independent sup
porters of popular government or the ready
tools of Pillsbury, Smith & Co.?