The Portland daily press., 1880-01-06

Yesterday morning the Democrats OF TINS
city seemed very quiet and as on Sunday ap-
peared to consider the decision of the Supreme
Court q settler A prominent De mocrat
said:
The decision is Just and entirely in accord
with what have always held. That IS, that
the Governor and Council have no rlgnt 10 ~
behind the returns, l do not think that tne
taken pains to answer the questions more luIly
than the Governor intended for them 10 p1,
L am provoked and indignant at Garcelon
course. He has got himself into a hne preoic ..
ament and, for my part, may get hlmseIi @ ou'
in the best way he can. think he was un- m
wise to submit the questions to the court at an.
If he had been doubtful as to his course ne
ought to have consulted the tribunal before ne
began the work of counting out. AS 1t Is, ne
has made a square back-down. He has also
made fool OF himself by his talk at Water
vile, reported in the Sunday papers. before
the decision of the court he was looked upon
by Republicans as rascal but now he IS the
laughing stock of the whole State. lie mas
knocked the props from under the whole party
who were trying to excuse his course. Before
they could say that he at least acted according
to the forms of law. Now that excuse is gone
and the bare fact appears that he acted dl.
rectly contrary both to the form and spirit OF
the law.
announcer DfOUllHeHJ beLuOCIdI odiu bHftp eiAO
decision was thoroughly partisan; that ever
since tie legal tender question supreme
benches had shown that when political ques
tions were at issue they-the benches-were as
strongly partisan as anybody; that Judge
Libbey, the Democratic member of the court,
was rejected by the Republicans as member
of the bench until Blaine got him appointed,
and that accounted for his action in this mat
ter. He thought the whole question would be
settled without any fighting Or trouble, but
how he did not state.
Hon. j. III. Drummond expresses the opin-
ion that if the Governor and Council see fit
they can recall the certificates issued and place
the names of the rightfully elected persons on
the rolls of members elect, thus giving them
the right to take their seats on the opening
day of the session. In support of this position
he refers to the public laws of the State of
Maine, 1S69-1S71, chapter 81, sections / and 4:
1t shall be the duty of the Secretary of
State, OH or before the day preceding the meet
ing of the Legislature, annually to furnish to
the Secretary of the preceding Senate certl-
fed roll, under the seal of the State, OF the
names and residences of Senators elect as ap-
pears by the report of the Governor and Coun-
Gil; and to the Clerk of the preceding House
of Representatives certified roll under
the seal of State, of the names and residences
of the Representatives elect as appears by the
report of the Governor and Council, and also
to report any vacancies if any exist.
No person shall be allowed to vote or take
part in the organization of either branch OF
the Legislature, as member, until his name
appears upon the certified roll of that branch
OF the legislature in which he claims to act.
1t thus appears that the Governor and Coun-
Gil may place the names of such persons as
they see fit upon the roll. 1t is probable that
they will not see fit to place upon the roll the
names of Representatives who have not re-
ceived certificates.