The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-01-27
NEW YoRN. Jan. 26. 1850.

New YORK, Jan. 26, 1880.
The final collapse OF the Maine conspiracy is
relief 20 the country. Il was generally antic-
ipated that the villaiuous scheme would be
bafflod in some way n ofher, but it was not
quite so clear as to the method by Shch the
desired end was to be accomplished. confess
myself very much disappointed that SO many
of the men who were counted in consented to
wear the badge Of shame. 1t is n terrible stig-
ma for any man to have TO carry through life
to have to bear the odium of a crime against
the welfare of the State. The fellow who taps
a till or picks a pocket makes war upon the
rights of a single individual. But he who
steals legislative seat from its rightful owner,
cheats not only the person whose place he tries
to usurp but the whole people of the common
wealth as we'll
The earlier stages of this exciting drama
bore tragical aspect. Towards the end it
grew farcical 1 heard great many people
inquire curiously why Smith should have come
in at the last hour to play part not dissimilar
to that of the Mock Duke in the comedy of the
Honey Moon. The best explanation 1 have
been able to think of was, that it was probably
a chivalric manifestation of his sympathy with
Garcelon- that Smith, noticing with some
compassion how badly his confederate in the
game had been damaged, concluded that it
was no more than fair that he should occupy
corresponding niche in the temple of infamy,
so that when the slow, unerring finger of scorn
began its work it should have two objects to
point at instead of one. 1t might be urged in
depreciation of the correctness of this theory,
that the supply OF scorn would multiply in pro-
portion to the addition of the figures to be in
dicated by its relentless finger, but that is sim
ply impossible because such a transaction as
we are discussing would call out the full meas
ure of popular execration at the start whether
the actors in it were few or many. An anec-
dote is told, of Sheridan, believe, that in one
of his convivial bouts he was trying to find his
way home with comrade-both of them pret-
ty thoroughly drunk-when his friend reeled
over and fell headlong into the gutter. His
companion tried with all his might to pick him
up, but finally lost his balance and dropped
alongside of him. He had just sense enough
to exclaim, as he settled into his oozy bed, 81
couldn't help you out, my dear fellow; but I'll
do the next best thing, I'll lie down with you'll"
Now if there is truth in the adage that misery
loves company it may be partial alleviation
of the sufferings of Garcelon that Smith is
willing to share them.
The counting out of the Westbrook member
by the spurious body describing itself as the
House of Representatives, on the ground that
he only had majority of two votes, seemed to
be altogether too absurd proceeding to be Sc
rious. The indignation which such puerile
performance is calculated to provoke must nat
urally be tempered with ridicule when the dis
patches describing the meeting of the self
styled Legislature on the sidewalks, the "Pres-
ident of the Senate" and the Speaker Of the
House" psrched upon adjacent fences por-
trayed scene that no one could read about
without laughing. Looking on, as we do here,
with freedom from excitement that enables
us to take in the situation plainly we
can foresee no other possible result than
the dispersion, sooner or later, of the little band
of disconnected schemers who have brought
such an uneviabe notoriety upon our gallant
little State. Still it is not at all to be wondered
at that the men who were counted in" are in
no hurry to go home. Their prospects OF enjoy
ing themselves for some time to come are de-
cidedly gloomy. They will be saluted with
the coffee-mill gyrations of the small boys in
their respective neighborhoods, and grown
people will shrug their shoulders as they pass
them by unnoticed, or worse still with a kind
of recognition expressive of withering con-
tempt. They will be pointed at in railway
trains or as they walk the streets. The story Of
Floyd Ireson of Marblehead is familiar to ev-
cry school boy in New England. Every one of
these foiled usurpers will be the Floyd Ireson
of the vicinity of his abode. The age has out
grown tar and feathers. but the people have
way of displaying their emotions when great
outrage stirs up their wrath which is more po-
tent and more enduring than any mere physi-
cal scar would be. Philbrick of Skowhegan
and Foster of Bangor have already had fore
taste of the righteous evaporation of wronged
community If the apprehensions of resort
to violence, whereof rumors reach us to-day,
are reali zed, the conspirators will invoke upon
their own heads an avalanche of national
loathing.
As matter of State pride 1 am sorry that
so few prominent Democrats in Maine pro-
tested against the evil deed that was attempted.
do not encounter any respectable member OF
the party in this quarter who does not de-
nounce it. 1t strikes me the most superficial
observer must concede that it is stupid polit-
ical blunder. Success would not by any means
have palliated the iniquity, but failure certain
ly does present its hideousness to view in a
more glaring light. 1t lays a monstrous in
cumbrance on the Democratic party. That
party hadn't any capital to lose. Its equip
ment for Presidential campaign was lighter
than ever, and as everybody knows, it hasn't
had enough for twenty years to come any
where near victory. " ith the great odds in
its favor of three-quarters of the electoral votes
necessary to q choice of President secured
without any trouble except going through the
form of ballot, it looks as if the scoring up ot
the remainder would be matter of extreme
difficulty if not of absolute impossbility. The
leaders are casting about for some candidate
who can command enough of popular conf
dence TO stem the adverse current. Gov. Sey-
mour would be their man il he could be per-
suaded to run. But he has had all he wants Of
that sort OF thing, anyhow, and besides he is
too sensible a gentleman not to understand
that it will make no appreciable difference
who may be the nominee He will be handi-
capped by the sins of his party, and they are
enough in number and in magnitude to blight
his chances of success. The Ex-Governor is an
excellent man in all respects His character
is without blemish, his intellectual attain
ments are far above the average, his manners
are gentle and winning, and he is held in as
much personal esteem as any citizen of the
State. 1 don't believe he would have any toll
Grafton for such piece of rascality as that
which has been revealed in Maine. But he
observes discreet silence about it, disliking
no doubt to be brought into relations of antag-
onsm with any Of his political associates. He
always was polite and now that he is seventy
tho hGf ffInag9SYed Y long immunity
unnatural that he should prefer to withh5rhdt
his opinions in respect of questions involving
controversy when no special emergency elicts
an expression of them. If he were a candidate
for President he would have to bear the burden
of that disgrace, circumstance which would
be likely to deter him from entering the lists
even if he had any inclination in that way
| But in truth his tastes do not run in that direc-
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