The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-09-18
SATURDAY MORNING, SEPT. IS.
,ount. why does he not turn his atten-

a fair count, why does he not turn his atten-
ton to Alabama?
Never was there a more preposterous CHI arge
than that auy one should undertake TO tam per
with the returns of two or three hundred small
towns in Maine. In the first place, the re-
turns are made up and sealed in open town
meeting by officers who are half Democrats.
To carry out any extended system OF tamper-
ing with these returns would involve con-
spiracy to induce five or six hundred NUM-
cipal officers, probably half Democrats TO
alter the returns of more than two hundred
towns. If the returns were opened and
amended after they were deposited IN the post
ofhces the tampering would not only De evil
dent but the figures in the returns would differ
in two or three hundred cases from those re-
corded in the town records. In case of
any discrepancy, under existing laws, the re
turns must be so corrected as to agree with the
record of the clerk. Furthermore, in all these
towns the leading men will remember for
months the vote as declared SO that when any
figures differing are announced, hundreds
would see and detect the fraud in less than a
week. Again, the returns of votes for Cover
nor are not opened until the Legislature is Or
ganized. when they are given to a committee
of that body, composed of both parties, whose
duty 1t is to open the returns and count the
votes. Any attempt before the meeting of the
Legislature TO open these sealed returns, erase
the number of votes which is written out and
insert in the place other numbers in words,
would be so palpaDle fraud that no man
knowing enough to write would attempt it.
The only returns opened at the Office of the
Secretary of State at Augusta are what are
known as the"clerks' returns These are
made for the public convenience, and are
never used for an official count. Consequently
there could be no possible object in tampering
with such papers. The Republicans would
scarcely change these returns simply to have
more favorable figures for publication, since
such publication by towns would attract at
tention all over the State and lead to the
prompt exposure of the fraud. We repeat,
therefore, that up to this time fraud in con-
nection with the vote for Governor is impos-
sible, and will be impossible until the same are
opened by the committee of the Legislature,
when it must be perpetrated by that body COM
posed of both parties.
In view of these facts the performance of
the chairman of the Democratic National
Committee, and his associates, in raising the
cry of fraud respecting the returns. is simply
idiotic. They do it to save themselves from
the effects of the reaction which will take place
when their loudly proclaimed victory in Maine
proves to be defeat The truth is, the Re-
publicans have carried Maine, not by decid-
ed majority, but by majority which the DEM
ocrats have not. and which they had last year.
They have poled vote larger than the party
ever cast except in 1868. when it was 1888,
and in 1876, when it was 70, SEA- vote nearly
two thousand larger than that of 1S72-the
third largest Republican vote until that of
last Monday.