The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-03-15
BY TELEGRAPH.
THE SECOND JACKSON
Defending His Morals at the
Expense Of His Intellect.
He Admits that the Returns
Were Doctored.
But Says It was Done Without
His knowledge.
Especial Despatch to the pREss.l

Especial Despatch to the PREss.]
AUGUSTA, March 13.-Gov. Garcelon in his
testimony to-day before the investigating COM
mittee disremembered as badly as he did yes
terday in anything and everything that would
inculpate him in the contingent conspiracy.
His memory was wonderfully defective. He
did not know that Pillsbury had any compli-
city with his council or was go-between in
getting affidavits and in having returns mani
pulated. He had no knowledge of any politi-
cal bureau which had for its object similar
purpose. He did not know the politics of
those who had been counted out or of those
who had been counted in. He had examined
none of the returns himself but accepted the
the statement of his council During the
tabulation of the returns at the October meet
ing of his council he was at home, and he did
not see the tabulations until they were COM
pleted. The first intimation of any wrong
came from his reading of the newspapers,
from which source he also learned for the first
time that he had issued certificates which gave
the Fusionists both branches of the legislature
His council were honorable men, at least he
supposed they were. Whatever alterations,
changes and substitutions had been made
in the returns, which he was forced to admit
when confronted by the evidence, had been
done without his consent, without his knowl-
edge and he did not justify it. What he had
done had been in accordance with the consti-
tuition and the laws as he interpreted them.
The evidence of the Governor was remarkable
A. Ill Sc; ,fo "a
it was evident that he had constantly in view
the clearing of his own skirts. In reply to
one of Hale's questions to the effect whether
he, the Governor, could conceive OF any reason
for the count-out, the truth by some means
bounced from the Governors mouth and he
replied: eyes, to get a representative of the
right stamp" The prompt and honest reply
of the Governor elected burst of laughter,
and led Mr.. Hale to compliment him for his
frankness. The Governor held himself, he
said, personally responsible for submitting the
questions he did to the Supreme Court. But
at the same time he did not feel bound by the
opinion of the court, because it did not agree
with his nor his councils convictions in their
Interpretation of the constitution and the laws.
The opinion of the judges was in his estima-
ton that we had no constitution and no laws.
The Governor was before the committee
some three hours, and then he left for Lewis
ton across the country with the promise that
he would be here again on Monday, when he
will be examined on what he knows about the
warrant and appropriation books and papers
for the year 1879 and extending to the first
Wednesday of January of the present year.
The Governor will probably be put on the
gridiron before the committee gets through
with him.
The Testimony in Detail.
ITO the Associated Pressl
AUGUSTA, March 12.-Gnv. Garcelon reap
peared before the Hale committee again at
4.30 o'clock p. m, today. The case of Cherry
field was first taken up. That town was
thrown out and certificate issued to the Flu
sion Representative; didn't know the politics
of either gentleman; the returns were thrown
out because of the inelegibility of one of the
town officers, he being an alien. His atten.
ton was drawn to the law of 1877 amended in
1875 which denies to the Governor and Coun-
Gil any authority to decide in regard to the
eligibility of officers. Mr.. Garcelon said that
he considered that the law did not apply to
this case; there was nothing upon the face of
the returns to show that they were not legal
returns; the clerk Of court had sent an affida-
Wit of the officer being an alien; did not know
how the clerk became aware of the defect; did
not know that parties here had sent out infor-
nation and asked for the correction of the re-
turns; there was great anxiety in the public
mind to have these matters investigated and
that might have caused it; did not believe that
Pillsbury, with Others were sending out docu-
ments to have the returns corrected; Eben f.
Pillsbury was very much interested in politics:
if done at all, it was without his consent.
The Fairfield returns were exhibited. From
this town there came two returns, and he said
they were thrown out because they were con-
Trajectory; if they had been enabled to find
which was the first return, that would have
been counted. The second set of returns for
county officers were shown him, attached to
which were slips. dated Sept. 25, stating that
they were the amended returns From the
returns for Representatives, slips of the same
kind had apparently been torn. He said,
from the appearance, he should have no doubt
a slip had been torn off; had never heard of
this before, and, if Fairfield was thrown out
when the information contained on the slip
was received, it was gross violation of right;
he was not here to Justify any fraud; he took
the facts from the Councils reports; this was
the first intimation he had that the thing had
been done. Said the Governor: "We have to
do many things on the testimony of others;
I did not have breath of suspicion of the
Council; must confess to being somewhat
into the matter" For the statements, he had
made in public and private. he had relied
upon the inspection and judgment of the
Council. On being asked why the same rule
adopted in the Pennington case was not ap-
piled to the Fairfield case, he replied; 81 sup
pose to get Representatives of the right stamp"
The rule laid down was that, where the ini-
tials OF name were used, it shall not be
counted for the same person whose name in
other towns, is given in full. This was disre-
garded in East Livermore and Lincoln. Ditto
marks were to be regarded as fatal. They
were so regarded in the Westbrook return,
but not in the Andover. The Governor did
not approve of this; he did not know but little
of the political complexion of the towns in the
state.
The name of Henry C. Walker ON the return
from Hebron was shown, and he said it ap-
peared plain to him that the middle initial
was changed to g.. and that apparently it was
a forgery; he had no knowledge of the blank
returns, or of instructions being sent out to
Fusion towns; he never would have approved
of it: up to the 10Th of October, supposed that
no eye had seen the returns; on the 18th of
November, committee called upon him say
ing that they feared certain parties had had
access to the returns; he was indignant at this,
and put the question directly to his Council.
who stated positively that no outside party had
seen the returns; the returns were kept in the
safe, the key OF which was in two parts, one
being in the hands of the chairman of the
committee and the other in the hands of the
Secretary of State; information might have
been impaired concerning the returns by con-