The Portland daily press., 1880-08-04
The Fairfield Case Again.

But the facts are that the now notorious
slips bearing the words amended returns
were put on returns from Fairfield that were
sent with the gubernatorial returns, which
were not opened until after the legislature
organized; and which, consequently, never
went into the hands of the Governor and
Council. Some of those who harp about these
slips know this as well we do, but still harp.
The presumption on the stupidity and ignor-
ance of the voter of Maine, by these fellows,
is not complimentary to them-in our opinion,
though the voters may think otherwise. So
thin a pretense as the cry of fraud about the
Fairfield returns was never before adopted by
any party claiming to represent all the virtue
and morality of State.-F. N. Fog IN the
Labor Chronicle
The difficulties surrounding the Fairfield
case have driven the Hon. T. NJ. Fogg to an
other falsehood, more ridiculous than any
in the SERIES The facts about the amended
returns and the slips attached are clearly set
forth in the following from the testimony of
f. E. McFadden, clerk of Fairfield and a
Democrat, before the Hale committee:
Q.-What did you do when you discovered
the error in the count of the votesl?
Ave filled out a second set of returns
according to our new count we had made, an
amended set of returns.
Q.-Were those signed by the selectmen and
town clerk?
Ayes sir.
Gas they signed the first?
Ayes.
Q.-Please examine exhibit IA, G. d. B..
clerk of committee" which purports to be a
set of returns for Governor, Senators, Repre-
sentatives and County officers, from Fairfield
and state whether or not those are the second
set of returns?
Al have no doubt those are the second set
| of returns.
Q.-Do you find those returns to be made up
on official blanks such as you received from
Augusta in the first instance?
Al think they are.
Q-Identical in every particular?
Al think so.
Q.-What did you do with those second re-
| turns after they We're signed by the selectmen
and yourself?
AIT the suggestion of the chairman of
the board L attached to the tops of each of them
slip saying Amended return OF the town Of
| Fairfield, Sept. %, 1872
Q.-Examine the returns now in your hands
| and see whether you find the original slip at
tached to the return for county officers, and to
| the return for Governor?
Ayes, sir.
Q.-You find them the original slips; each
| is piece OF paper about three inches long by
| an inch and half wide?
| Ayes, sir.
Q.-How were those slips attached to the re-
| turns?
A.-Attached by means of mucilage.
Q,-They were put in the upper left hand
| corner of the face of the return?
A.-They were.
Q.-For the purpose of showing that these
| returns were not originals but merely amended
| returns?
Ayes, sir.
Q.-Examine the returns for Senator and
| Representatives and state what you find there
| condition to be so far as those slips are con-
| cerned?
A-The slips are torn off in these cases.
Q.-Do you or not find in both instances,
| where those are torn off, the ink marks where
| the letters commenced?
Ayes.
Mr.. McFadden, it will be seen, swears
| positively that each return had slip attached
to it. Therefore the representative return
must have borne this slip. But Mr.. Fogg says
| all the returns with slips attached were en-
closed with the gubernatorial return and were
not seen by the Council. How then did it
happen that Fogg and his fellows tabulators
asserted in their explanation of the count-out
| that they saw two returns for representative
and that it was because they saw them that
| they counted out the town? Was Mr. Fogg
| lying then or is he lying now? Both his state
ments cannot be true for there never were but
| two returns and one of them had slip at
| tached unless Mr.. McFaddsn is periurer