Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-01-17
MENACED MAINE.
Inauguration of Governor Smith-The { q
prone Court Decides Against the
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After the election of Mr.. Smith as COVER
the Senate took recess. On reassembling
the committee appointed to wait upon Mr..
Smith and inform him of his election re-
ported Mr.. Smiths acceptance of the Office.
At 4:30 p. m. joint convention was held
in the hall of the House for the purpose Of
administering the oath of Office. A COM
mittee was appointed to wait upon the
governor and forthwith Mr. Smith ap-
peared accompanied by the heads Of the
departments, the outgoing council and the
attorney general. The oath was then adj
ministered by Acting President Ellis, of
the Senate, after which proclamation was
made by the secretary of the Senate and
Governor Smith delivered his message.
Gov. Smith referring to the present state
of affairs in Maine, says: ''The charges OF
violence and intimidation in various state
elections | would refer to as a matter that
causes great anxiety in every patriotic
breast. Even in our own state there are
like charges of fraudulent and oppressive
means employed to control the action of
voters, supported by evidence too strong
and direct to admit of reasonable
doubt that such is the lamentable fact and
further, it is too notorious to deny that
not content with the employment of such
criminal methods as charged in elections,
there was devised and actually put into
operation a scheme to Overawe and
intimidate our late chief magis-
trate in the constitutional aud
legal discharge of the duties of his
high office. The firm and dign;fied man.
ner in which he and the councillors under
the abuse and indignities heaped upon them.
discharged their responsible duties i'll con-
formity with the constitution, laws and pre-
cedents established by his predecessors in
Office, is worthy of and will receive the
highest encomiums of all citizens who
truly have the welfare of the state at heart.
The practical denial of the free right of
suffrage OF of undue influence over the ex-
ercises of that right whether effected by
bribes, by actual or threatened personal Vi
Olence, or by threats of withdrawal of en-
plOyment or patronage, is equally repre-
hensible. would recommend that you
g First, see that our laws are SO framed
as to protect the purity of the ballot box
in our own state.
Second, that you express bya dec!ara-
tory resolve the convictions Of the Legis
lature in that behalf"
The balance of the message is mainly
devoted to the exposition OF the Green
back movement. A large number OF
spectators were in attendance, and fire.
quent applause given. The galleries were
filled with special policemen, and extra
precautions were taken by Mayor Nash to
preserve order, but there was no trouble
of any sort, and everything passed along
quietly and smoothly. The other state
officers were also elected. The new state
officers have all had experience i'll the
duties to which they have been elected.
The excitement last night was intense.
At late hour the supreme judicial court
forwarded their answers to the questions
propounded by the Republican Legislature
and they sustain the position Of the Re
publicans in every point. 1t is probable
the Rump Legislature will now go ahead
and elect Davis, and full set of state
officers. The Fusionists claim that they
expected nothing more than Republican
stump speech similar to their last opinion
of the court and assert with spirit that the!
will appeal from the court of Maine t.
the Congress of the United States. Fight
ing is strongly talked of by many Repub
lican, if the Fusionists refuse to compl!
with the courts decision.