The Portland daily press., 1880-01-05
Our Boston Letter.
The Maine Infamy-Opinions of Massachu-
setts Democrats-A Suggestion to Gar
celon.
Boston. Jan. 8. 1880.

Boston, Jan. 8, $780,
1t is little use for me to write letter about
Boston topics while the people of Maine are so
deeply interested and your columns so full Of
matter about the count out" desire, there
fore, only to give you some idea of the drift of
public sentiment here on your great question:
The views of Judge Abbott and John Quincy
Adams you have already seem You know how
those solid, old-fashioned Democrats denounce
the act of Gov. Garcelon and Council. They
are as good Democrats as the country affords,
and equally good men. Now, 1t is no more
than fair to say that there is a man OF promi-
nence in this State who endorses Garcelon and
Council. 1t is perhaps unnecessary to remark
that that man is Ben Butler. 1t is not necessa-
ry to recount his history from the stealing Of
spoons and telegraphic messages up to the
stealing of m ems regulations and of Conven-
tions, and an attempt to steal State. You
know it all. We should expect fellow SYM
pa thy between Butler and Garcelon. You
would expect most of the Butler men to sup
port such movement. No such men or party
would ever have existed but for the stealing OF
a hall aa 1 E Convention. Democrats do not
all support the movement Of their fellows in
Maine to steal State. know personally that
the theft is discountenanced by hundreds Of
Democrats. In fact "a large majority OF the re-
spectacle Democrats denounce the act. Hon.
Chas. P. Thompson says he doesn't know the
law nor the facts enough to give an opinion,
but if the Governor and Council have followed
both then it shows bad state Of affairs and
something defective in your system. He thinks
it even worse than if the law had not been fol-
lowed.
''Confession is good for the SOUL" it is said.
Well, will do all 1 can for my own future
peace by confessing that was a supporter Oh
DR.. Garcelon last year. desired to see him
elected. I was gratifed that he was. thought
he was an honest man. I'm sorry for the sir
and think am free from partisan prejudice
in giving my opinion that he has acted neither
in accordance with law, justice nor honesty.
say now, as 1 said in letter to a Maine paper
in 1876, eff the will of the people as expressed
at the polls is to be thwarted by half dozen
men, then the end of our institutions has
come" 1 said this about Louisiana and Flori-
da then. say the same in regard to Maine to-.
day. believed Tilden was elected President
and Counted out" know the Republicans
elected both branches of the Legislature. And
they have been counted out" The only diff
ference in the two cases is that in the one the
facts are disputed; in the other they are not.
There is one point in the controversy to
which public attention has not been called. Or
course no one denies that, technicalities aside,
the Republican legislators counted OUT were
elected. They had majority of votes. Now,
the Governor says he and the Council had to
throw them out in obedience to the law. He
claims that they did SO reluctantly, that they
are honest, and desire the triumph Of popplaIls
will, if possible Has any one heard Garcelon,
or any member of his Council, or any Demo-
crat who endorses the count-out, say that the
men counted in ought to resign? Not one.
Then it is a lie when they tell US they are hon
est If they were honest they would say, I'VE
had to count these men in. but we trust they
will not take the seats" When you hear that
said let us know it. SCOTT.