Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-02-05
n. y. Times.
The End of q Conspiracy.

Ths Maine conspiracy has been'batfied In
all lts paris. The final dictum oi the Su-
preme Court not OILY covers the points
heretofore raised by those who have sp-
pealed 10 it. but il expressly declares that
the body which claimed to have elected
Swah IA Governor is not a Legislature.
and that the only Legislature ia the state
Is that Of which Joseph A. Locke and
George + Weeks are the presiding ofiicers.
II i TO be hored that those tenter-iooted
Democrats In and out Of Maine. who have
been - snicitous that tue majesty OF the
law shall be upheld at any sud every ex-
pense will nov posses. their souls In
peace The highest judicial tribunal 10 The
State has formally declsrsd which OF two
bodies claiming tn exercise Legislative
powers i ,he rightfui Legislature IL
should not be forgotten thar the expei.cut
o. submitting the questions Involving the
le=slty al Gsrcelon'- proceedings origi-
mated with the Hon. Lot VI. M"rril Tn
doubtrjy. there has been bad management
politically speaking, on both sjd-> ot this
long contest; but. 81 far the public
knows, the credit OF suggesting the Solu-
ton OF the difficulty. which has issued la a
triumph tor the people, belongs to the
eminent gentleman above named There
WAS every reason 10 believe that respect
for judicial authority which strongly
characterize the people OF New Englsnd
would not be appealed To In vain 10 behalf
OF the righful Government OF the State.
The result has justified this expectation.
Never was refuge of lies so clearly
swept away by a Judicial opinion rs this
constructed by the Democratic conrpira-
tors, who have sought to accomplish tn
Maine the same species Of crime which
they attempted TO commit in Oregon when
the neiariou> Grover-Cronin plot was set on
foot at the Instance OF = ] rlden'- msn.
ayers In New York. Garcc!on propounded
certain questions io toe court. under date
Jan 3 The answers to those questions
amply Justified claims ol the members of
tie Legislature who appeared. on the face
OF the reiurns. 10 have been elected. r.
was evident thst Garcelou had purposely
programmed the Submission ni the queries
To the court. The object Vas 10 gain time
and. when the answer came from the court
and brushed away the tissue of talsehood
and sophstry with which the plotIer, had
enyclopcd their yillainy. GarCelon pleaded
thst IL aas impossible for him to recall the
summouses which had been improperly
issued, and 10 issue other summonses To
those who, according TO the opinion of The
court. were entitled to them. "It (. too
late was the eXultant cry Of the Demo
Gratis. They racliy aud. tn many oAset
openly. admitted the conclusive character
OF the opinion. Of the court. hGt they felt
81,
schemes was already assured ny Gercrlon's
refusal To undo what ne had done These
, acts OF the Governor and Couuci. are now
declared BY The court to havr been lin
violation Of their legal aud constitutional
OBJ gallons aud duties
Furthermore. the plea of the Garceion
gang ihs' u"'h'nr con 81 he Itur bY turta
L. IeSin MIA wIo"- ta4 o.. d. tt4.,. .
the Improper Issuance OF -utumuu-c, ..
briefly Snd Sharply disposed OF hy tile
court. which SAYS that ''thc Governor aHd
: Council d,.regarded the opinion Ut thi,
court. given 10 answer 10 the tiusCruoT's
questions. tina; they omitted 10 revoke lhc
summou.es Illegally issued 10 men Who
did not appear TO be- elected. or to issue
l.summonses to men who did appear 10 be
elected This dispO.es forever .oi the
prriense ofihe Democrats. that certificates
illegally issued TO members OF the i-gisia-
,ure are beyond recall. even though their
| iliegality has been established by the high
est Judicial authority.
Garcelon aud his Council AFTER having
assumed the iguctioDs OF the Legislature
IN gong behind the returns ia order to de-
ter'uiuc whs appeared" tn lee elected,
pretended that. a.ler all. whatever tnev
had done that was not strictly equitable
could De st night by the Legislature. To
which all mootcd questions OF this Kind
were finally ref.rabir. To say nothing OF
the mockery OF referring IL u hostile body
the Claims of mrmhtrs-ticCt, u u as then
shown IN these columns. aud now al.
/ hrmed by the court. that the body consiI-
tuted by Cafceluu could not legally settle
Anything. except that il had no lawful
existence. There never ha, been quorum
of e.lh,T House Of the sn-CAllcd Smith
Legislature present a. any tune without
counting men who could only appear there
because Gafcclon aud his Council pursued
methods which. la the language OF the
court. were unconstitutional, Illegal aud
void"
The principles laid down 10 the ans~er
OF the court in Garcelons que stion- under
lie this whole contest ;he voice OF the
people. cuusiitullonaliy expressed and
s>ccriained, cannot be siifcd because the
errors OF iew executive officer, have
made departures from ordinary forms.
Ih!- doctrine was enanciat~d la The opiu-
Ion of the court given 10 answer To GaIct-
Ions questions. IL WA reiterated when
the Republican Legislature asked for au
opinion a. 10 it, legal existence. and this
fundamental principle reappears la the
latest dieium OF the court, Ia reply 10 the
Application OF the so.csiird smith Legs
lsiure. The GArcelon coDspirators not
only sought TO stfe the voice of the peo-
pie by assuming junction which did not
belong TO tbetn, but, by interposlng ftiso-
Ious technical objections, to prevent The
accomplishment of what the people had
declared should be done. Il should never
be forgotten that the Democrats OF Name
deliberately sought 10 defeat the viii OF
the people. constltuiionally expressed aud
ascertaIned AZ the baliot-box. ii story Will
record that this attempt was persisted in
10 the face OF repeated warnings from the
highest judicial tribunal la the State, and
even alter the speciuos pretext that they
were only intent on observing the letter OF
the law had been brushed aside by high
authority. Looking back now at The dis
ingenious pleadings OF Gsrcelor, address
ed TO the people OF the United States, II
seems incredible that he or his fellow
conspirators could have believed that such
a structure OF fraud could endure. That
it has disappeared is another evidence OF
the strength OF government OF the people
by the people.
The Portland Press has unearthed and
brought to light the existence OF = league