The daily gazette., 1880-01-12
Republican WrOnO-Doing.
nv 'T''FD'' 'NN''N " y VENU HIVNEtU
From the Phila. Telegraph, Rep.

Il IOll tue lNcD.
BAYoNET LAW IN MAINE.
Where does Major General Chamber
lain of Maine get even the shadow of au-
thority to constitute himself the acting
Governor and Commander in Chief OF
the armed forces of the State? This is
a question that is of immediate and
pressing concern not only to the citizens
OF the State of Maine, but 10 the citizens
OF the entire nation. The issue is this :
Can a military officer, when the
Courts of law are i'll existence, and there
is no real or apparent iBpediment to the
full performance of their lawful func
tionS, undertake to decide for himself
that there is an interregnum which he is
authorized to fill by constituting himself
the Executive? According to the laws
Of the State Of Maine, the President of
the Senate is the acting Governor in such
a crisis as exists at present, and is, for
the time being, clothed with full Guber
material authority. The Maine Senate
has a President, who is its President in
accordance with at least the forms of
law which will demonstrae in judicial
way that he is so acting without Just
warrant. The divestment of President
of the Senate Lamson of his Guberna
torial authority by a decree of the Su
preme Court, obtained in a regular and
orderly way, is one thing, and his dis
possession by Majo! General Of Militia
on his own motion, is quite another.
This IS a matter that is above and be
yond all considerations of partizanship,
and Republicans can make no greater
mistake than to proceed for the settle
mont Of the Maine imbroglio by any
other than methods that will stand the
severest tests of legal regularity.
1t was Republican wrong doing, and
Republican wreUching of the law for
the serving of party ends tina. gave the
Garcelon gang their cue, and Republl
cans may rely upon 1t that any expert
ments they may undertake in the dicta-
hip line Will be- ella borated and i'm
proved upon by the class of people rep
resented by Garcelon & Co., if they ever
get a chance. President of the Senate
Lamson, in attempting to act as pro tenn
pore Governor of MaiEe, may be a usur-
per, but his usurpatiOn has been accom-
plishcd in accordance with nominally
legal methods, and there is only one
right ana proper way for il to be set
aside. The usIrpation OF General Cham.
berlaiD, however, does not appear to
have the shadow of legality to support
IT, and II is, cons' queutly, a subject for
unqualified and emphatic condemnatio on
Things have come to sorry pass indeed
when-in one of the Oldest Common
wealths of the Union, and with the
courts of law in full and unobstructed
operation-a Major General of Militia
can, without practical or effective opDo-
sltlon, pre- sumo to decide on his own
motion one of the finest of the fiIepo nts
of pending political controversy, and
OF his own motion seize the reigns of au-
thoriiy. There is an unl uestopably le.
gal wa, of solving the Maine complica,
| ton, and there Is no proper reason why
! il shc d not be resorted to, and if the
Repub licans resort to illegitinate force
| or Legitimate means o. any kind 20 OBJ
tain what they believe to be their rights
! they will, certainly, in the end, do then
selves more harm they will their oppo
nents. The whole strength of the Fusior
list case rests upon the strict observanc,
AS claimed by Garcelon and his coad,
| iu'ors-of the forms of law, forms, i
/ must be remem bo red, which were th,
| invention of the Republicans. TIL,
strength of the Republican case is in il
undisputed equity and in the certaint,
| that the Supreme Court will, if appealed
! 70, interpret the laws in accordance will
! equity. The Republicans have, in fact.
hrst rate case to 90 into Court with, an,
it Is not only folly but w.ckedness 70
them to countenance an unnecessar
and uucalled for military usurpation.