Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-19

committee wished to place the MATE. 9.
question, and summoned E. r. r..
chairman OF the selectmen of Re- Il
who wrote the body of the return ~
testified without hesitation that ths -. 49, -
written in we're not in his handw,;.:ss
were forgeries. Your committee - ~
state whose hand inserted these ro,ss ses
II is clear that the forgery was don. -
the return was in the hands of the c.. .aA
and Council. because the votes show 81 ,.
return were ;abnlated as if no defec, ~ ~ ~
The fusion majority in Brownfeld vs.. A .:es
four. SUN
Buckfield.
The return of the town of BucksaIa )
ford county, for county officers, was ano,s.s Y
stance OF the fraudulent addition of tho r.1 =
the town in case where the blanks Ca - =
and county were untitled, so that no,h;' -
the face of the return showed from 49,
came, without stating all the tass;.a
your committee believe it TO be corea.s:
that this addition was fraudulently mads ~
the return came to Augusta. and the ,s 49,
was that the fusion majority of more tbss ~
hundred and thirty votes was counta5 y
two returns of Brownfield and BuckSsla
necessary to the election of the fus;or $50. Il
officers of that courfy. In these cssa. L,
the magnifying glass discloses The trsss, ~
writing which indicated the guilty kno~isS
of the writer which usually accompan;s. ~
of forgery.
Inthe case of there turn from Perkin, ph,.
tation in franklin County, the attention :
your committee was first called to the vo,s.
and figures 'Twenty-seven, 27." which !.
peared in the blank for the whole numha, I
votes. They observed the marked difIa,s,s.
between these words and figures and y.
handwriting of the body of the return. tn
summoned before them the clerk Of thu nl.:'
tation, who appeared to be fair minded 49,
intelligent man, and he testified postiysl.
that the words and figures were not vr;..
by him, nor by any of the assessors. AM
spection of the return corrobor,,.a
his testimony. He further test;ses
that the alteration was made y
ter the return left Perkins Plantation. N.
attention of your committee was fur,ha.
attracted tic the similarity of the added wor,.
in this return. and the handwriting contairs1
in certain letters signed by Prince A. Savrs,
the Deputy Secretary of State during the =.
mnistration of Governor Garcelon. Ths,
also examined the council blotter. mueb J,
which was in the handwriting of said Sawve,
and as a consequence your committee snm.
moned before them William c. Holt. n ysr,
competent expert i'll handwriting. and sul.
mtted to him the added words in the return.
and the letters and blutter for compar;sop
He testified that he had carefully ayam;n,s
the several writings, and had no doubt tht
the words and figures ''twentv-seven. e-p
were written by SAWYER He gave b,
reasons for this conclusion before the commit,
tee at length, and an inspection by your CON.
mittee corroborates his opinion.
Where and When these things were Done.
Your committee cannot avoid the eenclu
sion, that these suppressions and substtutons
evasions and forgerics. were made in The
chamber of the Governor and Council al Az.
gusta. it abundantly appears, that the blank.
| upon which the new and substituted return,
! were written. and the envelopes in whiehth,y
were enclosed, were official and such as are
| kept in the Office of the Secretary of State.
| The testimony shows conclusivelv that the
| returns were sent by mail or delivered
| in person to the Secretary of State, from The
several towns and plantations. and wee
opened by him or his assistants and the I
! contents must have been known to the oG.
Gals whose duty it was to count the returns
| The eraSures are SO numerous and SO con.
nected with the tabulations, and were so nj.
| form in the result produced BY them, that
| they disclose well defined plan, consistent
| in Its details and in the manner of its execu-
ton. 1t is incredible that fraud and wrong
doing could be carried on so extensively in
connection with these returns, which day a.
ter day came before various parties connect
ed with the executive department, for Their
| inspection, without the facts being known to
every official connecte with the count, and
if any one OF them shut his eyes TO what
was going on, in the midst of the public
| clamor and excitement which attended The
counting of these returns, he must have been
so negligent of his duty, that his apathy
would make him responsible for the wrong
But it will be very difficult to bring men Of
common sense to believe that these transae-
tons were not known and acquiesced in By
all the parties concerned in the counting ana
tabulation of the votes.
Premeditated Plan or Conspiracy!
Your committee can account for CERTAIN
| transactions in no other way. The secrecy
which was maintained during the time Of e.
animation and tabulatiol of the returns va
remarkable and unprecedented. 10 ohef
years the returns had always been laid oPs
to the inspection of candidates and parties ID
terested. No harm had come to the Stase "
to any contestant or member elect thereby
But in 1879 everybody was repulsed ansl
after the result had been in effect determlnea
by the Governor and Council, although u"
result affected thirty-seven republican ceals
tors and Representatives unfavoraby. AZ
every one of these has since been declared
the court to have been entitled to his seas' ~
is to-day either a Senator or Represcntaiss'
The alterations, tampering with, supP'w
sion or destruction of the returns thai n.ss
been found and to which referersDs
has been made, must have taken P.U
before the tabulation and lists were maze W
because the results arrived at by the govern
or and council are based upon the rctu'n
they show after such alteration. famPesnss ~.
with, suppression or destruction, ana ~ -
completely disposes Of any iniimation 'n.s 49,. -
changes have been made since the resu1"
left the hands of the governor and councn
The whole great fraud and crime 'nen
thrown back upon the members OF the 49,
Gil, with whatever completely the 4.
had in it. or upon any persons WHOM =.
governor and council permitted to hanus s
returns. and whose interest it was 10 l"ps'
erly treat them. Il.
That the rule of exclusion from lnspee'
was so closely applied strengthens uns d,