The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-03-27
SATURDAY MORNING, MARCH %.
philadelphia North Americana
Some Smart Men Missing.

The report of the Maine Legislati We Investi
eating Committee has demonstrated that there
are some modest Democrats in Maine During
the incubation of the plot to count out the Re-
pubicans there was no doubt about the iden-
tity OF the parties in the plot. They were
known. They desired to be KNOWN They
assumed to be engaged in reputable. business.
They declared that since the Democrats and
Greenbackers cast, together 25S more votes for
the State tickets of those factions than the
Republicans cast for their candidate for Cows
ernor, the Legislature belonged to the Fusion.
lists. Garcelon, Pillsbury, Fogg and that ilk,
were free to defend what they were about,
talked loudly of having their rights at all haz-
ards, and made an effort to monopolize the
arms of the State.
At that stage of the affair, the Governor and
Council and their advisors made no secret of
their purpose to organize the Legislature and
elect the Governor. They were proud of their
work. But they were outwitted and outgen-
eralled, and instead of investigating somebody,
somebody investigated them. The difference
proves to have been about the same as would
appear were mule to kick the man who pro-
posed to kick the mule. The inside history of
the fraud is now published, revealing a series
of startling forgeries and dirty trickeries never
equalled in this or any other country The
operations of Tweed become reputable in de-
gree when contrasted with the opera
ations of Governor Garcelon, mis- Coun-
Gil and their advisers They had one
rule for the Democrats and another for the
Republicans, and these rules were diametrical-
ly opposed. Because Durham was in some
cases spelled "Burnam" the Governor counted
the votes for two men, though only one man of
Republican. But when votes were cast in
part for "Quimby' and in part for "Quinby''
the Governor counted all the votes fol Quimby,
who was Democrat. So when town clerk
testified that each election officer signed his
own name to the returns of a Republican town
the Governor rejected the return because there
was similarity in the handwriting of the Off
GERS. But in y case where the town clerk
swore that he signed the names himself to a
return from Democratic town, the Governor
ordered the return to be received and credited
In several cases it was proved that the middle
letters Of the Republican candidates had been
changed in the Council Chamber, SO as to en-,
able the Governor to divide the votes so cast
and thus defeat the candidates. The Governor
denies that he knew anything about these for
geries. He admits the two rules, one for Re-
publicans and one for Democrats. But he de-
mics that he knew of forgeries done in his
Council Chamber.
This is the most shameful history of frauds
upon the ballot ever made public. While it
was being made, the men engaged in it were
truculent and insolent beyond expression.
They boosted and threatened. They were
proud of their work. And generally the Dem
ocrats Of the whole country were also proud OF
he business. But now that the lid of this box
has been lifted, and the crimes it concealed
laid bare, the smart fellows who did the dirty
work are missing. They are not to be found.
other day cannot find them now when they are
wanted, and the inference is that they are not
so proud of their work as they were some
months ago. OF all the smart Democrats Of
whom Maine boosted, not one is left to tell the
tale. 8sttsle.-