The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-01-27
Maine.

4 MdtttCs
List week we took leave OF NAME. ga
rer,lrs confidently that the career Oh ."e
ss,,. t.ove,nor DAVIS would so aim tue
s..,s,.,,or NJ the fame OF hts immediate pre-
sifarssors, GARcrLoS, LANsoS, ana eA',"'
v,,., their names would soon cease 10 oe
h,e.rd mon the tongues OF men. bub
greatly to our surprise, the papers Oh sun
siay and Montsy were again crowoea WIZ
.o.caI,ed pees from the Pine-Tree s'a'c.
f,overnor DAVIS had become alarmed, a""
had ordered out "thc millingtsry." ihere
was panic in Augusta. Pieces Oh Pa.ei'
,,ch AZ the Know n ofhings used 10 the Gays
Of their wonderful political successes were
found sticking TO trees, tree-eoxes, ""o
Isu,.rosts IN the capital OF Maine, ano al
tn,nos promised lively time there before
their troubles were settled
people do not without cause engage IN
ron ,esis such as that now going on IN
Maine; nor without thinking tha1 the cause
Is good ORC. There has been @nch money
contributed by the voters cf that State 10
the cause al the Fusionists, au4 IT'S claimed
nv their f-sends that they WIZ be able 10 GET
ali the rpsney they may need Those shrewd
Yankees must suppose that they have SUI
fered q erievous wrong. otherwise there
would be public opinion in Name tna'
would whistle the pretended Officials down
the wind as n " bite Moultain blast drives
snowslakes before it. No man, no set OF
men. whether pretended officials or not
couLl for one day stand I'D before the pub
Tic opinion q Maine II they had not wh@
seeas TO a great many people to be right
e0Hs cause.
Where Is the weak point 10 the Legisia-
ture controlled by the Republicans! III Is
the Senate. AS surely as there Is such
thing as law, the Fusion Senate was regu-
larry and constitutionalIy organized. There
were present when it was organized much
more than q quorum OF the members
and all OF them held duy-issued certifi-
Gates OF election. That body assembled
in the Capitol. 1t was recognized by
GARcxIoY, then the Governor Of Maine, by
an undoubicd title. He administered the
oath 10 the members. IL was recognized the
next day 10y The very Republicans who now
compose the rival Senate, they having ask.
ed Governor LANsON, the president OF that
Senate, ard the Acting Governor, to adj
minister The oath to them. II he had not
foolishly refused TO DO so, the Senate orga-
nized by the Fusonists would have become
Senate whose regularity there would have
been no one to doubt.
Now, how AID by what means did that
Senate lose it's regularity? 1t lost it by the
act OF usurpation Of General CHAMBER
LAIN. II was put down by the strong arm
of The military power Of Maine. 1t was ig-
nored by a partisan Supreme Court, and its
rival recognized in the face OF the law "
the case. II was turned out OF the Capitol
by force and arms. Hence the continued
turmoil In Maine.
We do not suppose the Supreme judi
cial Court will answer at all the questions
submitted TO it by the Fusion Legislature.
That tribunal has even now too much char
acter TO answer in the negative the follow
ing question:
Fourth. III the Senate organized on the
first Wednesday in January. 1880, In the
OF facts, was not legally organized, is that
body convention OF senators-elect, by or
through which the Senate may or must be
organized, that body having adjourned
from day to day from the said first Wednes-
day OF January to the present timer
That question embodies the law OF the case.
III the Senate organized on the first We'd
nesday of January lacked aught OF regu-
larity, it was in spite of that fact a conven-
ton of senators-elect by whom and through
whom the Senate must be organized, See
ing that II had met according to law and
been lawfully recognized by the Governor
OF Maine, and had adjourned over from day
10 day according TO law, and had never lost
its character as convention OF senator's
elect through whom and by whom the Sen
ate must be organized if its legality is not
10 be called in question.
We say nothing as to the other House.
We are defending our Yankee brethren
from the charge Of being causeess disturb
ers Of the public peace and promoters OF
strife. BE sure the Fusionists think their
cause is Just.