The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-22

ing remark Upon strict acOhStTue
ton of the statutes concerning elecs|
tions they could have declared tie
Republican candidate for G"yerndr
elected. 1t was only necessary t4
count the votes as returned to deprive
Mr.. Plaisted of votes enough to ieays.
him in minority. Leaving out pk
the question the intent Of the yoteik
which the committee were Dot bound
to consider, the Fusion candidage
did not receive a majority of The
votes, and ,pnder. ..the.alettsrsofesill
Inv MAS not Ieg'iiiY eIeeled ~
Committee of the Legislature, how
ever, believed it to be their duty to
regard the spirit rather than the let
ter of the law, and, foregoing the
partisan advantage which offered,
have reported in favor of the candi-
date for Governor for whom a major
ity-very small, indeed, but still a
! majority-of TIE voters manifestly
meant to cast their votes. 1t may he.
said that they deserve no special
credit for what vas so obviously
right, and that upon the whole it
was wise as mere matter of party
policy to pursue the course they
have, since to have done otherwise
would have exposed them to adverse
criticism, and in the end werked to
the injury of the party. This must
be admitted. The right thing was
the polite thing and for simply do.
ing right a party which asks public
confidence, and is trusted because it
promises to regard justice and act
honestly, can claim no particular
merit.
Let US say. then, that they have
done no more than their plain duty,
and this more as matter of policy
than conscience. AS patriotic citi-
zens, we are glad to believe that po-
litical honesty is not so phenomenal
that the exercise of it in single IN
stance entities the party exhibiting
it to special favor. AS Republicans.
we are not unwilling to admit the
possibility that the party in lis or
ganized action may be governed as
much by policy as by conscience FOR
the party that holds to belief in
the ultimate honesty and coed sense
of the people, and fears to offend
them, is under such salutary re,
straint that ii can always safely be-
trusted. But between parties there
is choice, and in view of the action
taken by the Republicans the ques-
tion naturally arises, What would
have been the course of their eppo-
dents under similar circumstances ?
Would they have refused to take adj.
vantage of technicalities to secure the
Office of Governor Is there any
reason to believe that they would
have been governed in the matter by
conscientious sense of right and
Justice, or by the metiyes Of common
honesty that regulate trans actions
between individuals Would they
to put the action on the lower plane
would they have had the prudent
sagacity, the wise forethought, to see
that, as a matter of policy, it We're
better to resist the temptation to
sharp practice and to do the square
and manly thing? We are not lett
to suspicion or conjecture for the an
swer. The party has record in this
same State of Maine, just a year old,
that sets at rest all doubt as to what
they would have done under similar
circumstances. There is no need to
recite it. 1t is enough to say that
just a year age the Democrats Of
Maine and their allies, the Green
hackers, were engaged not merely in
taking advantage of every techni
cality and informalitv ihit actually
existeu, but in making techicaities
and informalities by fraud and for
gerry by which to cheat the voters of
Maine of their fairly expressed pref
erence at the polls. That tells what
they would do if they had the oppor-
tunity. There can be no question
about it in the mind of any intelli
gent man.
Now, though no special merit may
attach to this action of the Republi-
cans, We submit that it fairly Illus
trates the character of the party AS
Gontrtsted with that of the DenIoc
racy. No matter whether they acted
from con-cienti us purpose, or from
an emily Ehtened partisan sefishuess
wnateycr the motive, they have done
the fair and square thug. Their op
ponents made no attempt, from any
motive, to act honestly or even dc
Gently. We put the action of the
Republicans this year over against
thai Of the Democrats last year, and
~ l. 3. ~