The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-01
The Governor and Council.

| the manufacture of sensational paragraphs
IN the Democratic newspapers. If these or
gans are to be relied ON one branch of the
Executive department of the State has sud-
denly been Topped off by the fiat of the
Governor. Feeling that there was no occa-
sion for serious alarm and that the interests
| Of the Stateand of the Repub lican party
had been entrusted to Council composed
| OF gentlemen of long experience who were
amply able to maintain their rights the
PRESS has not felt it necessary to work it
self into towering passion over the matter.
| So much continues still to be said on the
subject, however, by the opposition press
a few words of explanation may not be
| amiss. Whatever OF purely personal griev-
ance there may be between the Governor
| and the members of the Council will be left
entirely to the parties to it. The public is
| concerned with the official acts of the Exec
utive department alone.
When Gen. Plaisted was declared Govern
or the Legislature saw fit to surround him
with Council of differently politics by re-
electing as his constitute onal advisers the
| gentlemen who composed the Council of
his predecessor, Gov. Davis. With the
| two branches of the executive department
representing hostile parties unanimity of
| opinion could not be expected on questions
largely political such as nominations to and
! removals from Office. Such difference of
| opinion was, however, not incompatible
with courteous and honorable behavior, and
| the Council has found it SO.
The first question which aroused any con-
troversy was the selection of a messenger.
The Council, in accordance with the Gus
tom which had prevailed during preceding
administrations, selected as its messenger
Major Charles J. House of Milo, who had
served the board during the previous year
and had shown himself capable and effic-
lent officer. He had been soldier in the
war Of the Rebellion and was in feeble
health in consequence of wounds received
therein. Gov. Plaisted, for sufficient rea-
sons as he argued objected to this selection
and appointed his own son, Harold NJ
Plaisted, as his messenger and private Sec
retary. This last appointment was assented
TO by the Council and at the close of the
session of the Legislature, by agreement be-
tween the Governor and Council each of
the above officers was paid the usual
amount of S125. As the meetings of the
| Council thereafter would be held only at
| intervals and be Of short duration the Coun-
| Gil voted to dispense with it's messenger
| until such time as his services should be-
| come necessary. The messenger of the
! vice and regularly paid. Surely in this
| matter there was no lack of courtesy On the
| part of the Council.
! But it has been alleged that the Council
has acted improperly in regard to the nomin-
ations of the Governor, and here again the
facts in the case have either been distorted
or craftily concealed. All the minor appoint
ments made by the Governor have been
| promptly confirmed regardless Of politics.
| Appointments of this class number over
| three hundred and the Governor has had
his own way in regard to them without the
faintest opposition. And what is true of
these appointments is also true in large
measure Of appointments of a higher grade
which have usually sbeen considered as be-
longing to the political party in power. A
number of vacancies have occurred in this
category, and in every instance but three
| the nominations of the Governor have been
| confirmed, Notwithstanding the fact that
| not single one of them was made from the
Republican party. Hon. Henry Tallman
was nominated and confirmed judge of the
police court at Bath; John B. Redman
| judge of the police court at Ellsworth
| Henry Harrington judge of the police court
at Gardiner; ;,Daniel H. Thing trustee of the
| College of Agriculture; Hon. R. S. Morrison
trustee of the Insane Hospital; Frank B.
| Torrey trustee of the Orphan Asylum at
Bath; James B. Lindsay county commits
sioner for Aroostook county; Capt. Charles
| Merrill harbor master at Portland. Not one
Of them is Republican, but each and
every one was confirmed by a Re-
publican Council. These are all the va
cancies which have occurred except three,
| and to neither Of them nor to the remain
| ing three has the Governor condescended to
nominate anybody but Democrat or
| Greenbacker. Three nominations only to
| fill vacancies have been made which have
not been confirmed. A police judgeship at
Rockland is still open for better nomina-
| ton. A vacancy has occurred in the board
| of fish commissioners which the Council
believed should be filled by the reappoint-
ment of Mr.. Elias NJ. Stillwell of Bangor,
partly because the game and fishing in
terests of the eastern part of the State were
strongly in favor of his retention, bat more
| especially on account of Mr.. Stillwelrs
thorough knowledge of his duties and
his eminent services in the past
| The Council also disagreed with the Gov
ernor in regard to the proper person to fill
the vacancy existing in the board of trus-
| tees of the Reform School. 1t believed
| it for the interests of the State that the
| efficient services of Mr., Little be retained,
and as that gentleman was unwilling to
accept a position on the board if made by
the removal of one of his associates, but
would consent to fill bis own vacancy, the
Council very properly thought it it's duty
to advise the Governor accordingly and
leave the office open for the exercise of a
| sober second thought on the part of the
| appointing power. Thus it will be seen that
the Council has decided adversely 10 the
Governor in but three cases, where vacan-
cies actually eXisted-once to prevent bad
| appointment and twice to retain in the
service of the State men who had proved
themselves very valuable public servants
| Out Of eleven nominations, all from the
opposition, the Council confirmed eight and
rejected three. Certainly it would seem
that the Council was not wanting in magma
nimity.
| But the Governor did not content himself
| with filling vacancies. He undertook to
remove faithful public officers in the midst
of their terms simply for the purpose of
making places for his political friends. The
Council very properly determined to resist
all such attempts. Not only loyalty to
party, but public policy as we'll, demanded
such course. To confirm appointments
| when no vacancies existed was to consent to