The Portland daily press., 1882-09-06
NJ pomar to suspend an ofioer,

Tf +ba Rridoton News does not know it the Port
Land press does know that the Governor OF this
state has M power ''to suspend an omcer' Inc
proposition is preposterous and ildlculous-Argus
of Tuesday.
No mower to suspend an officer! Harris M.
plaistad ssthe supreme executive of Maine"-
tbe man who of his own sweet will and pleas
ure removes faithful officials IN the middle OF
their terms, without advice OF Council and
in defiance of the opinion OF the Justices
Of the Supreme Court-who without motion
and in defiance of the wishes ot his associates,
adiourns the Council at pleasure-who by his
own arbitrary decree blocks the payment OF
salaries to officers of the government-who
snaps his fingers in the faces OF the Justices OF
the Sppreme Court, and declares 81 shall not
WELD nv Judgment to the Interpretation which
the Court has givenl" this "Jacksonian Gov
ernor'' of ours '.'no posver to suspend an off,
cerp' Wha astounding impertinehce AS If
there could be any administrative act which
such magistrate may not do! We had sup
poSed il to be within the power OF the hingly
Supreme Executive to even throw open the
doors of the Reform School and allow the pop
ulace to ransack its cells and dungeons and
rsze its towers, as was done by the French
Rastile in 1889 Or, better, if his object be to
increase his popularity with the boys, to invite
The youngsters to am1se themselves by dem OIL
shing the building and playing quoits with the
debris!
It is very true that the government of the
Reform School is vested in board OF trustees
appointed by the Governor with advice OF
Council" and that the subordinate officers are
appointed by and amenabe to the trustees.
And yet this same supreme executive aHectS
to have the power to remove the trustees 10
make places for his political henchmen; why
inc If remove all the
trustees and suspend the superintendent, when
such course is deemed essential to the well
fare of the institution? Technically the Gov
ernor may not be clothed with such poWef-as
he is not with the other arbitrary authority he
has undertaken to exercise. But, 1t must be
remembered, our Governor is this year per-
forming the role of Old Hickory, and, by the
Eternal'' Jackson would have taken the re-
sponsibility! Besides, our Governor Is above
all law and courts and constitutlons-ls only
amenabe to the people-and IL Is very certain
that the people will be found disposed to treat
with favor even an usurpation OF power when
it can be shown that such acts are necessary
for the correction of abuses in our reformatory
institutions.
But the Argus very we'll knows-and the
people of the State are also we'll aware OF the
fact-that this attack upon the Reform School
is but piece of Plaisted's cheap demagoguery
trumped up at this late day to divert public
attention from the amazing weakness OF his
cause As the gamins are wont to say, 1t is
"too thin''--it will not anowor tho purpose.
But we rejoice that your neighbor, the
Argus, is at last on record as in accord
with the Republican position. 1t has con-
oeded that the Governor has s'no power to sus-
pend an officer''-and, logically, that he has no
power to remove an official Will the Argus
follow up this concesson by advising the Gov
ernor to at once draw his warrant for the pay
ment OF the Salaries of those officers whom for
fifteen months he has deprived of the compen-
sation which is Justly their due? LEX.