The Portland daily press., 1882-08-25
Dexter Gazette.l
Gov. Plaisted's Letter.

Remembering the eloquent remarks of Mr.
Ladd in his Portland speech, that "there are
two great par ties" Governor Plaisted devotes
three columns and half of fine type in detail
ing his grievances to that one of them FROM
which he has hope of support; the General
with grievance is like an old woman with the
rheumatism; he describes it with tropical lux
uriance of detail, forgetting that all the world
is not as much interested in his aches and pains
as he is himself.
We can't conceive of the General without 3
grievance; he was grieved that the Republi-
cans would not continue him in Congress, that
they wouldn't nominate him for Governor in
stead of Davis, that the Senate wouldn't con-
firm any of his proteges as Collector of Bangor,
was deeply grieyed in his "Dear Sam" letter
that he was distrusted by the Greenbackers
and might be suspected of playing into the
hands of the wicked Democrats and his lender
heart is now wrung by the course Of Republi-
can Council who refuse to let him turn out ev
cry Republican official in the State and fill his
place with these same Democrats
His letter reads as his speeches sound, which
8 q sufficient description to any one who has
had the felicity to listen to him on the platform.
We fear, however, that he is not the first and
NAV not be the last who has mistaken a state
ment of personal suffering for argument or a
stream of turgfd rhetoric for sloquence.
Like the man with his speech in his hat he
thanks them for the unexpected and unsolic1t-
ed honor, credits the Democrats with seeking
him out unspurred by hope of lee or reward,
and asuribes the same disinterested motives to
them in 1880, but is wisely silent as to the bar
gain by which three if not seven electors were
to be transferred to General Hancock to make
his calling and election sure
Two-thirds of this document is taken up with
defence of his action in undertaking to usurp
powers never delegated to, nor assumed by, any
Governor of Maine except Garcelon-that is to
decide by his fiat who should hold the offices IN
the State; here he likens himself to President
Garfield, which would be iTreYerent if it were
not SO unutterably absurd.
The first nomination upon which he bases
his case is that of d. W. True as trustee of the
Reform School, and he states that Mr.. True
was rejected, snot on the score of qualitc2-
tions." Why, it was exactly on that score that
Mr.. True was rejected he had been the incum-
bent of stolen Senatorial seat, was hand in
glove with the Garcelon gang, and had shown
himself better fitted for the inside than the ov-
ersight of a reformatory institution.
BY statute law evidently passed to cover the
contingencies of dead lock between the two
branches of the Executive, County offices may
be tenn porarily filed by the Courts, so in spite
of Governor PlaiSted's unit appointments to
some of these offices, and their rejection by the
Council, there is not a County in the State
which has not its full complement OF legally
constituted officials, and in which every pro-
cess of law cannot be carried out without let or
hindrance
The Governor argues that the Constitution
Li,.its the Council to the single poaoer Of con-
tirm,ing or rejecting has nominees on the score
of qualifications or fitness.
Then who in the name of common sense is to
determine the question of fitness, the Governor
or the Council?
Farther on he argues out the question at
length as follows:
"Under our Constitution the Council is no part of
the executive power of the government There is not
an "affar of state'' or other executive act which
they can eXecute-they can advise the Governor as
to such acts and affairs of state and only advise
There shall be Council of seven members ITO ad-
wise the Governor in the executive part OF the gov
ernment' this is the scope of their authority under
the Constitution-"to advise" him and not to share
his executive power.
The Council is no part even of the appointing pow
er, pardoning power, or power to draw warrant.
where they have qualified negative upon the Gov
ernor. They may advise him to draw warrant on
the treasury, but he s not bound by this ADVICE he
may at his discretion draw the warrant or not-for
the whole or any part; so they may advise MN TO
pardon one or more conycts and 1t Is IN the dlscre
ton of the Governor to pardon or not, and II he
grant the pardon, it is his OWE act solely and the
whole responsibility is his.
If the Governor makes q NOMINATION. ana the per-
son nominated is confirmed by the Council such
person is not thereby appointed it us optional with
the Governor whether he will appoint him or not.
He is then free 10 So and he makes the appoint
ent it is his sole act and he alone responsible for
it, The Governor dominates, appoints and COM
missionsall executive acts and each wholly and ex
clusyely his own He is limited in his appointments
to certain class of persons qualified, so to speak,
by the assent of the Council The passive assent of
the Council is not an executive act-only advisory
and wholly performed between the nomination and
appointment.
We submit that this isn't even decent nom
sense, no such imperial power was ever granted
under any government created with constl-
tutional check upon the Executive; under
such definition of their powers Council
" ould be an absurdity and would not have the
slightest reason for existence. Ii tbs Council
cannot appoint, pardon nor draW warrants
without the Governors consent neither can
he without theirs, not even warrant for his
own salary; indeed with the exception OF COM
manding the militia, and signing bills passed
by the Legislature, there is no one executive
act which the Governor of Maine is empow-
cred by the constitution to perform OF his own
yolition, without consent of the Council, for
the Supreme Court has recently decided that
in the matter of removals he is dependant up
on their approval
The Executive acts of pardon, appointment
and removal must in every case be supple
mented by affirmative action on the part of the
Council before they can take elect, and this Is
not only law but common sense.
The Governor seems to find an analogy be-
tween the duties of the Council of Maine and
the Senate of the United States They are in
no way similar, for the action of the former is
purely executive, and intended to be such;
but admitting the functions to be similar for
sake of comparison, does not the Governor re-
member any cases when he was still in the re-
cept of Republican favors, just after he had
ceased to be the only third term Grant man in
Maine, and had become the endorser of Presi-
dent Hayes's game Of give away, about the
time say, when he was recording some OF his
hard money votes in Congress- does he not re-
member any nominations in which he took q
feversh interest, which were repeatedly re-
jected by the Senate, and not all on the ground
of personal unftness?
It is the truth that the Council is part and
parcel of the Executive of Main thus the
Courts have decided, and although Governor
Plaisted holds their opinions cheap, that does
not alter the fact, and unless the Council is
abolished the Governor and they must come
into accord before warrants can be drawn, par
dons issued, or officers commissioned; unless
indeed he exercises his sole prerogative, and
calls out the militia to dsperse them as his
fellow conspirators tried to do three years ago.
r.