The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1882-08-17
Maine Politics.
THE ISSUE BETWEEN GOV. PLAISTED
AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL.
A Statement Of the Facts and the Prece-
dents.

| ton IF the Executive Council In reference to
His Excellencys appointments as "odious,
subyersive of popular government, and in vio-
lation of the constitution" Governor Plsisted
| in his remarkable letter accepting the Demo-
| cratic portion of his double nomination, has de-
| voted much space to defending his own action
| and to condemning that OF the Council. Fusion
| orators reserve that vigorous and vitupera tive
| vocabulary which has never been mastered ex-
| cept by the Democratic orators and editors for
the "seven Governors, who, if the statements
| of these orator s are entitled to orsdsnce, are
many times worse than the worst and most
| desperate men known to ancient and modern
| history If they are to be believed, the mem
| bers of the Council have entered into a con-
| spiracy, of which the purpose to shake down
our fabric of popular government and to bury
| the whole population of Maine Gncluding In
| dams not taxed) in the ruins, is undoubtedly
one of the most innocent of its manifold plots.
Language has not yet been devised IN which
| to properly portray their more complicated d.
abolisms against their race
| So much that is purely imaginary, so much
that is entirely false, and SO much that betrays
| both ignorance and malice has been said and
written on this subject that fair-minded people
are at loss to know what to believe. .As mat
| ter of political history and general information
| this subject should be carefully and candidly
presented. In any event this would be impor-
| tant; it becomes an imperative necessity when
| Governor Plaisted and the leaders Of the COM
bination which support him have announced
purpose to make the differences referred to
| leading issue in the campaign.
THE FIRST DIFFERENCE.
| The differences between Gov. Plaisted and
| the Council began as soon as he was qualified.
| For years it has been the custom for the CouD-
| Gil to select Messenger by the adoption OF an
order naming the man, the order being pre-
sented by some member of the Council. Major
House had served the previous Council in that
| capacity, and the present one desiring to con-
| tinue his services, an order to that effect was
passed, but Gov Plaisted refused to approve 1t
| because he desired to have his own son en-
| ployed as Messenger and Private Secretary
| The Council desired to retain House because
he was familiar with the duties and was de-
serving and needy soldier whose scars are the
testimonials Of his valor in the field. On the
| other hand, the Governors son, while worthy
young man. is incapscitated by deafness. More
| over, the Councillors felt delicacy about hay
| ing the Governors son wait upon them as a
| Messenger, who does his duty, should Details
are unnecessary. The Governor was permitted
| to have his son for his Messenger and Private
| Secretary, and upon the favorable reports OF
| the Council, he has been allowed to draw pay,
while the Councillors have had no Messenger
"a thing unknown in the history of the State.
| And yet, at the doleful ratification meeting at
Portland the chairman said that "the Council
had refused the Governor the courtesy Of
Private Secretary" Inasmuch as the Legisla-
ture has made no provision for such an officer,
| the Council could not extend His Excellency
| that Courtesy" In striking contrast With
Governor Plaisted's conduct in this matter was
that of the Wing Governor Crosby in 1853 who
had Council composed of four Democrats and
three Wings. When that Council met, it pro-
ceeded to ballot for Messenger, and John d.
Richards, Democrat, of Ellsworth, was elected.
Subsequently Mr.. Richards resigned and Mr..
| Themes of Eden, another Democrat was elect
| ed To this action Governor Crosby made no
| opposition, TINS admitting the right of the
| Council to control the election of Messenger.
| The records of the Council for twenty years
senger by the action of the Councillors. In adj
dition to extending to Gov. Plaisted the courte-
sy of employing his own son as his own Mes
senger, the Council has given him the benz eft
of the entire appropriation for that purpose
| ($10OO) after His Excellency had absolutely re-
| fused to sanction the employment of Major
House to serve the Council. Indeed, Gov.
| Plaisted went so far as to threaten to remove
| this wounded veteran from the ante-room
| should he continue to appear there to wait up
| on the Council. In the interest of peace and
| to avoid such a scandal Major House retired
from the position.
THE MATTER OF APPOINTMENTS.
1t has been proclaimed from one end Of the
State to the other that the Council has obstruct
ed public business by refusing to confirm the
Governors nominations for important offices.
Indeed, the stress which Fusion organs have
placed upon this matter would give one tho i'm
preston that the rejection of nominations was
the rule rather than the exception. To Aug.
Governor Plaisted has made 983 nominations.
OF these the Council has rejected SO. The SO
nominations rejected represent 80 different per-
| sons, of whom were Republicans who had
been appointed to take tho places of other Re-
publicans whose terms had not expired, in ac-
cordance with what appears to have been a
purpose to cause mischief word His Ex-
cellency has publicly used on moro than one
occasion. The only important offices that are
vacant to-day are those of one Justice of the
Supreme Court, two Municipal Judges, one
cause no interruption of public business. The
matter-of-fact citizen will conclude that great
deal of Indignation and false statement has
been wasted upon this topic. True, the Gov
ernor claims there is a vacancy in the office Of
Fish Commissioner. In this he is in error. The
law provides for the appointment of one or two
Commissioners. The Governor desires to put
in one of his party frien DIS. and insists upon it
by nominating him repeatedly. The Council
says one Commissioner can perform the duties,
and declines to confirm the Governors parti-
san nomination. The game and fishery inter-
ests of the State have not suffered from the ac-
ton of the Council in this particular and will
not suffer.
THE REMOVAL OF OFFICERS.
One of the chief causes of complaint against
the Council is that it has refused to concede to
the Governor the power to remove officers al
ready in commission without its "advice and
consent" Without giving cause, without
asking the "advice" of the Council, and with
out even seeking its consent" Gov. Plaisted
has attempted to remove twenty-eight officers,
some OF which are the most important in the
State subject to Executive appointment. The
terms of most of these officers are period of
years unless sooner removed, or during the
pleasure of the Executive, not to exceed Civ
en- term of years. In no case did the Governor
assign cause for removal. Indeed, mono could
be invented, because the incumbeuts in every
case were men of character and experience
The removals were attempted to make way for
pOllIlcal lrl0uuS. 0OV. TldlSI6u DaSeu Ills rlgnb
to remove officers without the consent of the
Council on the ground that he was the Execu.
tive referred to in the Statutes which provide
that certain officers shall hold their Office "dur-
ing the pleasure of the Executive" etc. The
Constitution does not refer to the removal of
officers; but it does declare that "the Governor
shall nominate and, with the advice and con-
sent of the Council, appoint" certain officers.
1t also declares that with the advice and con-
sent of the Council, the Governor may remit
fines and sentences. In every case where ex-
ecutive action is contemplated by the Consti-
tuition the cooperation and concurrence of the
Council is required to give it the force of an
executive act. The Constitution is silent re-
specting removals, because it assumes that
when a new man is nominated to take the place
of another whose term has not expired the re-
moval is sanctioned by the Council If the nom-
ination is confirmed and refused If it is rel ect-
ed The "advice and consent" of the Council
in regard to the nomination of successor to a
man in office is implied in reference to the re-
moval by its action upon such nomination.
The assumption of Gov. Plaisted, that he can
remove any officer subject to executive appoint
ment and leave the place vacant, is novel
one, and one which is at the same time at war
with the theory of governments, constitutions
and laws. There could be no government with
out Offices and constitutions and laws create Of