Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-04-23
More Reform.

II President Cleveland is in favor-of re-
forming the civil service and placing it
upon higher plan az to character and eff
fciency, how comes 1t that he has ap-
pointed Captain Charles II. Chase OF
Portland Internal Revenue Collector of
the first district of Maine, and Eben F.
Pillsbury Internal Revenue Collector of
the third district of Massachusetts The
record of these two men must be known
to the President and his advisers.
In 1879 aud 1880 an attempt was made
TO defeat the will of the people OF this
State, as declared in the annual election
In September, by changing the election
returns after they came into the hands of
the Governor and Council This was done
by alterations. erasures and forgeries. and
persisted In against the decisions of the
Supreme Court. whose opinion was in
voked, and until the State was on the
brink Of civil war. This bold and base
outrage upon the rights of the people in
volved change in the seats Of thirty
seven senators and representatives. that
large change being necessary to reverse
the republican majority in the legislature
as elected by the people and bring in
. fraudulent democratic majority.
It was scheme So wicked that
its authors should have been at
least prohibited from the privilege of
holding Office or exercising the right of
suffrage. and like the Chicago ballot-box
suffers been condemned to the penitentiary
for their offence.
EBEN +. Pillsbury. who has just been
appointed by President Cleveland to an
Office Of Importance in the State of Massa-
chusetts. was a chief conspirator and ring
leader in this attempt to overturn by fraud
the will of the people of Maine as de-
clared at the ballot-box aud set up a fraud
ulent State government. Soon after the
failure of himself and democratic associ-
ates to steal this State from the republic
cans, this Catalina left the State which he
had wronged and took up his residence in
Massachusetts. During the last campaign
he was employed in slandering Mr.. Blaine
upon the stump in the most outrage Gus
manner. And this notorious political ras-
cal the President has appointed to Office in
the Old Commonwealth, from which we
have heard so much about reforming and
Aha ,;y;I sar,,;oa &c th;s ,o,,,,, r,,
CHARLES II. CHASE of Portland is a
fit companion tor Pillsbury. He was a
member of the infamous Council of Gov.
Gsrcelon, and chairman OF the Committee
on election Returns in that body, and ac-
tive and prominent in all the wickedness
in which that Council engaged. The
whole great fraud and crime" says the
report of the investigating committee, sis
thrown back upon the members OF the
Council. with whatever completely the
Governor had in it. or upon any persons
whom the Governor and Council per-
mitted to handle the returns, and whose
interest it was to improperly treat them"
As chairman of the committee on election
returns Chase was in the place of greatest
service to the conspirators, He. too. has
his reward from President Cleveland. in
the appointment which he has received.
aud by such appointments are we to in
interpret the declarations of the President in
relation to eleva,ing and purifying the
civil service. What the leading mug
wamp paper of Massachusetts said in re-
lation to the attempt OF Pillsbury,
Chase and others to steal this State, will
be seen by the following extract IRON that
paper in 1880:
from the Boston Herald, Aug. I, 1897
whatever may be thought of the political
campaign elsewhere. every lover of good gov
eminent and common honesty should hope
for the defeat of the unholy political combi.
nation in Maine, which brought disgrace upon
that reputable State last year. We have
heard prominent democrats express the same
sentiment, their disgust for the Garceton
crord overcoming all party feeling. IL the
people of Maine do NOT rise ap and REBUkE
THE POLITICAL cur rHRoArs WHOSE ISrA-
Nous RECORD CAUSED EVERY SON OF MAINE
TO RLusu, we shall lose our faith in natural
law"
The "lovers of good government and COM
mon honesty" will feel just the same in re-