The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-05
EXAMPLE FOR KENTUCKY
THE DISPUTE OVER THE COVER
WORSHIP OF MAINE IN 1850.
1t Was Settled through an Appeal to
the Courts, without Bloodshed. and
Federal Aid Was Not Asked.

two parties in a State for its control that
has ever taken place was that in Maine in
1880. The Republicans labored under the
greatest disadvantage, yet il never &C.
CURED to them to appeal to the federal
government for aid in any way. In 1873 the
Greenback craze swept over Maine. throw
ing the election of the Governor into the
Legislature, which was fusion. When the
election of 1879 came the Fusionists had
control of the executive offices and the
Executive Council, which had the counting
| of the votes and the issuing of the certi-
ficates of election on the face of the re-
turns to members-e.ect of the Legislature.
In that election the Republicans carried the
Legislature in both branches, and, while
their candidate for Governor did not re-
ceive a majority Of the votes, he re-
ceived decided plurality. At that time.
| however, the Constitution of Maine re-
| quired a majority of all the votes for cleo
ton to the office of Governor. Assured of
substantial majority in both branches OF
| the Legislature, the Republicans rested
easy until several weeks before the meet
| ing of the Legislature, when it leaked out
| that the Fusion Governor and Council
would throw out, technical grounds,
| enough votes for Republican candidates to
| deprive them of their election certificates.
| The law in that State provides that can
| didate who does not appear TO be elected
| because of mistake in the return.
| like the omission of an initial letter. shall
| have authority to correct such return by
! the records of the towns in which the votes
| were cast For time both parties were
permitted to see the returns on file i'm the
~ h.a nr0 nf ~ N lnh
| these certificates of election would be is
sued 1t discovered that several re-
| turns had been carelessly made, the clerks
| leaving out the initial of the middle name
| of candidates, and in others had put the
wrong initial for the middle name INTO the
| return. Several candidates prepared TO
present corrected returns. but the Gov
| ernor and Council refused to receive them,
| and suddenly all the candidates were re-
| fused further opportunity to examine the
| returns.
! For time the Republicans could not be-
| lieve that the Fusionists had any such con-
| spiracy in view, and they would not have
| known ii at all until a very late day had
not newspaper man in Boston overheard
| two men speaking of II whom he knew 10
| be Democratic politicians in lhaine. When
| the conspiracy was fully known to the
! Republicans by the issuing of the certi-
| ficateS of election, there was great excite
ment. The Republicans at once met in
| council at the residence of Mr.. Blaine,
| near the Statehouse, and there, day after
! day, the leading men in the party-the late
| Senator Morrill,, the late Vice President
| Hamlin. William p. Frye, Eugene Hale,
Governor Dingley. Thomas b. Reed and a
| host of otners-were in consultation TO de-
wise some plan to prevent the carrying out
of the conspiracy.
| POINTS FOR REPUBLICANS.
| A few things were favorable to the Re
! publicans. General Chamberlain, who had
been Governor of the State. was at the
| head of the State militia He was re-
| Garded by both parties as a conservative
| with very Independent tendencies, and was
| trusted by both parties. He could not be
deposed by the incoming Governor. if he
| desired; so when the troubles came the
| Governor very naturally sent for him to
come to the Capitol, and to a large extent
| he became conservative influence TO hold
! back the Fusonists. Another point i'm IA
yor of the Republicans was that the Fu-
| sion Governor, Garcelon, then in Office. was
| the brother-in-law of Senator William T..
! Frye, over whom Frye had a great deal of
/ influence. These were all the points in
favor of the Republicans in the contest
| when it began. They could not get ad-
| mission to the record. and an armed body
| of men was in the Statehouse.
| At the outset a large number of Repub-
/ licans who had been soldiers in Maine regi-
ments FASTENED TO the Capitol and ex-
q
1 carry the Statehouse by assault and seat
| the Legislature as elected upon the face
| of the returns and inaugurate a State
1 government. Mr.. Blaine and the other
| leaders would not listen TO such sugges-
| tions. They declared that they had good
| cause, and that they would not permit the
| fair name of the State to be sullied by a
| resort to outside force to settle a ques-
| ton which should go to the courts. An
| attempt was made by number of Repub-
| licans TO induce the leaders of the Fusion
| element to submit the whole matter TO the
| Supreme Court of Maine. Governor Garce-
| long agreed to do this, but subsequently he
| was overruled by the INSCRIPTIONS lead
| ers behind him, and refused.
| On an appointed day the Legislature as
sembled Only those were permitted to go
! into the legislative halls who were MEM
| bers. AS summoned the Fusionists had a
| bare majority of those elected in both
branches, as their count left many vacan-
cies in both Senate and the House on tech
meal grounds. In the House, the Repub-
| licans were present, but no man spoke ex-
cept Eugene Hale. They would not listen
to any protest. but proceeded to organize
the House with a bogus majority. I'm which
the Republicans took no part. The same
| thing was done in the Senate, where there
were many vacancies because of the pc
culiarity of the manner or selecting sena-
| tors at that time. This bogus Legislature
| at once proceeded to canvass the vote for
| Governor, which showed that no Governor
| had been elected by the people, and then
| TO elect a Governor by the Legislature,
| as the Constitution provided All this
| was done in great haste, and, before the
| Republicans had got their second wind, the
| Fusion State government was organized
and the Governor had made his address
| TO the Legislature. In the meantime Gen.
| eral Chamberlain. more because they
| feared this quiet resolute gentleman and
| soldier than because they loved him, had
| control of the Statehouse with his staff.
APPEAL TO THE COURTS.
When the Republicans found that the
Fusionists would not agree TO submit the
| points of difference TO the Supreme Court
for its opinion, they set themselves to de-
vising a plan to reach the Supreme Cour
and get its opinion. To that end they made
up statement of supposed contingencie:
relative to election returns. which covered
every case involved. These were drawn
with great care. signed by the late Senator
Lot NJ Morrill, and two or three others
and sent by messenger TO the Supreme
| Court which was then holding a session In
another part of the State This court Wa;
an exceptionally able body of men and en-
joycd the confidence of the people of ths
State generally. The most of its members
had been on the bench for years by success
sive appointments OF the Governor. The,
had not participated in politics, although
their political preferences were known. On.
of them had always been most promi
nent Democrat in the State until he wen
upon the bench. Ii may be stated here tina
this Democrat upon the bench by th'
action of Nelson Dingiey when Governor
of Maine. At that time the bench was al