Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-01-14

urged that Maine people have great re-
spect and regard for the supreme court,
have confidence in its decisions, and
members of the House should consider
the decision gravely.
A discussion of the lost ballot, in which
Mr.. Pierce and Mr.. Thombs each made
argument, followed Mr.. Sanborn's plea,
but nothing lucid was put before the
House. Mr.. Pierce stated that the rec
ords of the other offices as voted upon
agreed automatically with the lost bal
lot story. and Mr.. Thonbs stated that
Mr.. Thibodeau did not admit the correct
ness of the checklist used.
Ashley St Clair of Calais argued that
if the three disputed ballots were counted
for Mr.. Michaud it might follow that a
cross placed outside the column head
should hereafter be considered no cause
for rejecting the ballot so marked Seth
L. Snow Of Mras Hill contended that if
the votes were counted for Michaud, vot-
ers should hereafter declare that the in
structions for voting were of no value
and that it did not matter where stick
er was placed.
Hurrah for Arkansas
And then the yea and nay vote was
taken. Did the majority, the Democrat
&c majority, support the decision of the
supreme court Of Maine? 1t did not! 1t
had been stated that in other states 9TH
er rulings had been made, and, among
the other states. Arkansas was mention
ed. To Arkansas for Justification! To
Arkansas looked the Democrats for justi-
rect opposition to the decision of our
own supreme court Of Maine. The de-
cision Of Names supreme court had no
weight; the Democrats went cropping
across the face OF the earth for decisions
to support their action, viewing with
contempt the opinion Of our own court
Justice in a Strict Party Vote
What justice was melted to Mr.. Thibo-
deau one can understand by observing
that the yea and nay vote was strictly
partisan. If the Democrats happened t.
be right, he got justice; If they hap
pened to be wrong he was outraged by
one OF the highest and most powerful
governmental institutions in Maine The
political mind was so prejudiced that If
justice was had it was but mere Incl
dent. How much wiser it would hav.
been to follow the judicial decision of
the supreme court rather than the polit-
ical decision Of body Of men party t.
a deadlocked convention! But the decis-
ion was made on political lines and must
stand as the decision of the Democrats
in the House Of the nth Legislature upon
the right Of q Republican to his seat,
rather than as calm judicial decision
to be used as a precedent in years to
come. This would be equally true had
the Republicans been in majority and
decided to reject Michaud's petition with
out regard to some other decision of the
supreme court Of Maine which might
bear upon an election case.
Playing With FireI
The voters Of Maine would be well
enough satisfied to have their elections
az decided in September unchallenged. In
unseating Mr.. Thibodeau by a political
decision on strictly party lines. without
regard for the careful judicial decision
Of the supreme court OF this State, the
Democrats Of the 77th Legislature have
shown tendency to play with fire. They
have also fallen into a great debt by
drawing promisory notes on 1916, for they
will have to pay for their political high
handed action at that time It Is fairly
well understood amongst laymen in
Maine that their legislative body is to
make laws and their supreme court is
to interpret them; that the Legislature
Is constructive body and the supreme
court is protective body. When the
one constitutes itself a court to pass
upon its own action and does not SO much
as consider the deliberate opinion Of the
supreme judicial body Of this State. con-
STRUNG not an Arkansas statute but our