Year: 1879

are coming in rapidly from all parts Of the State
urging the Governor to submit the questions to the
Supreme Court.


MEETING AT LEwIsToN-HE REPEATS HIS


CAsE-wHY THE coUNTI>G oUr WAS DONE.


[BY TELEGRAPH TO THE HEnALD.l


LEWISTON Dec. 81, 1872


In response to call for a meeting TO indorse
the action OF the Governor and Council in
the canvassng OF the returns of the vote for
Senators and Representatives the citizens OF
Lewiston. Auburn and the adjacent towns
turned out masse to welcome their
feow-citzen and extend to him hearty greeting in
this trying hour of his official duty The meeting
was presided over by Judge Nahum Morrill,.
of Auburn. who made calm aud dispassion-
ate statement in regard to the call of
the meeting. He was followed by y.
B. Swan representative elect from Poland.
who made most forcble and telling speech. pledg-
ing tho support Of every loyal man Of Androscoggin
county for the maintenance of law and order.
and tho swift suppression of rebellions
action. from whatever source 1t may come.
/. b. Torrey. OF Bath. said that all this
talk by republican speakers and papers of re-
Stating the constituted authorities CT the State
simply Blaine's bluff and bluster. who. having
failed IN his attempt to bulldoze the Governor and
Council. had undertaken to buldoze the people.
He asserted that il there had not been persistent
attempt to buy bulldoze the voters in tho last
election the ''wll of the people" would have been
expressed by majority Of 10000 instead
OF 2,000 At this point of tho proceedings
a committee of citizens escorted the Governor
into the hall, the immense audience rising
and cheering vociferously his tall figure moved
up the hall. His appearance the platform was
the signal for another burst Of applause. Resolu-
tions then read setting forth tho partisan and
malicious purpose OF the republican party in assail
ing the private character Of the Chief Magistrate and
attempting to sully his name by false and slander-
GUS accusations and expressing the confidence Of
his fellow townsmen in his integrity. The
resolutions referred to his self-sacrihcing devo-
ton to the wounded Union soldiers during the
war. indorsed the action Of the Governor
and Council in canvassing the returns according
to the constitution and law; charged the republican
party with bribery and fraud at the election and de-
nounced the reasonable utterances and designs of
their party leaders, and called all loyal citizens
to support the constituted authorities Of the State.


GOVERNOR GAncELoN's SPEECH


most heartily thank you for this expression OF
your confidence. not only expressed by your resolu
long life Of nearly seventy years has been spent in
this community. and II there has been any
act OF mine WulcQ cou Dc marked as
reasonable to my country or disregardful
of its interests in any respect in violation or law
and order l am UNCONSCIOUS of it. did not come
here tonight for the purpose or apoOgizng for any
act which has been done in regard to what has been
alluded to tho 'count OF the votes," returned
by the municipal officers from your last election.
(Applause.) The record will speak for itself. But
it may be interesting for you to know something of
the history OF TINS count as It affects myself
mooted. Almost immediately after the election
of the 8th OF September the raised that there





would be made to steal the State. happen
to hold in my hand an extract from the
only eight or nine days after the election. where
this announcement is made in paragraph al
most Us devoid OF meaning as large portion
Of tho dispatches sent forward by the Asso-
ciated Press. (Applause.) So far as the action
OF the Governor and Council was concerned
in reference to the vote scarcely word
the matter till near the end Of October. when the
question camo up how the matter should be attended
to- and it was decided ut tho meeting in October
that the Committee Elections should attend
to the duty Of tabuatng and preparing the returns
was to be the 18th of November. at that time no
return. excepting the outside had been by any
one. as they were returned to tho Seeretarys Office,
when they were locked up in his safe. and
no personhad any access to them, either as men,
bers Of the government or from outside.


SPECIAL PLEADING


When the Committee took charge Of them the day
after adjournment in October those returns were
Rus II sha. the time hands % Ss Ss til h OF sa
as I am assured by the gentlemen Of
tho committee. no person outside of their
bers, no person connected with the government in
any department, or outside it. had access those
returns, and every time they left the State House
those returns were locked in tho safe; and it re-
qured the two parts Of double key to open it,
one part Of which was put into the pocket Of the
chairman Of the Committoe on Elections aud tho
other part into the hands Of the Secretary OF State
cit either % Of these men to go o''S 70 that ssfe .Ge
and get these returns Unless each was
in the presence of the other. Between the 1st and
18th of November l was at home attending to
the wDS oror OF y the and a
/ hardly newspaper. I did not
communicate with q single member OF the govern
ment, and on tho morning that left my home for
Augusta to attend to the meeting OF the Board,
preparatory to examining these returns, which
supposed had been taouiated. ! was not aware
of any excitement trouble. arrived in
Augusta by the afternoon train went directly my
chamber il tho State House and had not been there
five minutes before the announcement was made to
Inc by the messenger that committee desired to
have conference with the Governor and
Council. 1 replied, ''Say to tho committee, tho
Governor and Council are not in session. Tho hour
tor their convenng has not arrived and Is
whether there will be a quorum present" He
back with the message that they wished to have
ference with the Governor, and Ex-Governor Dingley
Immediately presented himself and said he came IN
at tho request OF the committee to examine the
turns for Senators and Representatives. 'Why,"
said l. "the Governor and Council themselves
have not had an opportunity of seeing these
returns. ! do not know myself that they
have been opened He replied that have
been opened they were to bo abulated. replied if
they have been opened know nothing about them


INTERVIEW WITH DINGLEY's COMMITTEE.


The rest OF that conversation has already been
reported, and with perhaps verbal
tion or two were reported correctly Two gentlemen
who were in the room adjoining and heard the
conversation are ready to make oath to its accuracy
AZ remarked to my distinguished fellow towns
men, the very fact OF their presenting themselves
SO strange o manner would only servo to mako
moro careful as to tho returns and
SEQ that everything douo III lawful
and constitutional inapner. (Appause.) What was
our duty but to comply with the constitution and
the laws. The constitution is the supreme law
of the land, and its mandates are to be
obcyed regardless OF any other consideration. The
law adds certain other provisions in regard
to those returns. aud in the history Of our State
many questions have arisen to whst should DO
done under certain circumstances. and tho Governor
and Council have asked the opinion OF the
supreme Court upon those questions. For
instance, when return is made by
town or city, whether that return
n legal return, II it signed by q less number
than the majority OF tho Board OF Municipal
Onicers and the opinion of tho Judges has
been that return IA valid without such
majority. In counting the names OF John smith