Year: 1879




The fusionist conspiracy in Maine to capture,
by dishonest means if necessary, the control of
the Legislature of that State, and, through
that body, the Goyernorship and perhaps the
electoral vote next year, was not an after
thought. There are the very best reasons for
believing that the Democratic and Greenback
leaders in Maine, anticipating that they might
be beaten at the polls, consulted together and
with persons in sympathy with them outside
of the State, before the election took place,
with view of oyerthrowing the will Of the
people, Two plans seem to have been sug-
gested, and preparations were made to put
both of them into execution if one alone failed
to bring about the desired result. The first of
these plans was to have the Governor and
his Council assume all the powers ever exer-
cised by Southern returning board to so be-
hind the returns # lie election as made up by
the city and town officers, investigate all ale
cations Of fraud, corruption and intimidation
that might be made, and on ex parte testt-
mony collected for that purpose so change the
result in enough of the close counties as to give
the Legislature to the fusionists The other
plan was to send out defective blanks upon
which the returns of the election were to be
made out, so that the returns themselves would
be "fatally defective" when received, and to
scrutinize carefully all the returns from close
counties in which Republicans were elected
for the purpose of discovering technical defects
which might give the Governor and his Coun-
Gil an excuse for returning fusionists to the
Legislature in districts where Republicans had
been elected. 1t does not seem to have been
fully determined in advance which Of these
tricks should be resorted to, but it is probable
that both would have been used if one had not
accomplished the overthrow Of the will of the
people, or If the efforts to prove dishonesty on
the part of the Republican managers had not
utterly failed.


DEMOCRATIC THREATS ON ELECTION DAY.


Among those VINO were in Maine during the
last campaign and on election day was Mr..
Frank A. Burr of Washington, the correspon-
dent of Republican newspaper, who ascer-
tanned, almost as soon as the result Of the cleo
ton was known, that the Fusionists did not
intend 70 submit . tls ~slt s. ti.e people. lie
also learned afterward many details of one
branch of the plot. In q conversation with a
correspondent of the Tribune to-day he related
his experiences in Maine and Massachusetts
just after the Maine election, and it appears
not only that the plot was formed before the
result of the voting was known, but that the
funds that were needed to carry it into execu-
tion were raised i'll New York and Boston.
The conversation was as follows:


''You say you were in Maine at the time of
the election and before?''


Yes, sir; went to Maine with Secretary
Sherman when he opened the campaign, and
remained there until tho day after the vote
was cast.


'When was the fesult of the election ascer-
tained?"


''About o'clock on the afternoon of the 9th
OF September"


''What was that result as ascertained?'


cit gave both branches OF the Legislature to
the Republicans"


'Did you see any prominent Democrats in
Augusta on that day?"


Yes About 4 o'clock on the afternoon Of
the 9th went to Mr.. Eben 4. Pillsbury's Of
flee in Augusta, and saw gentleman with
whom he was in consultation who was intro
duced to me as q prominent attorney of that
State, but whose name do not now recall.
believe Mr.. Pillsbury told me that he had
been prominently connected with the politics
of the State


"For what purpose did you call on Mr.. Pills
bury?"


GAS newspaper correspondent to ascertain
how he felt over the result OF the election. We
talked freely dDOuU inc contest, ana ne eA-
pressed himself as very much disappointed at
the defeat of the Fusionists. He said that the
feeling then was that it would be useless TO
make any further contest for the control OF the
State, as money and other methods of corrupt
ing and controlling the votes were used by the
Republicans, and the free expression of the
will of the people could not be obtained"


"Did he then intimate to you that the Re-
publicans would not be allowed to enjoy the
fruits of victorx?''


IL 1xvfsySn n w n,
tween Mr.. Pillsbury andlmyself, the other gen.
tleman present said that the end was not yet.
He declared that the Governor and the Coun-
Gil had the power to canvass the returns, and
in language more forcible than elegant said
that they would do so Mr.. Pillsbury at once
cautioned his associate, telling him l was
journalist and would print whatever was said
at the interview. [ then asked both Mr.. Pills
bury and his friend what powers the Governor
and Council had as returning Board. Alr.
Pillsbury, smiling, said that he did not care TO
talk about that then, and especially with me.
The attorney who was with him was more
communicative and said the Governor and
Council, under the laws, had ample power to
inquire into any allegations of fraud and to
withhold certificates from those returned as
elected where sufficient evidence of the use Of
money or of intimidation could be obtained,
and repeated, with some emphasis that they
would most assuredly do so in this instance.
While Mr.. Pillsbury was not so emphatic as
his associate, he gave quiet acquiesence to his
views ali the while cautioning him that he
was liable to be quoted"


Did you see any of the State officers OF
Maine that day?''


eyes. had previously called upon Governor
Garcelon to ascertain his views in relation TO
his power and duties in the premises, as had
before heard it intimated that the FuSioniStS
were asserting that the Governor and Council
had arbitrary powers in determining the cleo
tion of members Of the Legislature. He re-
fused to converse upOn the subject"


''Were you convinced by your conversation
with Democratic and Fusion leaders on the day
after the election that the Governor and Coun-
Gil would resolve themselves into Returning
Board and so manipulate the returns as to get
control of the Legislature?'


They left me no room for conjecture as to
what their course would be. l was firmly con-
vinced then that it was their intention, if nee
essary, to go behind the returns and exercise
all the powers of q Returning Board. So strong
y was | convinced of this that later in the
evening / called upon Senator Blaine and told
him of my conclusions and OF the statements
which had been made to me that afternoon.
Mr.. Blaine seemed somewhat amused, and
said it was the idle talk of disappointed men,
and that he did not think he was putting the
case too strongly in saying that they would not
dare to do such thing"


"Had you before the election received any
intimatons from Fusionist leaders OF n plot to
overturn the Republican majority if there
should be one?"


Eyes. had several times heard it asserted
that unless the Republican majority was very
large an attempt would be made to nullify the
result of the election"


THE FRAUD MACHINERY PUT INTO OPERATION.


Glow soon after the election was it known
or believed in Maine that the Governor and
Council would lend themselves to the fraud?'


II cannot tell the exact number of days. |
left Maine on the evening Of the 10th OF Sep
tember, and did not return again until after
tho Worcester conventions which were held
on the 18th, 18th and 10Th OF September. When
/ did return L found that the Democratic ma
chinery for the discovery of alleged fraud was
all in operation. / also learned that the Gov
ernor's Council could be relied upon to carry
out the plan indicated in the interview which