The Governor and the Ghost Democrats

The present Executive of this Territory, Elisha Ferry, took the oath of office under a cloud of doubt. He was a candidate before the Republican Convention of Thurston County for Delegate to the Territorial Convention, but was defeated. He subsequently appeared in the Territorial Convention and claimed a seat on the grounds that he was defeated by the votes of Democrats, who had no right to vote in the Republican caucus. 'I hold in my hand,' he said, 'the names of thirty Democrats who voted against me.' Upon this statement, Ferry and his colleagues were admitted to seats. The statement was positively denied by Marshall Blinn, Elwood Evans, and many other gentlemen of the highest standing in the Territory. From that time to the present, Ferry has refused to give the names of the thirty Democrats he charged with voting against him, though frequently called upon through the public prints to do so. Last week, however, he copied and endorsed the statement of another paper that Messrs. Blinn, Howe, Hale, Guy, and several others were included in the thirty names. Not one-quarter of the original number were accounted for, and as far as it goes, we personally know it to be false. If the Governor has no shame in this matter, the people at least ought to have enough to express their indignation at having placed over them a man whose disregard for truth ought to exclude him from social intercourse.