Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1853-12-08


that several towns were not supplied
with negative ballots on the 2lsl, while
every town was supplied with ailirma'
tive ballots, has attracted the public at
tention. The Secretary Of State or.
dered $4,000 ballots printed and lett
them AT the Office OF the Post Tor disiri-
button, on his order. He gave orders
Tor all the towns except Foster. The
affirmative votes were all received in
several cases,-prec sey how many we
do not know.-tEe negatives were not
received. The act, with the customary
! bIu1dering that has marked the legsa-
ton Of this General Assembly, made no
provision for distributing or printing the
ballots, but il will not be denied that The
! Secretary Of State having very proper
/ ly ordered the ballots 10 be printed, al
tie erpenSe Of The STATE, was bound 10
see them distributed. This was the
view that he took Of 1t, and we think he
ought. IN Justice to himself, 10 institute
an inquiry into the cause OF the failures
We think the people have Il right 10
/ know to whom the ballots for CranstoD
were delivered, Io whom the ballots for
Wes, Greenwich, 10 whom those for
Hopkinton. There has been trdud
somewhere let il be placed where II
belongs.
The Post says that 500, (a misprint
for 5000 we suppose) affirmative ballots
were printed at that Office and distribu-
ted to all The towns. Now why was
this done The Secretary had printed
$4,000 affirmative ballots, and had un-
dertakeu their distribution. This was
certainly an ample supply why dld the
leaders order 5000 more Because
they inten'ied that he Secretdrys pdcka-
geS should fail There can he no other
reason given Tor it, The Post says
"lf any person was refused negative
ballots in our Office, il was because we
did not print any such Tor gratutous
distribution"
What an excuse for the official prin-
ters OF the State TO offer Tor refusing 10
send the ballots 10 town that was not
supplied! Just look att There was
not a negative ballot in the town. The
friends oil the convention were saying
That scratched tickets would not count,
and many, not understanding all the
tinkering that the election law had un-
dergone, believed them /; messenger
came in Tor the ballots the Office oI the
Secretary OF State mdS closed, and The
public printers, having The ballots, =.
fused 10 Geiiper them ! That is the sto-
ry. The Post says:
THE Journal was, oil course, at lib
erty 10 have distributed thousands Of
negative ballots, il'they had seen fit 10
do so, or had thought Of it,"
We confess that we did not think OF
il; nobody thought oft. Nobody thought
that an attempt would be made IN such
manner TO prevent the people from Civ
ing .air expression TO their wishes
Least Of all did anybody suppose that
the public printers OF the State would
enter into such conspiracy, or defend
such fraud. Nobody supposed that
the men who were paid for printing the
ballots, and who held them for distribu-
ton, would refuse them to any man who
applied for them in good faith The
thing was original let us know who
has the credit OF the invention.
The Post says that the Secretary OF
State ordered an equal number OF each
kind OF ballots to be sent 10 all the pack
ages. We have no doubt Of II. But
we know that equal numbers OF each
kind were not delivered in some OF the
towns. This was the way in which the
instructions ol the Secretary were car
red out and il REQUIRES larger hare
OF credulity than tails to most people TO
believe that all these things, and all Oh
the slme side, were accidental. We
thNk that the Secretary must he salts
fed by this time that the oiice OF the
Providence Post IL not a sale depository
Tor Ais ballots.
The genilemanly way in which The
Post replies TO our exposure oi thls al
iair does not call for comment. People
who are detected in such :rickery, and
beaten two TO one besides, may De H.
dulgcd IN considerable Latitude OF eX-
preston especially when hey harm on.
iy themselves. We wall not exchange
epithe;s with Them. II quite enough
Tor Us 10 prove upon them what they
charge upon us.--Fror. JOErRdL.
The conduct OF the Secretary o.
State has been very extraordlnagy .u
this matter, AZ il also was in regard Go
the distribution OF the envelopes when
the Secret Ballot Law first went into
operation, for tnen the Democrats in all
parts Of the State were bountllully sup
Piled with envelopes, by some dark OPP
Grafton at The Office OF the Post, while
the Wings could only obtain them
agrceably to the provisions of the law.
We do not think that the people will
sustain Mr. Seer tary Potter IN such
underhandcd transactions, IN favor
ing his own party, contrary TO the letter
aud spirit Of the law.