Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-04-14
rIvYAID STATE NEW ;.
MEssRs. DENooN AND sNEAD.

hio name QUl lUC Z oOus ~
:, ,,cd and cried aloud publicly by the officer IN charge u
e''" Tha voter then walked off as usual, as was
'"N ,,, ,er having Woodland the Clerks proceeded u re-
II" - vote as in nil other cases. While in the perform
r ,ho, duty. a MIR. Somebody went forward and statso
W., ,ho vo,er was a minor. and therefore had no right TO
80, The voter was sent for, and the messenger (thc IN
c,,,er alluded TOY returned with the Intelligence that Inc Vo-
-, ,sfn sed to return 10 the polls, but had admitted to the
GER that he (the voter was lacking q lew weeks OIL the
~, . 10 vote Whereupon, one OF the Commissioners
r.o,ested against admitting the vote, but the other Commits
r;ono,sa preed that the vote should be recorded, and it was
..,o,,cd In regular form on the face of the poll books
hi, occurred on Friday, the list day Of tho election
IN the following day Saturday the Commissioners
,s, 10 count the votes of the various candidates,
,cbon il was ascertained that Mr.. Denoon had re-
ooived 726 and Dr.. Snead 725 votes. This was a mat
TOR of much surprise, as it had previously been announced
~vnoficiaIly that Dr.. snead was elected by a majority Of Is
vo,es. The commissioners refused to give Mr.. Denoon The
certificate, alleging as a reason, that hu had q bad vote on
bis ,on. Another count of tho votes was ordered, and the
commissioners adjourned to meet again 90 Monday. At
that time they mel, when il was again ascertulnsd, beyond
Ill doubt, thai 72G votes had been recorded 10 favor Of Mr..
Dsnoon, and 725 in favOr of Dr.. Snead. The commission
~ still refused TO give The return 10 Mr.. Deno0n; and pro-
ceeded in the last extremity 10 strike from the poll the voter
whom somebody had alleged was a minor. This partial re-
vision and scrutiny Of the poll books reduced Mr. Demons
mil To an eQuallty WIN Dr. Oncdu y aFu L tIc CoiIHii
siuncrs proceeded 10 certify lhata equal number OF votes had
been recorded Tor each of these two gentlemen. The Coun
Gil met on Monday evening, when The commissioners tile
return came before that body for action. Mr.. james Scott
moved that the Council proceed 10 fill tho vacancy created
by the ito vote, and he nominated DR.. Snead 10 MI said va.
cancy. Mr.. Saunders opposed the motion, and expressed
himself in favor OF sending the election back 10 the people.
MI. MYERS was In favor Ut referring The subject 10 Il com.
mitlee OF tho Council, for investigation, 10 be- reported up.
on at the next meeting Of that body. After discussion The
proposition OF MIR. Myers was agreed 10. ana mere Inc mat
Ter, for the present, rests.
Now, the question arises-Did not the Commissioners. in
striking from the face of tho poll books, two days after the
election, one of the voters formally recorded therein, tran
scend their powers1 There can be but one answer 10 tbs
question, from all and every person who knows anything ON
the subject, or who is not blinded by a moccasin party spirit.
If they had n right 10 purge the polls in regard 10 one vote,
they had a right TO purge Them in regard to fifty or any other
number. But ihoy had no right or legal power 10 strike
from The poll books either one, fifty or any Other number,
after the vote had been duly recorded, except In one single
contingency, and that is, where the books shall show that
the voter voted twice at the same election. The Commits.
sioners' power ia confined ~, and Is 10 be exercised at the time
The voter presents himself at the polls. They have then The
right 10 question his vote, and refuse TO lei IL be recorded.
But, once received and recorded, they have no longer uHy
power over it, certainly not after the close OF the polls.
What right had tbe Commissioners, two days alter the
election, to scruilnire the polls, and to strike thererom the
vote OF a person recorded In regular form Mono under
tbs Heavens. The reasons assigned Tor lhs mHnia'lon Of
the record arc wholly gratuitous and lnsulilclent. II lhey
ba We i RIGHT TO strike off one vote, because they have been
informed by Mr.. Somebody that the vote was not good, up.
on the same premises hundreds OF others might be struck
OIL, Is SuCu lnIDTndLUN u " o CIV az ohS'eS'' ~ -
case like this7 Informers may communicate false ln'orml'
ton. But, false or true. the Commisioners have no right TO
receive and act upon such erparte, anc' II may oe' plrty
evidence. Is the mere ipse dSit Of al individual, whose
wishes NAV BE- father TO The informltion, to bc received as
evidence in q case like this2 But, rs We have already re.
marked, no evidence, however conclusive, gave the Commits
sIoners The right 10 strike oil the vote, after il had been re-
ceiveL, recorded, and The polls closed. II was Their duty
to give The returns TO the person having the hIRhesl
number OF votes, sGcd, or bad, on tnelt DOCKS alIGf lG
close of the polls, and leave the question OF good and
bad votes TO be decided by another and a pr6PSr t:ieunal, II
the competing candidate should think proper ID contest the
election. Why was not the alleged bad vote stricken from
The poll sooner7 Why did the Commissioners wait un.
iii Il was nscertained CONTRARY 10 oil! previous cXpectatlon)
Mr.. Dennrn was elected instead oil ". Sneadf mere
by hangs atale." If the vote had been stricken OF. neiofe a
coun. waa made, tho transaction would have borne q more
favorable aspoct. Then the act would nave hah some ap'
pearance Of having been performed on principle, and not 10
accomplish a particular party object, In view, however OF
ALI the circumstances, extraordinary In lie highest degree,
who can fail TO interpret and 10 comprehend fully the whole
affair, and 10 place a proper estimate upon nose VINO nave
aided and Allotted in il. We are not advocating the election
of Dir. Denoon. We are advocating a principle 6nd "ha'
we believe TO be the cause OF right and Justice. The q1es'
lion inyoi2es important consequences. Inc once o. Cuun'
Gilman ia now The subject; but hereafter a Mayor, a Sergeant,
Guy cou.e,or and Assessor. and o,h.r lucrative AID I'M
cided by erasures from The poll BOOKS, after ar election, by
Commissioners who may have their particular views 10 pto'
mote.
The law appoints Commissioners TO receive and record
votes; and the law provides another tribunal to test the va
lidity OF those votes, after they have been received ond re-
tribunal where all parties, the voter and tho can.
didate., may have a fair and legal (and not as in the case
under consideration, an erparie and wholly llegaD examina-
lion lnio The facts. Will the people OF Richmond sanction
give couniendncc 10 tho eS'Taoro'nafY schene aaopiGs
to pu, DIR. Snead instead Of Dir. Denoon into the Council?
are not prepared TO believe II. Tho remarks oil Mr.. Da-
vid }. Saunders, on this subject, 10 the Council, on Monday
evening, were c~rcditabIe to that gcntlcman's sense OF right
Justice. He had voted for DR.. Snead, and preferred
hin to Mr.. Denoon as u Councilman, but he could not
sanction u procedure which he deemed Illegal and NO.
lative of right on the part OF the Commissioners
regretted, however. to .see him willing 10 send the cleo
back 10 the people, In The face oil the TACT tnat al. Oe'
noon had received a majority OF votes. admit mat Mr.. De-
noon had a bad vote on his poll, IA fact which has yet ID be
legally show does Mr. s. or auy other person suppose that
there are 20 bad votes on Dr.. Snead's poll1 The grossest
wrong would be done an important principle and 70 private
riQht, by sending The election back 10 the people under all oil
the circumstances 10 which wohave alluded. This act might
be accomplishing the very purpose designed by reducing MI:
vote 10 a ITO" we assam not 'he inol'rts "
without conclusive evidence. We cannot help think
ing. however, that The mutilation Of The record 10 thls case
done 10 accomplish a purpose, and not 10 estatl'sh q
principle. II an Investigation oil the poll oooRs, atter Inc
election, had shown what was previously supposed 10 nc tue
fact. that Or. Sneod had received a majority OF 10 votes, we
In all probability should never have heard q WORD aoout lh!s
bad vote on the poll of Mr.. DeHoon' II ihs Com
acted upon principle. and not 10 accomplish a
particular purpose, The vote should have been set ASIDE, even
ii DR.. Snead had been elected by Is or so. The time for action
on The subjecto Of bad votes came at a moment ~hich throws
suspicion over The motive of The Commissioners; and we
really think that Dr.. Soead should scorn 10 receive once
through the mems sought TO place him liz INC CounciIi aha
The Council should lend their counteuance &c Tie scheme,
and send The election back TO the people, we hope MIR. Ne
noon will retire from the field and allow the Doctor ana his
friends TO have all The glory and all The shame 10 themselves.
Another election ane another scratching OF might be Inc re-
sut But, we will not at present indulge In harsh comments
on the subject. We wish 10 see whether or not the people
If Richmond will sanction and justify a most unIustindoie
procedure begun but not yet contaminated.
GAUGER.-Mr. Sampson Jones has qualified and sps
pointed MIR. Richard Fox as Deputy GauScr.
CORRECTION.-Mr. B. T. Wells received 264 votes,
Mr. Riddick 24l, and Mr. Luck S92 votes, In Monroe Ward,
or Grain Measurer. The vote of MIR. Wells was heretofore
el down as 24l in this Ward.
JAIL BURNT.-The Middleacx County Jail was destroy
" fire some ten days ago. II was fired by q runaway negro
inder confinement, who made his escape.
THE NEW S~ERGEANT.-Mr. Martin M. Lipscomb,
he newly elected Sergeant, qualified yesterday and entered
ipon tho discharge of The duties OF the office. he Is 10 ne
assisted By Mr.. James l.. Brny, a gentleman well qualified
or the post assigned him. Mr.. Joseph A. Starke remains
n charge Of the Jail.
DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE.-We learn from the
,Irxa ndria GAZETTE, that on Saturday last, a young man
famed James TIGER, c son Of Mr.. Lewis Ticer, OF that city,
killed on board the steamboat 'Thomls CoHyor," in the
manner: The boat was proceeding up tho Potomac,
,ayinp in tow q British barquc, and whom opposite the
White House" the attention Of one OF The hands was call
a. by hearing an exclamation Of pain, from come ono in tho
,od of The steamboat, when, Il was Immediately discovered