The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-04-13
Mr.. Gil1illan Protests.

The City Council met Thursday, 5th inst,
to formally canvass the votes cast for City
officers, and declare the result. Mr.. G. D..
G1LF1LLAN presented a protest against the
canvass being proceeded with, upon the re-
turns made by the election officers, on the
ground that 6 votes in the first ward, ID in
the second, Is in the third, and % in the
fourth, were cast for JOSEPH w. PRINCE for
Mayor, and wroDgfully counted for JOHN
S. PRINCE, by the judges of election. Mr..
G1LF1LLAN demanded that the votes be re-
counted, and the alleged errors corrected.
The rotest was referred to committee con-
sisting of Messrs. BRANCH, WoLFF, and
DODGE.
The proposed contest exposes one of the
dishonest tricks, committed by Mr.. G1LF1L-
Lam, to secure his election, which will hard.
ly elevate him in the good opinion of the
citizens of St. Paul. To deceive inexperi-
enced and unlearned voters, he and his Coz
adjutors had Democratic tickets printed with
the name of j. W., or JOSEPH W. PRINCE,
upon them, for Mayor, expecting that they
would be cast by unsuspecting individuals,
who intended voting the straight Demo.
cratic ticket. The trick was discovered,
however, by vigilant Democrats, before the
polls were opened, and the game frustrated.
We do not believe any ballots of this
description were voted, and if they were,
they should be counted for JOHN s. PRINCE.
The law of the State is liberal on this SUBJ
iect, and provides that all errors in initial
letters shall be disregarded, and the inten-
ton of the voters shall govern the judges in
making the canvass. Mr.. GnFILLAN's
statement of the number of votes cast in
each ward for JOSEPH w. PRINCE, has no
other authority than his own anticipations
that some of his bogus tickets would be
voted. Aid. BRANCH of the first, and the
Aldermen of the second ward, assert that no
such votes were cast in their wards, and we
presume the same is true of third and fourth
wards.
Mr.. G1LF1LLAN evidently feels bad over
his defeat. He was very confident of an
election-spent his money literally, and was
not, as we have shown very scrupulous as
to the means to which he resorted to defeat
his adversary. We predict that it would
have been much more to his advantage, to
have borne defeat calmly, than to have ex-
posed, as he has done, the questionable
character of his political tactics. At all
elections hereafter, in this city, the late Re-
publican candidate for Mayor will bear
watching. His dishonorable attempt on
election day, to defeat an opponent, by cir
culating bogus tickets, does not come with
in the scope of the registry law-which was
passed for the especial benefit of US poor
Democrats-but here is section from the
general election law, which suits Mr.. Gill;
FILLAN's case to dot
SEC. 20. Any person who shall furnish an
elector who cannot read with ticket inform
ing him that it contains name or names differ.
ent from those which are written or printed
thereon, with an intent to induce him to vote
contrary to his inclination, or who shall fraudu-
lently or deceitfully change ballot of an cleo
| tor, by which such electOr shall be prevented
| he intended, shall, on conviction thereof, be
imprisoned in the state prison, and kept there
at hard labor, not less than six months nor
more than one year.