Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-09-09
LAWFUL" RAscA11rY.


In stating, yesterday, the manner in
which the lawful citizens of this county
were overslaughed at the polls, and
swindled by the canvassers in Virginia,
we stated the law of California governing
elections and the disposition of ballots,
believing that the law here was similar, if
not identical with that of California. We
had no copy of the statutes of the Terri
tory to which we could refer, but were
informed that such was the case, and see
ing the California system adhered to at
the Gold Hill polls, we supposed that that
system was the lawful one. We learn,
however, from this mornings Union, that
we were entirely mistaken, and that there
is in this Territory no law to prevent or
punish illegal voting. The Union states
the infamous proceedings had in that city
and says:
The FIRST impression Of every good citizen
from the above state of facts would be that
such canvassing is illegal and will necessarily
vitiate the election in that precinct. 1t ought
to be so, certainly, but an examination of the
election law proves us mistaken. Strange
as it may seem, the election law affords no
protection to the purity of elections. The
law was passed at the first session OF our
Territorial Legislature, in 1861, when it was
supposed we had capable and loyal legisla-
tors; but the law itself shows that we had
not. In framing the law they Of course had
the election law Of California and other States
before them; but the usual safeguards were
left out, and the mere skeleton adopted for
this Territory; and, as if to add insult to IN
Jury the legislature passed a law against bal
lot box stutfng. The law provides that i'm
proper persons shall not stuff or destroy the
ballot box; but the Judges are permitted to
canvass the votes in any manner they choose,
for the law fails to say how 1t shall be done
One of the Judges takes the ballot, reads
any names he chooses, which names are
credited BY the clerks with the votes, and the
ballot is passed to another Judge who, with
out so much as looking at it, tears 1t up and
throws it upon the floor. This is not St'.tfng
the ballot box, but it is a much more easy
and effectual way Of returning any candidate
as elected that designing parties may choose.
L
keeping Of the poll-lists, but makes no pro-
vision for the safety Of the ballots. In fact,
the law was evidently framed for the purpose
of providing show not to do il" These
facts are very singular, and we call public
attention to il. This is q good time for loyal
men to reflect. Let them cogitate upon this
subject with the rest.
We should suppose that it teas time
for reflection" and if the following from
the same paper is true (and We have no
reason to doubt i) it is time for Union
men in this Territory to do something
more efectual than to cogitate:
AN OrTRAeE.-A man named Cunning
ham, expatriated by the Vigilance Commit
tee Of San Francisco for stufing ballot-boxes,
was one Of the Judges Of the B street polls OF
the Second Ward on Wednesday and John
Perry, a man who boasts Of being as good
rebel as there is in the Southern Confederacy,
was one of the canvasSers at night after the
polls closed. Can Union men hope TO achieve
a triumph under such circumstances When
such men thrust themselves forward at such
times and in such places, they should be
taught a wholesome lesson.
When the man Cunningham, referred to
by our contemporary, committed his crimes
in San Francisco, he violated the plainly
written laws of that State; but so corrupt
were the Courts and officials of San Fran
Cisco, and so leagued with these ballot
box suffers, that all attempts to punish
them were futile. The people of that city
found way, outside of the law, to put a
stop to the infamous rascality. Here it
appears that there is no lao governing the
case. In few weeks we shall be called
upon to hold another election, in the re-
suit of which not only the political COM
plexion of the State of Nevada, but that
of the Government of the United States,
will be involved. There will be no session
of the Legislature before that election
takes place, and no amendment of the
statute can be made. There is ample
time, however, for the people.Of this Ter
ritory to become aroused to their danger,
and MAKE LAW OF THEIR OWN Let
such law be made; let its provisions and
its single penalty be made known, and we
imagine that there will be no ballot-box
stufing, and no Illegal voting on the
Eight day of November.