The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-23
TIE APPOINTMENT OF ELECTION
OEFINER2

at tue OOuII VI OJ- JalueS.
THE APPOINTMENT OF ELECTION
OFFICERS.
The Age for several days past has been call
ing for an opinion from the different Repub-
lcan journals of Philadelphia with regard to
what it calls ''the diabolical scheme recently
concocted by the Radical Aldermen to de-
fraud the public and violate the laws which
they were sworn to support" The following
paragraph from the Age of this morning is a
sample of its utterances on this point -
"The Ledger, the Inquirer the Day, and the Sun
day Dispatch in bold terms have reinforced us in
denouncing the diabocal scheme recently con-
cooted by the Radical Aldermen to defraud the pub
lie ana violate the laws which they were sworn to
support the Horth M 4ner5cgn IN the Press the Post
as the grave on the important topic, and thus ne
glect agorous opport unity to display their virtue
and tndependence. Come, gentlemen, exhibit some
regard for fair play just once"
When the proceedings of the Board of
Aldermen were first published we did not
imagine that any explanation or apology for
their action in appointing the election Off
GERS was needed, but as the Age appears to
think that some great wrong was done the
Democratic party, and as some of the other
journals of the city have, without due con-
sideration of the facts of the case, taken the
same ground as the Age, we feel it incum-
bent on us to set all parties right in the
matter and to that end we have made careful
inquiry into all the facts, and now ask the
candid consideration of the Age and of all
others interested, to a plain, unvarnished
statement of law and fact. We
would premise, however, that under
ordinary circumstances we are strongly in
favor of doing just what the Age demands, by
allowing the Democratic Alderman to select
their own officers. The law does not require
this, but a spirit of fair play does; and we
would not hesitate to rebuke any improper
interference with the equitable rights of the
Democratic Aldermen by their Republican
colleagues. Now the facts of the case really
are that with perhaps one or two cxcep-
tions every Democratic canvasser, election
Judge. and inspector was nominated at
the meeting of the Board of Aldermen by
the Democrats; and we challenge the Age
to show that a single doubtful Democrat was
chosen to represent the Democratic party in
the entire list of election officers confirmed
by the Board of Aldermen.
AS there appears to be some misapprehen-
regard to securing fair partisan representa-
ton in the appointments for election officers,
we quote the oath section of the Registry law
of 1869, which is as follows
"That the said Board OF Aldermen, on or before
the third Monday in September in each and every
year, shall appoint in every election district in the
said city proper officers to conduct the elections
under the Constitution and laws OF this Common
wealth and under the laws OF the United States, to
be held in said city during the ensuing year. The
Q1n h0l al fnfD ind.
two inspectors and two return inspectors for each
election district and each inspector and return in
spector shall appoint one clerk: and the Judge and
one inspector and one return inspector shall in all
cases be selected from the political party which
division for which they may be appointed at the
next preceding general election, and one inspector
sected from the poeS parH Which vi an poea Se be
next highest number OF votes in the said division at
said election but no person shall be qualified to act
election officer who shall not have been
citizen of this Commonwealth for at least two years
and qualified voter in the division for which he
may be appointed for at least one year."
By section 26 the Court of Common Pleas
is empowered to revisethe appointments made
by the Board of Aldermen, on the petition
of five reputable householders, and to set
aside and revoke any or all of the appointments
if the requirements of the law have not been
in every respect fully carried out. 1t will
thus be seen that the Democrats of this city
have certain remedy in their hands if they
rave been improperly dealt with. The same
section, moreover, empowers the Court to
revoke the appointment of any person of dis
reputable character, or who, by want of pro-
per education or capacity, is incapacitated
for the performance of his duties.
1t will thus be seen that it is as much the
duty of the Board of Aldermen to appoint
men of good character for election officers as
it is to secure proper partisan representation,
and the whole difficulty in the present in
stance arose from the fact that ring of
Democratic Aldermen arranged list for the
entire city, which was largely composed of
men who are no credit to any party or
ganization. In some instances the per-
sons nominated we're not in the county
and were not expected to be. This
list was made up by particular
clique who excluded from all partici-
patton all the other Democratic Alder
men. 1t was for refusing to accede to this
arrangement, and insisting upon his right to
have say in the appointments for his dis
trict that Alderman Riddle was assaulted and
beaten by his Democratic colleagues, and
although he and others outside the ring may
choose to say nothing at present for party
ssasous, they know well that the refusal. Of the