Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-01-17

votes can be obtained, for it is based on the
supposition that there were no scratched
uckete ana that every man voted for all the
cahdiuates, or for as many differenr persons
rs there were candidates on bis ticket, which
Is fareIy, II ever the case in cities and large
towns. But one candida,e's name is erased
from the ticket and no other substituted, and
the remainder put into the ballot box, it is a
ballot, still. And if the names Of all the can
didates but one be erased and no other SUBJ
sttuted. and that one alone put into the ballot
Dox, 1t is ballot and to be counted as such.
Therefore it is possible although not probable,
that even in districts entitled to four Senators.
the whole number of ballots and the whole
number of votes may be the same.
This Iule will give the largest possible num-
Der OF ballots for q given number of votes,
tor every ballot must contain at least one
vote, and is based on the supposition that
every voter erased every name but one on his
ballot and substituted no others. Now
the range 10 between these two extremes
according as the tickets are more or less
or less scratched" and the undersigned I'M
hesitatingly affirms that where more than one
Senator is voted for at the same time, it is ut
terly impossible to ascertain from the votes
alone the number Of ballots on which said
votes were cast, and the only possible way to
correctly determine the number Of ballots cast
for Senators in such districts is by actual count
ofthe number OF slips of paper put into the bal
lot box containing ut least the name of one per.
son eligible to the Office of Senator and voted
for as such, and the law requires the municipal
| officers to 30 count the ballots and make re-
turn thereof to the Secretary of State, with
the number of votes for each person, and
If the whole number of votes cast in the dis
trict fpr one person be majority of all the
bale to so counted and returned he 10 elected,
otherwise he is not. The undersigned fur
| Their states that he believes a committee OF
| the Senate, unauthorized in the absence of any
evidence of fraud or mistake, or even sus-
pected fraud, to reject returns of munich
1 pal officers of the number Of ballots and sci
pher out" from the number OF votes differ
ent number, unless it is apparent upon the
| face of the return that it is incorrect-to do
so is trfling with the sacred right of suffrage
and the purity of the ballot box. Now the
whole question in this case turns on the sim
gle point OF how many ballots were cast in
this district for Senators. William IL. Nc
Lellan has 3l03 votes, as counted by the Gov
ernor and Council. That is settled. No one
asked to have it more. no one wishes to make
it less. There 10 no controversy on that
point. And so with all the candidates, there
is no disagreement as to the number OF rotes
each received. The whole number of ballots
cast in the districts, as counted by the Gov
8 ernor and Council, is 6,230. Necessary for u
. choice ZIG, showing that William H. Mcclellan
had thirteen (13) less than majority. Now
). il the number Of ballots be reduced twenty
. six (26) it will have the same effect in his
9 case as adding thirteen (l3) to his number OF
r votes. Your committee has reduced the
q number Of ballots thirty-on (3l, as will be
seen by their report. To wit: Twenty one
\ (2D from Lincolnville, five (5) from Knox,
. one O) from Monroe. two (2) from Sears
r port, and two (2) from Swanyile. The re-
turn from Lincoinville also contains the re-
, turn of votes for Governor and county off,
: GERS. The whole number Of ballots returned
for Senators from this town is four hundred
. and one, (40l) which is twenty one (2l)
, more than the number returned for any other
! officer, cast at the same election. which in
dicates q probable mistake in the number OF
ballots returned for Senators. The under
= signed waived his objection to rejecting the
= number returned and assented to the reduc-
:. ton. at the same time seriously doubling the
!, propriety of making the change. The re-
2 !, turns of the other towns, Knox, Monroe,
' Searsport and Swanville, are all in proper
q form and properly signed, number Of ballots
and votes written in words, except in thai
= from Swanville, the number of ballots is put
!. down in figures. The undersigned can see
!, no cause whatever for not accepting them al
= true, and he objects to each and every re.
! duction from the number of ballots az therein
!, written. In the returns from the towns Of
4 Montville and Stockton, it is evident that til.
! whole number of votes is put in for the whole
!, number of ballots, and. the Governor and
!; Council took ons-half the number of votes
q for the whole number Of ballots. Your com.
!. mittee has done the same, to which the un-
= dersigned does not object, 1.-TWO being the
: number of Senators to which this district is
!, entitled), for he knows of no other way OF
!. even approximating the true number Of bal
: lots by the number of votes. But as before
= shown this rule gives only the smallest num-
j. Der possible; the true number may be much
larger.
! For the reasons herein stated the UNDER
4 signed dissents from the conclusions of your
. committee, and asks leave to present the fol-
lowing report:
! Thirteenth Senatorial District, Waldo
!, County, entitled to two senators.
Whole number of ballots 600