The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-11-22

4 Supervisor of Elections who Initiated
Little johnny Davenport.


A Government official in Brooklyn on n
recent visit to Washington asked in the First
Controllers onlcc to see the bill ~ John j.
Allen, the Supervisor of Elections for iirooklyn,
who was appointed by Judge Benedict In le14.
The bill was rendered IN June last, and Its items
were made up Of Aliens charges for sui ervising
tho election in 1874 when three Congressman
were elected. Allen was appointed under the
Elective Fr nchise act to succeed $. 4. jones'
deceased lie az once saw little johnny Dayon-
port the New York supervisor, and learned hts
methods. and on ms return to BROOKLYN he cx-
pressed the greatest admiration for Davenports
svsten. BY section 2,03l Of the Elective Fran
chisc act. the Supervisor is allowed 10 cents for
nling aud caring for every return and rcport;
- cents for ufiNng his seal; ID cents
folio fer arranging and indexing all papers,
ana II cents a folio for transmitting to Con-
gress any return or examination or any copy
~ any paucr in his office. In the posi-
MItits Of the section thcro was q
fortune 1horc wcrc about 40 sup r,isors of
Election to instructed. II the Suucryisor in
-ir ,.ird tnpm over. tlav. he received Il cents a
! fiho Tor the priutcl matter In the instruction,
| provided hc signed hia name in ink, and 20 cents
/ for each instruction f'r amNing his seal. II tho
registry li-t was copied. he received ID cents "a
! folio for the work q ne. ana 10 cents moro Tor
crch piece of plprr that he fled away. The
| uuiipdcttiOn hlc was ~ sing 10 one dis-
! r,srl to tnlc dN intes 20 of his opportunities.
! NJ. =. +. Jones, the rmcr supervisor, super
! NINtu tie l'rfft lfillh tlfNllNn lpl glow WI
| Allen put a clrric | rec To work in No,emhcT,
| IN tue nitcI Stltcs Court building. and kept
/ tacn busy ON the election documents until the
! following May or June. Every paper th't WIS
| dttlteAtcd and nicd. every line Of indCNing,
md every act of ARRANGING. however 81 en-
f.pcated. would uudor the law rctu' n ! rto
prniiis. Inp ,,OyttDWVnt ihci lis IN ihe build.
iiie suspected tigt suWrtltu. wa wrong, ana
vitu uuc OF Thorn went 20 " No~liing ON recently
hc sccrt tinrd that Mr.. Allen had scnt TO the
| nittd states Cor pfrOller a bii OF Slo.5J iui
| the auncfvi.tun Of an election of three Demo
| cratic UunlitS. .nitu. The Auditor refused &c
| audit this tnlimDus charge, and Air. Allen Wa
| cai.cd on To cNul Ia. lie ave . lengthy cXula
| notion If the chi gcce, aul AT 'ugth tho biil W
! allowed ut II $50 which WAS lnr,er thnn any
Nul ever allowed, those OF Johnny DaNchpoi
] uhcNcrVtCl.
Nh. kli-n was askei recently for the items
| of me bill lie said q liisi t.at 1t wtH a rfVat
! riattrr and then lcs~ti that he could not re-
member thc sum tOiHl When still fur'hci uuc
toned. he said that as 'ir. Dlvcnport had don'
iu NcW York ur had done IA lisuOkl n, namely
provided com.lrtc directory of all thc voter
In thc city. and ;his a. eicst expense. lie ha'
'Icaliy lived where thcy were registered. IL
added tnAt ho Thought he could cXulin all q
the Items in hi. bill. The official VINO saw IN
bill IN tho Cumrtrucr's oiirc said Ne- erda
! that Aliens charges had excited nuch indiHhu
/ tiun there aud the tumptruicrs cmilpNet
| considered thom au Insult - the hduinistfa
! tluu. N0o;acr supervisor had taken the sam
| undue ADVANTAGE; and. IL tn act was repeatc,
: tncy tn iu-ut the Elective lraacHise util wn i
| have To- hu aV ended O. u. uiett the HuNrtumcn
Air Allcu's prom i~ s,id To be about SsO,V.