The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-09-20
The Wallingford Election.

Editor RutJdnd Globe Your CORE
spondent would keep aloof from all part-
san views in corresponding for THE GLOBE.
For this reason, he has refrained from re-
porting the abuse of the ballot that &C.
CURED here on our frecman's meeting day.
The article, this morning, from East Wal
Iingford together with the able editorial re-
| marks thereon, prompts me TO make some
statements. Let me here state that | was
an earnest champion of the gentleman that
was defeated, but do not feel sore headed
or in any way incapacltated from telling
he truth. When found several men die
trbuting votes for NJ. H. Dcllerman / en-
quired if be was going to take his own bal
lots. Some said he ought to stand aside
for decency's sake. Others, that ii was
his duty by law and none other could do
it. Soon after the meeting was called to
order noticed that the voters were pass
ing up their ballots to Mr.. Dickerman, the
constable of our town. He took each bal
lot and opened it, then folded 1t and put it
IA NiS IVA L NuAAOu tiiO bttSiNAOu VI obN-
eral men to this feature. Several prom
inent men whom could mention said that
was all right. When l went up to vote /
told him he must not open my ballot. He
said he should or something of that kind
| held up small folded ballot between my
thumb and finger, and told him that was
ballot for town representative and asked
the privilege of putting it in the box, tell
ing him as rubbed the ballot up and down
in my grip that he could see that there was
but one piece of paper. He refused me the
privilege of putting it in the box, saying
that was his duty. Several men spoke up
tbat that was so. One in particular, man
Of no character, who stood all day, or
rather, hung upon the corner of the desk
blowing huge volumes of cigar smoke in
the face of the voters said must hand my
ballot to the constable. | compiled, tell
ing him not to read it, repeating that it was
my vote for town representative. lie took
my cote and opened ii, and after looking at
IT he put it insa box, saying he wanted to
re sure 1t was for representative Or some
hing to that import. threw in the rest
of my votes and retired. | was stopped
Oy the town clerk and told that had not
voted for state and county officers. | told
dim ] had voted all wanted to- ] was
iisgusted, bafilcd and awful mad. / see
afterward that | was recorded as voting
for all the officers. | found G. ID. Childs
md pulled him up toward the box to have
him see Mr.. Dickerman opening and read
ing the ballots. Mr.. Childs was constable
for a long series of years and had been
old that he had practiced the same thing,
but upon looking up the law had desistcd.
Jhilds said it was all right that the consta-
lie was obliged to do so, otherwise he
would not know what boxes to put the
)allols IN. "Why," said he, 81 presume
here are thirty men in the town that can't
see to read their own ballots, and have to
nave the constable read them for them. AT
his iuncture Joel w. Ainsworth appeared
md said that Mr. Dickerman had right to
open the ballots and read them as much
.s he pleased, repeating the assertion sew
,ral times. l told him 81 would put him
record" and pulled out my note book
md pencil. As he saw me writing he said
lie chad the right to open the ballots and
'ead them 50 far as to convince himself
that they were for such and such officers
and then put them in the right box
By the way, the Judge says the same
hing to-day, and that publicly.
Afterwards | stood quite while near
Mr.. Dickerman, and saw him open and
| read the ballots. | say read them / mean
by tina he opened them with the printing
| towards his eyes, and | could read them
| perfectly plain whore l stood, yard or 80
me side of him. do not say that he read
| Ill the ballots. | saw HIM open scores of
them, and did not see him put any into
| the box that he did not open and apparent
| ly read. ! saw one man pass up a handful
| of ballots and go away, and the obliging
| constable kindly sorted out one of each
kind and thus 00ted him or voted for him.
One thing more. The count for sheriff
was reported as scventy-fiye for Thrall and
three hundred and thirty-five for Fields.
| 1t was very astonishing to many, and to
your correspondent, that so few votes for
| rhrall were reported. Several were look
| ing this up, and one man in Est Walling-
| ford found forty-three men who could
swear that they voted for Thral who did
not vote for Bingham or the democratic
| ticket. To-day the town clerk says that
| he has looked over the ballots at my re-
quest (they were put back in the box where
they were originally put by our constable),
| and he finds one hundred and .torty-siB UoteS
| for 7Hrall, and three hundred for VIM. NJ .
| Fields. | do not see how this can be re-
conciled with the other report, viz, 1876 for
Field and 70 for Thrall. | do not charge
this confusion to any officer, but report
the fact for others to draw their conclu-
sions.
The justices elected in Wallmgford have
not yet been correctly reported In THE
GLOBE. The following is the list that are
called elected in Wallingford; Harvey
Shaw, Harvey Button. Clark Bull, Samuel
Il. Rogers, o. NJ. Eddy, VIM. Croft, ID.
W. Markham, G, E. johnson, VIM. II.
Congdon and ]. II. Fuller.
The whole number Of votes cast at our
lfeeman's meeting was four hundred and
hity-nlne. larger per cent. ofo popu-
laticn than was the vote of Rutland
| D. L. II.
Wallngford, Sept. 18th, 1876.