San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1877-11-17
A murmur arose which at last became

VeAAS>>
a noise. Some said it was 8 O'Clock, but
the church clock had not struck, and
some thought they should wait until
they heard it, Then came the ques-
ton, Was the church clock rightp We
noticed this dipute, for here no one pre-
tends to keep 'true time" A few min
utes more or less makes little difference.
Ask Frenchman the hour, he will in
variably reply "about - O'Clock"
Some one approached the table and an
nounced to the President that it was the
hour for closing the vote. The Presi-
dent called three times, "Has no one
neglected to votep" pi.1d 81. -r.u.
Has any one any remarks to makeP"
No response. La, iv-. ala.
Then in a loud voice, "Six O'Clock"
The ballot was closed.
Then all press around the box. Sew
eral thin, nervous, sharp eyed men, hav-
ing gained the nearest places, watched
the President while he unlocked the
box as if he were a juggler about to
10 perform a trick. The box was open
ed, the lid thrown back, and candle
set on the corner. =" % "''
Some one called out: FERN your
tables for counting; at each table four
electors" By this time the noise was
tremendously all had equal rights,
and each seemed to think he knew most
about those rights, A young man as
sisted at each table to form the commit
tees, with paper upon which was
printed the laws concerning the count
ing. The PRESIDENT takes up paper
bag, upon which is printed, "Bulletin
de No. y" "Would any one like to
look at this sackp'' asked the President.
Several accepted the invitation, and as
sured themselves there were no votes
slowed away in the corners. An
elector volunteered to hold the sack
while the President counted one hun
dred bulletins into it, sewers electors
counting with him; then it was closed,
pinned up and carried over the
heads of the people to the first table.
Then came the crowd round the table,
and the school benches were brought
into use to stand upon. Two candles
lit the group. Two Of the electors were
given large sheets of ruled paper, each
line numbered and divided in two parts.
One took the sack under his charge,
opened it, took out a vote, unfolded the
paper, read the name and passed it to
the fourth, who spread it out before him
on the table, while each of the markers
make mark upon the paper under the
name of the candidate whose name had
been called. No trick was possible
every ticket was examined by hundred
eyes as it passed from one counter to
the second, and every mark made upon
the papers could have been sworn to by
at least score. Two tickets were dis
covered folded together indignation
from some, ordinations from Others
and opinions from the rest. The noise
was deafening-even the sergent de vHlt
looked into the window; some one
with a big voice read the
bylaws: "When two votes are
found together, if of the same name
one remains valid, the other Cancelled.
If the names are different, one cancels
the other" This mistake occurred
often, and each time made considera-
BILE trouble, as the outer ring Of lockers
on was continually changing. They
had three times to be instructed and
satisfied. Six tables in the room, and
disputes at each table. At one table q
respectable old gentleman, one of the
counters, tore vote, which was can
celed. In any other country we should
have expected, by what we heard, to
see him dragged out and hanged at
least; but he was not, and after wiping
his spectacles, went back to work.
After the different committees had
made up their counts, the sums were
added together, and a statement of the
returns, signed by the President and the
assessors, was sent to the Mayors
where the announcements of the cleo
tons were made from time to time.
In some of the wards the disputes
came to blows, but very rarely. In the
eros Gallon quarter ballot-box was
smashed.
During the evening crowds gathered
around the newspaper offices, and a few
bulletins were displayed, but they have
not learned the magic-lantern trick YET