The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-03-03
TWO BALLOTS.
DO NOT BE DECEIVED BY THE
"DARE-1ANTERN" TRIcKSTER.

~ AVA De- 0GSG4N EO . 49,
"DARE-IANTERN" TRICKSTER.
The Union is duped into publishing
what it believes to be an opinion from At
torney General Edsall that it will be law
fui to print the names of city and township
Offices on the same ballot How the Onlon
can be fooled into publishing any such
statement, unless it wishes to elect the
Nationals, can be accounted for only on
the ground of ignorance and incompetency.
The source from which it obtains its infor-
nation (the Organ is enough to condemn
il There is no lie the dark lantern"
chief will not tell, no deception or con-
temptible trick he will not attempt to elect
the candidates selected by his secret oath
bound league. In the first place if the
attorney general has ever given any such
opinion, it is not that it is lawful, but that
it may be lawful. OF course it can be made
lawful by an act Of the Legislature, and we
believe a bill has been introduced in the
present legislature to do this, but no such
law has yet been passed, 1t is the opin-
iou oil, Osborn, Curtis & O'Neil, Sweeney &
Jackson, Kenworthy & Beardsey, ". II.
Gest, James Parke, NJ. NJ. Corbett, and
other leading attorneys that there must be
two distinct and separate ballots,
two separate boxes and two separate re-
turns. The law is very positive and ex-
plicit, as will be seen by the following pro-
vision which we copy from the session laws
of 1877, page pa.
P'0Uided, h0werer, That in towns which
lie wholly within the limits Of an incorp0r
ated city, the Common Council of such city
shall divide each OF such towns into cleo
ton precincts, and designate the voting
places in each precinct; and any
eiector Ia such town shall be
entitled to vote for town officers
only in the precinct in which he may re
side. The Common Council of such city
shall also appoint three Judges of Election
for each OF such precincts, who may be
the same pers0Gs as are appointed ae
Judges for an election for city Offices hello
on the same day. Such Judges of Election
may choose Two Clerks of Election for each
precinct, and such Judges and Clerks shall
take the oath OF office now prescribed by
the general election law of the State. The
: ballots cast at such election for town of
fcers shall be deposited iu a separate bal
lot box, and shall be counted and canvass
ed by the Judges of election separately
from any other ballots that may be cast al
any other election that may be held on The
same day. Said Judges of Election shal
cause to be kept a separate poll list, which
shall contain the names Of all persons vot
ing at such election for town officers, to
gether with their residence. And i'm
mediately upon closing the polls they shall
canvass the votes polied in the manne
provided By the general election law of tht
State, aud make written statement OF
certificate OF the number of votes cast a
: such election for each person voted for
, and the Office for which such persons re
, ccived such votes, and shall, within forty
, eight hours thereafter, cause such certifi
1 cate aud the poll list, together with the bal
: lots cast at such election, to be separately
sealed up and transmitted to the Clerk Q
the town. The Supervisor, together witt
the Assessor and Collector, shall With,
FIVE days thereafter, meet and canvass sal
Il returns and declare the result of said cleo
$ ton. The town meetings to be held il
Q such towns for the transaction of tow
business, as now provided by law, shall b
{ held at two clock in the afternoon of sal
day at such voting place in such town q
e tie Common Council of such city ma
: designate, at which meeting a Moderate
:, shall be chosen to preside by the electol
. present, and the Town Clerk shall act a
n Clerk OF said meeting, and keep record {
. the proceedings thereof.
Y. Whether it be the opinion of the Alto
Dey General that the names of tow
and city officers may be printed on Il
" same ballot or not, it is the duty of tt
"a city council to order the election in accor
ance with the above law. This it will pro
q ably do this evening" which will settle Il
question for this election. 1t is no time f
Ii experiments as to what may be iawft
- The election last spring was held by usil
10 separate ballots, and it was lawful tn
and will be this time.