The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1880-01-01
RADICAL COUNTING IN MAINE.
Specimens OF How the Republicans Formerly
Counted In MaIne-The Precedents That Are
Coming Home to Them. ...-

The strict enforcement Of the law in regard to
initial letters, as expounded In decision of the
Supreme Court, operated heavily against the
Democrats. William R Field, Democratic can.
didate for the Senate lost the town Of Gray.
with SO6 votes to spare, because he was returned
as William B. Field
l had access this afternoon to the returns OF
1877 the last year Of Republican victory. 1
found the papers in heavy black. walnut chest,
precisely as left by the outgoing Republican Ad.
ministration. They have not been disturbed for
nearly two years. Now they are likely to be
pretty thoroughly oVerhsuled; for they reveal
with astonishing Clearness the practices of Re.
publican counters. Not only was the law grossly
violated in counting the returns of 1877, but in
many cases 1t was made to work two ways, to the
advantage of the Republicans and to the disad.
vantage OF the Democrats When there has been
time to give these returns of 1877 careful and
systematic investigation the result reached will
be astounding Twill give few illustration of
the methods in which they reveal In ArOostOok
in 1871 the returns of MacWahoc, Blaine, Mar.
shall, Monticello, st. John and Crystal, all Dem.
ocratlc, lacked the statement OF the whole mum.
Der of ballots cast in each. The record Of the
count shows that all these towns were thrown
oAV' hC thHhAGpO VI bhVlE NOtSo lOI hGpISbGHbh'
tves were tabulated and subsequently erased
with penkniie. In Cumberland county, how.
| ever, the returns of scarboro, sebago and West.
brook, Republican, had this some defect and
were counted. The return of the city OF Port.
land was coDstituuonally illegal IN 1877 for votes
were Jumped as scattering, as Ia the case this
year, yet 1t was counted, The vote Of the Repub.
lican city of Gardiner for Representative was
counted, 1t was not signed by the majority of
its Aldermen as required by law Augusta the
same year heads return without stating the
whole number Of ballots. 1t was counted, for it
was Republican city, In the return of Van
Buren,, Aroostook county, there is defect in that
the whole number of ballots was stated in figures
instead of being written out in words. Van Blu.
ren gave majority Of Ill to Farrell the Demo.
cratic candidate for the Legislature and If count.
ed, gave him clear majority of As in the whole
district Without Van Buren the remaining towns
gave majority for Cyr, Republican. Van Buren,
was thrown out, and Cyr was seated The same
defect appears In the return from F0xcrott, in
Piscataquis county, where the whole number
| of ballots was given 1918" instead of two hun.
dred and eighteen" but Foxcroft was q Repub-
lican town, and 1t was not thrown out.
One more case where Democrat was exclud-
ed and Republican seated by throwing out 70.
turn defective In lacking the whole number OF
ballots, was that Of the Sixteenth Representative
District, consisting Of the towns Of Hope, Apple
ton and Washington The first two together gave
q majority OF nine for Bliss, Republican. With
the third Poland, Democrat had a majority Of
eleven. The third was the town which sent the
defective return, and that return was thrown
out and Bliss was seated have copy Of the
report of the Council Committee on Elections in
| 1877 signed by three Republicans, Referring to
the Bliss. Poland case, they say that they have
carefully examined the returns of the towns OF
Washington, Hope and Appleton, and report that
| the returns from the town Of Washington, not
being made in conformity to law, shall not be
counted. Bliss was declared elected, and took
his seat In the House. 1t should be added that
| Poland, elected by a majority Of the people, but
excluded by Republican Council on a techni.
cal defect, afterWaId went to a Republican Leg
islature, which had the equity power In judging
his case, and demanded bis seat. He never got It,
GOING BACK LITTLE FARTHER.
In 1862 the Republican vote for Register Of
Deeds in county in Maine appeared by the re-
turns as cast for James Adams, 1,476; for ]. @.
Adams, 1,24b; for John O. Adams, 5, making 2,679
for the three Messrs. Adams. Edward Il.
Balkan, the Democratic candidate, had 1851
The commissioners took the ground that the
votes were all intended for James G. Adams and
they counted him in. 1t will be seen that Mr..
Balkan had 1855 majority over James G. Adams.
The Democrats submitted; no troops were called
outl
In 1875 Rufus T.. Crane was the Democratic
candidate for Treasurer in Washington county.
He received upwards Of 100 majority over Mr..
Sargent, Republican candidate but by m istake
part Of his votes were spelled Russell T. Crane,
part R. T. Crane, and more than three. .fourths Of
all the votes cast bore his name correctly spelled
A case identical with the Adams case above
stated. In Mr.. Adams case the Republican re-
turning board decided that all the votes cast
were INTENDED" for James G. Adams, and In Mr..
Cranes case the Republican returning board de-
cided that the votes were intended for three sep.
arate persons, three different Mr.. Cranes though
there was no other person In the county Of the
same name or using the same initials They de-
cided that the votes were not intended for Rufus
| 7. Cranel
The same year Melbourne H. Wiley was the
Democratic candidate for County Commissioner
Three fourths Of the votes cast had his name cor.
rectly spelled, but by a mistake part Of the
votes were cast for N. Il. Wiley. The Republi-
can counting board decided that the votes were
intended for two persons l-Au0ustd letter IN EetO
York Sun.