New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-31
H0H TIE RETTRNS COVE IN.
THE SYSTEM BY WHICH THEY ARE SENT IL on ELEc-
TON NIGHT.

THE SYSTEM BY WHICH THEY ARE SENT - ON ELEC-
TON NIGHT.
1t has been reported and credited by many
persons that the election returns may be tempered VIII
at the Police Central Office in such way as to change
the result This notion has grown ont of the custom OF
reading publicly the sent in from the various
poice stations at Police Headquarters When the city
was much smaller this begun by superinten-
dent John A Kennedy. Az the city grew IN size, the
work Of reading aloud the returns became a very
rduous task and could seldom be completed before the
issue of the morning newspapers The Jaw states SUD
stantaly that the inspectors, Immediately after the
proclamation shall deliver TO patroman on duty at
the poIng-places a statement subscribed with their
naues which shall forthwith be conveyed 10 the police
station of the precinct where the pongpace Is located
and the captain sergeant in charge shau lmedaVey
transmit by telegraph otherwise the sesut OF sueh
statement to the Superintendent OF Police Such slaUo
meut shall contain the total number Of votes found
therein for each and every candidate Here ENDS the
matter so far the superintendent OF Police Is con-
cerned The result Of the statement OF the canvass OF
each box only Is sent to him. The OBJECT OF TINS act
was TO protect the public from fraud by altering the re-
turns after they had been sgned by tho inspectors 1he
statement ITSELF which is spoken OF In the act must
Immediately be delivered to the Chief OF the bureau Oh
Elections whose duty shall be to file and preserve the
soe one copy OF the official returns Is delivered by
one inspector the Chief OF the Bureau or Elections
another by another Inspector to the County Clerk aud
third by third inspector to the Clerk Of the Board OF
Aldermen. Each OF these returns must be made up in
rpcae at once after the completion Of the canvass OF
each and signed all Of the inspectors Each Of these
returns must be incosed in envelope by itself The
envelope must be securely sealed and each inspector
must sn his the folds 10 such way as 70
prevent tamperng with the envelopes WltAout- s
being discovered The poll clerks incl0se their TALES IL
a Ike manner, and one delivers one envelope 70 lhe
Mayor and the other carries tho other To the Chet OK
the Bureau OF Elections. 10 he fled and Preserved -
Besides these checks upon any possible MISTAKE OF
fraud, the Associated Press copies each return ~ ~ 40
made up at each polling place, and the result - 10 a
with transmitted TO the newspapers. ~ nus 1880
we'll known act at previous elections, that te Iepot
printed In the morning newspapers nave Deen heIe "
curate than the figures that have Dee reau on ~ 80
Police Central Once. As a check upon trhuu inc >
paper reports are regarded OF the greatest &
THIS reason every possible faelty Is aeS9Iru W ~
felony with so many safeguards an inspector vg POI
clerk naturally hestates before lie commits stte flso
offence. n,,. a.. ,bo rofice
The reading OF the returns in public az the foae =,
Haadouarters has sometimes been taken aoNautnPo
Inv gainbers who had bets pending inc results Oh sli1
efecfion Nv keeping tho run Of the nSures Is ny
came in a person could often make IaIy aceusHso
prediction some years one OK the fonoe ~ Us
soners who had been known 70 DO keeping taly oi
rstnrna made a statement that was opposed 70 VIC
hgures ana results that many had previously peen
fng unon on his statement they hedgeu an9
ehanred their beta and when. Later, wac uSooseteu
thar the Commissioner had made an error nao COS
ons man 5000, and others sums u various amounts
some az which were considerable ~ was reported as
wear that friends OF John Qbren CHIEF or the breau
az Elections. given Information carrier 'aaa Nns