Daily Republican., 1882-11-10
FRInAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1884,
Powers Of a CnnvassInR Hoard.

The Democratic Legislature VIII "0
given chance at the approaching Sos
Hion to show its hands in favor OF non
esty, by amending the election laws 80
shat dishonesty may be more easily
checked in the canvassing board OF
County. For the first time In the
political history of our County has tue
attempt been made to throw out 10 wnoie
ward. district or hundred, simply be
rause the return certificate was not
signed by the minority inspector hao
mot a Democratic lawyer and three
Damocratic Inspectors taken a stand
yesterday against the dastardly at
Seru pt to disfranchise whole district,
expression would have been given by a
Democratic canvassing board in favor
of such attempted disfranchisement'
@scause the minority inspector refused
TO sign, upon the plea that illegal votes
were In the ballot box. IT this princl-
ple had been made a precedent yester-
dav, it would have placed the 10000 vo'
tara of New Castle at the mercy and
tyranny of one,man. Theminority IN
wpector would hold the key to the bal
lot box, and none but he could say
whether the vote of district, ward or
hupdred should be countel. Had this
priucipie been made a precedent yes
serday, where would have been the SO
nf holding more elections after the lit
kls election is held and the political
complexion OF the Inspector is known ?
The successful inspector would ofcourse
aupoint two judges, taking one of them
from the opposite political parry, but
20 the latter would be contided the key
to the ballot boxes, containing the votes
of Ii 900 freemen. All the minority
inspector would have to do would oe TO
refuse to sign the return, when, accord
ing to the stand taken by such eminent
and TAR reaching Statesmen as NeSsrs'
Dolan. Singley and Smith, the vote OF
the district should Ee rejected. AS
there is always minority inspector,
eyerv district in the County could be
thrown out and the people robbed OF
their expressed will. Of course the law
never contemplated any thing of this
Kind. This is a part of the election
laws that have never been tampered
with by modern law makers and 1t
stands exactly as it was made by those
who never imagined that such mean
and fraudulent attempt would be made
20 defeat the verdict of an election. The
law gives the CanvassinG board only
the right TO compute arithmetlcally th'
results of the election, see which caDdi
dates for popular favor have majority
of the votes as returned to the boaTC
and issue, col tificates of election 10 thos'
having such majorites. There may
have been illegal votes Cast-Very ike
ly there have been in all the districts
but it is not the business OF the boar'
to reject district on that account, NO
TO open ballot boxes for recount. Th
board simply revises the returns, add
up the figures, determines the resul
and issues certificates to those bavin
majorities. If there are illegal vote
In the ballot boxes, another provision
of the law points out tbs remedy an
wisely designates the courts as the tna
tribunal. No defeated candidate is lei
without redress, but higher and NOR
responsible tribunal than canvasStn
board is provided to redress the wrong
The newly elected Legislature sLoul
promptly throw more protection aroun
the ballot boxes and more specifcall
designate the duties Of canVassir
board,
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