The daily gazette., 1882-11-10
DailaA gazefte
wiLMINoToN. FRIDAY nov. u
A De,lbera.e Fraud Upon the Ballot BOX.

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A Deliberate Fraud Upon the Ballot i,ox. |
A Democratic Board of Canvass yesterday |
sustained the declarations of the GAZETTE
10 the effect that It would honestly compute
the returns of Tuesday election, and respect
the VIII of the people as expressed at the
polls. To this end motion
10 throw out the vote of a Repub
lican precinct in Wilmington upon
mere technically was defeated, and would
have been lost by much larger majority
had It come fairly before the Board, as
several Democratic members voted as they
did simply to rebuke the arbitrary assump-
tlon of Sheriff Clark in refusing TO entertain
a motion duly made and seconded.
The vote of Mill Creek hundred, which
proved the rock upon which the Board split
in twain, was q fair subject for revision, and
the Democratic inspectors were completely
justifiable in refusing to issue a certificate OF
election to Republican candidate upon
return bearing such unmistakable marks OF
fraud upon its face. The ballot box of that
hundred should have been opened, the votes
counted in the court room, and the result
thus fully aseertained before single certif-
cate was signed by the election officers
present.
1t is idle to say that the Board of Canvass
is a mere calculating and aggregating ma
chine, bound to accept any certificate that
may be brought before it, regardless of n
fraud that shows as plainly as the light of
Of In 10
right and proper, corrupt inspector, by
altering his election certificate after it was
signed by all the judges, could elect de-
feated candidate and force successful COM
petitor to apply to the slow moving process
Of law for relief.
In the vote of this hundred, as re-
turned to the Board, there was fatal and
glaring discrepancy. The certificate showed
that seven hundred and fifty votes had been
counted, but the poll list, on which the
names of all the rioters had been entered,
proved that sereR hundred and serenity votes
had been polled. What became Of the
teenty missing votes? This is the ques-
tiUn that the Board of Canvass
asked Of the Inspector, and on his refusal to
II
issue certificate Of election to the Republi-
can candidate for Sher'a whose reputed
majority was less than half of the number
Of votes In Mill Creek hEEdred that had
been rejected from the count for no reason
under the sun.
1t has been given, in partial explanation
of this glaring discrepancy, that the in
spector during the coEn:, threw out five
double ballots, but tic Es; est calculation
will show that If these ballots had been voted
double their rejection would have mad,
the tally only fire less than the poll. Blu
for the discrepancy OF twenty votes there /
no explanation, and it is but reasonable u
presume that they were deliberately throw
out to affect the result of the election. O
course, the Board of Canvass did not kno'
what names were printed upon these rejecte
ballots, but when it is considered that ms
jority Of the election officers at this pollin
place were Republicans, 1t requires no gres
stretch of the imagination TO satisfy I'll
mind that none Of the Republican cand
dates were voted for upon these twcn'
tallots which Republican Inspector boldl
unlawfully, and without any explanation
refused to count.
No candid man can for an instant dou
that Purnal J. Lynch was honestly electt
Sheriff of New Castle county. To 81
nothing of the outrageous manner in whi,
fraudulent votes were poured into sever
strong Republican precincts Of this city, Il
fatal discrepancy in Mill Creek hundr
alone Is sufficient to convince the nc
biased partisan that he has be
deprived of his just rights upon the ia
of the returns.
The plain duty of Governor Hall in I'll
matter is to Issue the commission to NJ
Lynch. If his Republican competitor is n
satisfied with this, let him appeal to t
courts, and we assure him that there will
perfect avalanche of conclusive testimol
TO prove that on an honest poll
did not come within two hundr
votes of an election. But it would be
crime against humanity and an outrage up
justice to compel Mr.. Lynch, who was fair
elected despite the most open fraud and
timidation that ever disgraced an eecti
in this city, to seek the courts in order
obtain an Office that was fairly and honest
conferred upon him by the people of NJ
Castle county.
a~%s------
We CHARGE that fraudulent negro !