Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-26
". MORNING, NOVEMBER 26. 1854.
GEO. E. PRICE, ESQ, OF kEYsE,,
Writes Forcible Letter on the Subject of
the Delay In Election Returns.
TO The Editor Of hs ReoiSter.

Writes Forcible Lstter on the Subject OF
the Delay In Election Returns.
10 The Editor Of gAs RegiStT.
4 hEYsER, W. Va, November 24.-Ay
attention has been called to the slowness
with which the official returns Of elections
in West Virginia are sent in to the Capital
In your issue of November Is, 1884, You
say official returns from the election in
West Virginia come in with wonderful tar
diness and although nearly six weeks have
elapsed since the State election on October.
H. the official returns are not complete for
a single Office. On the Presidential and
Congressional election the returns are still
slower, etc"
This state of things is sreproaeb to our
State and it is Just such things that create
in the minds of people outside the State the
impression that we are not progressive, but
are behind the time have been asked
whether this tardiness comes from defect
in our laws regulating elections and have
taken the trouble to examine our election
law with reference to this point, and am
satisfied that the fault is not so much in the
law as in the officers whose duty it is to
garry out the law
= Thestatutes relating to elections, (Acts
1882. ch. 1861 provides (sec. lS) that as
soon as possible after the polls are closed
st each place Of voting, the commissioners
and clerks shall count the vote
and (Sec. 20) as soon as The result is
dseertaiaed shall make out certificates
thereof; and that the Commissioners or one
Of them shall rithin jour ddys, eStiiaaiing
Sundays, after the dayo .rhich tie e'cc-
ton is held, deliver the ballots, poll book
and certificates to the Clerks of the county
and circuit courts, &c Section 2l pro-
yides that the commissioners Of the county
court shall convene in special session at the
court house on the fth dGy Sundays ex:-
cepted) after ereTy election held iR their
county and canvass the returns from the
different voting places and ascertain and
declare the result of the election in their
county, and make out a certificate Of the
result lOT tdCu OillCC " Uc lHCoc
certificates shall be disposed Of as follows:
(Sec. 23) OF the certificates respecting the
election for members of the Legislature,
Governor and other State officers one shall
be sealed up and transmitted to the Secre-
tary of State; Of those respecting the cleo
ton Of Judges, Congressman and Presideu-
tial electors one shall be transmitted to the
Governor. And this same section provides
rs follows:
In every case the said certificates shall
lie transmitted as aforesaid BY mail or some
other safe and expeditions mode Of convey
ance, TO the proper officer or person on or
before tie .GtM day Sundays ex-
cepted) after The result Of the election
is aScertained in an envelope under seal,
etc.
In chapter l39, Section 3, Acts 1882, be-
ing the chapters devoted to offences relating
to elections, it is provided that If any per-
son or officer neglect to deliver the ballots,
poll books or certificates as required by law
or to make returns in the manner or at the
time prescribed by law, he shall forfeit for
every such offense not less than ten nor
more than one hundred dollars, or il any
officer or person refuse to deiirer the bal
lots. poll books, or certificates At the hmC
prescribed by law he shall forfeit for every
such ofiense no. less than fifty nor more
than two hundred dollars and be confined in
the coantv Jail not less than thirty nor more
than ninety days.
1t will be seen from the above that if our
.alection law was strictly complied with
the official returns from every county ih the
State would be received at the capitol within
ten or fifteen days afterea election. Our
election law is very good one. 1t may be
susceptible Of some improvement, but II 1t
we're carried out as it stands there wouH be
little ground Of complaint,
Now who are to blame for the tardiness
in sending in the official returns of the late
electious? Clearly it must be the comm is
siones Of the county courts Of those counties
which have come in so slowly. 1t is made
their duty to transmit these certificates on
or before the fifth day after the result is as
certained. They cannot shift the RESPONSE
bility on the Clerk Of the County Court. |
think it would be a good thing for the Gov
ernor to call the attention of the Prosecuting
ATTORNEYS Of those delinquent counties to
this violation of the law by the commission.
ers and have some Of them indicted and
punished. Men have no right to disregard
The plain provisions of a law in matter Of
such vital importance as the returns of an
election in which not only all the State IS
interested, but all the people in the United
States, as was the case wilh our recent
elections. GEO Z. PRICE.
r,r ,r,uuIrr.uoIIel m,erpEce