Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1884-11-29

short of carrying his own county. The
vote for legislative officers in Walsh,
Ramsey and Cavilier counties, ASIDE
clared by the district canvassing board.
is as follows: fs
WtLlson 1850
.1677,
etonR
ktdder ........& ..."."..1679
ou
Wilson's vote in Pembina county
was 1912 and La Moure's 1925. One
third of the Twelfth legislative district
has been disfranchised in order that La
Moure, who wa beaten in his own
county and also in this county, but who
had a majority in Walsh and Cavilier
counties, may have aseat in the legisla-
tive council. a' /
The canvassing board of. Pembina
county consisted of six persons. Three
of these objected to the counting of the
votes from Crystal and Joliet precincts
on the ground Of informality in the re.
turns; the other three were in favor of
accepting the returns. The Pembina
Piopeer-Express thus explains the stu
alton:
F. In taking up the question Of admitting
the Crystal returns, after hearing the
views of the counsel present, the board
wal found to be evenly divided, Messrs.
Myrick,' Mcleod and jackson being
opposed to their admission, on account
Of their not being properly attested, and
Messrs. Wallace, Hurley and Auditor
Bird being in favor of their admission,
after The gentlemen comprising the
Crystal board, who were present, had
signed them. It was also urged by MI.
Myrick and those agreeing with him that
the returns Of all the precincts be recan-
vassed and the question of their admis-
sion be reconsidered in each case, but
this was opposed by the other side, who
maintained that except in case of Crystal
the canvass was complete. AS it seems
to us the canvassing board should re-
ceive and count the Crystal vote. It is
true, the abstract of votes was not signed
by the officers, but the latter Were present
and ready to make good that lack, and as
returns, it would seem to us no stretch
Of authority to include the vote in the
canvass.
We understand that with the pre-
cincts of Crystal snd Joliet thrown out
Wilson would still have a small major
ity in the district. There being q tie in
the board of canvassers and no chance
for an agreement, Messrs. Bird, Hurley
and Wallace made up report from the
face of the returns, and Messrs. Myrick,
Mcleod and Jackson. were thus given
an. opportunity to enter a protest to the
counting of any portion of the vote Of
Pembina county,. virtually disfranchis.
ing nearly 5000 electors.
When the district canvassers-con-
sisting of County Auditor Bird of Penn
bina, County Auditor Faulkner Of
Walsh, John A. Percival, county clerk
of Ramsey, and w. J. Mooney, deputy
county clerk of Cavilier-met at Penn.
bins on the 2Oth,. both the report and
the protest were laid before them. The
protest set forth that the abstract made
by Bird, Hurley and Wallace was not
signed by a majority Of the county IAN
wasting board, as required by law, and
the.protestants objected to the district
c~anvassing board receiving. the Pembina
county abstract on the ground that the
votes therein shown were not legal; that
the abstract was not certified to accord
ing to law. An adjournment was taken
until Saturday morning.
When the board met Mr.. Percival
made a motion that the vote of Penn.
bina county be thrown out, quoting in
his motion from clause 1, chapter II, Of
the session laws, which requires that the
county clerk shall take to his assist
ance a majority Of the board of county
commissioners, and the further clause
As, chapter q, page 90, of the code
which provides that q. majority of said
~canvassing board shall decide all mat
ters. of disagreement, etc.; that the alb.
stract submitted by three of six mem.
beers of the Pembina county board Of
canvassers being signed only by the
county auditor and two members of the
board of county commissioners is not
either a majority Of the. board of can.
vassers or q majority of the board Of
county com missioners. This motion
was carried by Messrs. Faulkner, Per.
cival and Mooney. MI. Bird voted no
and enteredsa protest against throwing
out Pembina county. The district can.
vassers then proceeded to canvass the
returns from Walsh, Ramsey and Cav
ilier with the result given in the above
table, and certificates of election were
issued to La Moure, Mclaughlin, Ruger,
McHugh, Stewart and Stong.
There is a clause in the protest OF
Messrs. Myrick, jackson and Mcleod
which lsdecidedly refreshing. It charges
the other three members Of the county
%caatnryvassssing board with Unparalleled
+effrontery in having made report and
2 return" to the district canvassersl
Messrs. Myrick, McLeod and jackson
might have said II Wa unparalleled