Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-12
The Legal Outlook.
NEW lOrk Hrraldl


II il a fact now known beyond doubt or
cayII that plurality OF the votes cast in
this State last Tuesday for presidential
electors wa. cast for the electoral ticket IN
favor Of Grover Cleveland.
Every ballot has been counted 10y the
local election officers charged with that
duty ana sworn 10 perform IL. Their re-
turns have been officially declared andGled
IN the various districts aud counties
throughout the state. They have been
careinlly footed up and the aggregate an
nounced by several Independent and trust
worthy agencies. including those that are
hostile 10 Governor Cleveland as well as
those that are unbiased. They all agree IN
the one result-that decisive plurality OF
the popular vote Of the State has been cast
for The cleveland electors.
The various county canyassing boards
meet to-day. Their duty is plain and sim
pie. II is merely 10 canvass the returns
filed with them by the local election DILL
ccrs-lo count them. ascertain the a%Sre-
gate. and make a statement OF the result 'n
each county. Copies OF these statements
are then 10 bc transmitted 30 Albany, to DE
in turn canvassCd by the Board OF sine
IanyasSerS. In other words, the duty
of the county cauvlsSerS Is simply
10 ItfUiu lllf WI w wv B'NP' -
messed al the hall0t-b0X aud shown by The
local election returns. II they are not him
dcrcd nor interiercd with by outside med
dlorS in the discharge OF that duty. II they
are allowed to perform il lawfully and re-
gularly. there can be no doubt that The re-
suit which they will reach and report must
confirm that already known 10 aud accepted
by the public-nameIy, that Grover CleyC-
land has carried the state OF New York bv
a decisive plurality.
MIR. James &. Blame. his alders and abe,-
tois. do not propose TO accept this result.
They threaten that the will Of the people
% expressed at the polls shall not be ascer-
tanned. declared, and recorded by the regu-
lar forms and The regular mode prescribed
by law. In plain language, they are plot
ting and conspiring 10 defect the popular
will and steal the electoral vote OF the
greatest State in the Jnion. Mr.. William NJ.
Evarts and Dir. George Bliss, who are not
neyperienced in questionable proceedings
Of this kind. are the paid attorneys EN-
ployed TO take charge Of the claEnanss
desperate ease. The plea OF fraud Is to bc
advanced. and ON this prctcXt IA attempt
Is 10 be made to count Cleveland Ott ana
Blaine in.
Have Blaine and Elkins, Eyarts and Bliss,
stopped 10 consider what must be the IN
eyitahle result OF contest on tnls issue:
The vote Of the State as actually cast is, as
we have shown, in favor OF Governor
cleveland. But II no fraudulent and llie-
raj ballots had been cast Tor Blaine, GOV
ernor Cleveland would have carried the
State by at least $4,000 plurality; and u
only legal ballots are to be counted his
now conceded plurality OF twelve hundred
or so must swell to al least twenty-five thOu'
sand.
IL is notorious fact that 10y the most
shameful and corrupt trading there were
secured for Blaine IN this city not fewer
than from twenty-five 60 thirty thousand
votes that rightly belonged to Governor
Cleveland. and that would have gone to
| him had they been honestly cast These
Democratic votes were secured Tor Blame
/ in return Tor Republican votes east for
! Democratic candidates on local tickets.
\ Now. every voter who traded his vote in
tbis way was disqualified from voting, and
consequently the ballot he east Is Ill gal.
The Constitution OF this state in that
section AIMED against the bribery OF voters,
contains this very significant provision .
"No person who shall make any promise to
influence the giving or Withholding any
vote shall vote at such election This
clearly and directly applies 30 any person
who trades bis vote. 1t disqualliies him
from voting, aud renders Illegal the ballot
which he casts.
Have Blaine's attorneys read this proyi-
sion Of the Constitutions Have they con-
sidercd the fact that in ease OF necessity the
illegality Of every one OF these ballots cast
for Blaine may be inquired into aud
proved aud the ballot thrown sutS dc
they realize that what they threaten TO dc
may prove 10 be simply casting bosme
rang!
No, gentlemes. IL the fraud issue Is push.
ed on one side II will be pushed on both
and Governor Cleveland will have every.
Thug 10 gain and nothiss to lsse BY the
final result.