Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-11-11
eANvAssINs THE VOTES.
Duties Of the New York County
Boards
WHICH WILL MEET TO-DAY.
Detailed Statement Of the Manner Of
Counting aud the Legal Ques-
tions Involved.
VERY LITTLE CHANCE FOR FRAUD.

NV .YoEK, October l0.-The Times
prints the following elaborate editorial on
the duties of the boards of eoenty examin-
ers, and the legal questions involved:
There is suspicion that the desperate
and maddened managers of Mr. Blaine's
canvass, prompted BY the late candidates
claim of frauds based on the variation Of
his own exclusive returns from the official
count, may make some effort to induce
county canvassers to attempt a revision of
the official returns in some way, or to OBJ
tain from partisan judges an order directing
them to do so, and measures have been
taken to see that the provisions Of the law
in relation to county canyassers shall be
strictly followed. There is no question
whatever as to what these provisions re-
quire, and any canyassers venturing to dis
regard them, or to exceed their defined
unctions will be liable to all the penal
ties provided for the violation of the laws
prescribing duties. THERE'S no legal ground
on which any court can order them to do
anything different from the duty clearly
laid down in the statute, and any pretended
order directing them to do so would be Of
no effect, and would not protect them from
the consequences Of their violation of law.
Any Judge presuming to make such an
order would exceed his power and be him
self liable to impeachment to say nothing
of the reprobation or more serious conse-
ouences which he would bring upon his
head. We cannot believe that any attempt
will be made to falsify the results of the
election, or that such attempt, if made,
would be successful; but it is we'll to have
the duties of the county canvassers clearly
understood by everybody.
Conclusively shown.
We have already couclusively shown that
the returns of votes made from the election
districts are final and subject to no reyis-
ion save the correction of clerical errors,
and of the omission of statements on the
certificates which the law requires to be
made. These local returns are, or should
be. in every case now iu the keeping OF the
proper county authorities, and they must de-
liver them unchanged to the boards Of can
vassers. The only duty ofthe custodiaus
of these returns before the canvaSsers meet
is to receive and keep in safe custody the
certified statements of the inspectors. AT
ter board of canvassers has been organized
ano has the district returns all before it, 1t
must proceed to estimate the votes OF the
county" the word estimate being used
in the strictly legal sense Of to compute,
and make such statements there
of as the nature Of the
election shall require is
to ssv, statement of the officers voted for
and the number Of votes received by the va
Iious candidates for each. These state
ments, the character Of which is clearly de-
fined, are to be delivered to and deposited
with the county clerk" and to be by
him recorded in book kept for the pur-
pose. IF upon proceeding to canvass the
vote" saws the statute, ''it shall clearly ap-
pear to the canyasssers that in any state
ment produced to them certain matters are
omitted in such statement which should
have been inserted, or that any mistakes
which are merely clerical exist, they shall
cause the said statement to be sent by one
of their number-who shall be deputed for
that purpose-to the town or ward inspect
ors and town or ward canvassers from whom
they were received, to have the same cor
rected.
No Power.
The county canvassers have no power in
themselves to make any change whatever,
even 10 correct an obvious clerical error,
and il is declared that the town or ward in
spectors and canvassers shall not change
or alter any decision before made by them,
but shall not only cause their canvass to be
correctly stated.
II will be seen that the law carefully
guards at any point, as We showed yester-
| Say. from the registration of voters to the
final canvass by the State board, against
anv opening or revision of any completed
process in the work OF an election. The
reason Of this is perfectly clear and is pur-
posely made so BY the law. Safeguards are
provided at every step against frauds or
mace lracies, with severe penalties for any
violation OF the rigid requirements of the
law. with view TO closing the way to
any after effort 10 modify the result,
which would lead to endless conten-
ton. confusion and douSt. The part to be
taken By the county convassers is clearly
defined, and is merely to cast up the result
in their several counties as shown upon the
face of the statements Of the local inspect
ors. They eau not question these or 60
back Of them, and no power is lodged any
where TO require them to do so. No author
ity can exist to compel or to direct them g
| do anything but the plain duty prescribed
by the laws of the State. Any attempt to
tamper with the local returns already made
up will be closely watched and visited with
the retribution II deserves. The vote OF this
State is taken, the statement OF the result
is complete in the returns already made
from ali the election districts, and nothing
remains TO be done except TO consolidate
these returns for the several counties, and
them for the entire State. by a simple arita'
uYetical and clerical process.
! HOW 1T IS DONE.