The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-12-16

The official canvass of the late election in
this state, as declared 10y the board of state
cauvassers. shows the following republican
puralities: Governor, LUcE, 1892; Lieut..
Governor, MCDONALD. S,75l; Sec. Of State,
OsMUN, 9,7O7; State treasurer MALT, 6,l17;
Auditor General, APLrS, 1921; Commits
sioner of State Land Office, DIX, 1891,
Attorney General, TAGGARr, S,24f; Supt. Of
Pub. Inst, EsTAB.ooK, 1878: Member of
State Board of Education, BABcocE, s,4o3.
D1oKrE, prohibition candidate for governor,
received 2G,333 votes, an increase of 4,126
over the vote cast for PREsToN two years
since.
The greatest republican plurality this year
is that of ArL1N for auditor general, 1881;
the greatest plurality of two years ago was
that of TAGGAET for attorney general, 1858.
The lowest plurality this year is that Of
Mart for state treasurer, G,1I7; the lowest
plurality in 1854 was that OF BUTTAEs for
lieutenant governor, 2,373. very gratifying
showing indeed for republicans in an " Of
year." when it is proverbial that the party
never shows its full strength.
The official returns disclose an inexcusable
carelessness, either on the part of the voters
or the clerks who prepare the returns for the
boards of county canyassers, probably both.
To illustrate: Sixty-two votes were cast for
s. s. QUERY instead of for SOLOMON S. CUR
TO-
ernor; sixty-fve votes were cast for p. Ii.
WHACHTAL instead of for PHILIP Il. WAcH-
TAIL, fusion candidate for secretary of state !;
the name of the fusion candidate for auditor
general was JUDsos s. FARRAR, but 210 votes
were cast for JUDsoS ID. FARBAR, 204 votes
for JNo ID. FARBAG, sixty-six votes for j. s.
FARRAR and 537 votes for JUDsoS Il. FARRAR,
making total of 1,417 votes thrown away
through somebody's carelessness. The JUD-
SON Il. FARRAR votes were cast in Van Buren,
County, and were due to the negligence of
the party who printed n portion of the fusion
tickets voted in the county.
HENRY IL. APLIN was the republican candi-
date for the same Office and he lost the fol
flowing votes: HENRY ID. APLiN one, JUDsoN
s. APLIN two, II. IL. APLIS two and HENRY
Ii. ALPIN 1,S25. a total loss of 1880 votes.
Without doubt, the votes returned for ALPIN
were really cast for APLIN and the clerks
who made the returns from the voting pre-
cincts were responsible for the mistake.
Several of the precincts in our own county,
among them the township % Paw Paw, made
precisely this same error, but the board of
county canvassers caused it to be corrected.
S73 votes were cast for WILLIAM ID. FULLER
for commissioner of the state land Office,
probably in some benighted precinct where
the fusion voters had not learned that MIR.
FULLER declined to stick and that Mr.. FRS
Bic had been placed on the ticket in his
stead.
The foregoing are fair specimens of the
numerous errors that we're committed, and
which, in a close election, might easily cost
some man his election and lead to prolonged
and bitter contests. It is, perhaps, too much
to expect that the people will all be educated
10 understand that q vote by initials is not
sufficient but, in these days of slips and
| pastors, voter cannot exercise too much
care If ne would have his vote count "a he
intends il. But, while this waste of votes
cannot be wholly avoided, there ia no shadow
of excuse for such egregious laundering az
was made in the votes and returns of votes
for the Office of auditor general; 3,2f7 votes
went astray on this Office alone, more than
the entire republican plurality of two years
since ON some OF the state officers. Such
carecssuesa, ignorance, stupidity or indiifer-
ence 10 almost crime.