The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-12-13
FALSE ELECTION RETURNS In
PORrAtsE COUNTY,,

An examination of the election re
turns ircm Randolph in this County
reveals some facts in which every vo.
ter should take lively interest.
The poll book from Randolph shows
that Ryan, Republican candidate foi
Secretary of state, received l79 votes,
and Young. the Democratic candidate.
received i94 votes, and no votes for any
other candidate for Secretary of State
are recorded. These two added tcgeth
er, would make total of all votes cast
records in its total column 4l2 votes
east for candidates for that office, ,leav
ing 80 votes, by their own showing
nnaccounted Tor in any way.
The correspondence from Randolph
in the first Ravenna Republican aflel
the election, says that 26 Prohibition
SoUes were poi4va IN that township,
which statement We have found to be
true. Only a slight canvass has been
made, and we already have the names
ef eight ciIlZsnS " ho are ready to
swear that they voted for Walter b.
Payne for Secretary of State. Moth
ing could be clearer than that the men
whose duty 1t was to make out the ie
turns, and who were sworn to do SO
fully and truly, have taken upon them
selves the responsibility of leaving out
those votes of their fellow citizens
which for some reason they did not
see fit to honestly count, record and
report; and the consequence Is the
Prohibition vote of Portage County
for Secretary of State Is officially re-
ported and recorded as being 264, when
it really is 290.
This is question in which every
IL \
terest. IL men can tamper with the
returns of one party, they can with
those of another. 1T they will do this
in one case, they will in another, if so
disposed. In view OF the certain fact
that the PT0hlbitlen vote for sheriff
10 falsely reported, who can have any
assurance that the Repu blican or Dem
ocratic vote for Sheriff has been truly
recorded and reported? The false re-
turns in the one case create the as
sumption of false returns in the other.
The real question is not at all Wheth-
er the Prohibition vote shall be cor
1ectly counted and recorded but wheth
or every citizen of Portage County can
deposit his legal vote in the ballot box
and have it honestly reported. If q
Prohibitionist can not do tnat, there
ds no certainty that any other citizen
can.
The question whether the Prohibi
tion vote shall be few more or less,
may be one of slight importance, but
the question whether every legal voter
shall be allowed to vote any ticket he
pleases, and have that vote counted
and recorded. lies at the very founda
tion of all our rights as citizens. II
that can not be done, law and order is
mt an end, and Aharchy is at work al.
ready among US.
The election officers of Randolph
have either been guilty of q crime that
lays them liable to fine of not less
than fifty dollars or imprisonment not
lees than ten days in the county Jail,
or both. or they have committed a
blunder that shows their utter unfit
ness for the position they have tried
to fill.
Inc supposition that it was an in
tentionsi fraud ia strengthened by the
fact that the officials made no correc
ton Of the returns, even after being
notified of the error. And still IL ore
does it seem like u case demanding le
gal Investigation, when we remember
that this is not the first time that Pro-
hibition votes have been counted out
In Portage County.
But whether fraud or blunder, it
IL case which demands aud is likely
10 get an Investigation.
II q. FRAZER, Chm,
w. f. JEWELL. Sec.
Portage Co. Prohibition Ex. Com.