The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1890-12-05
TRYING TO srEAL A STATE

The carelessness with which the new
has led the way to serious complications
which may result In The election of a re
publican governor by the legislature in
stead Of the seating Of democrat, who
was elected by the popular vote. Under
the law any party can provide for It's own
ballots. The voter ls required to east It IN
sealed envelope, and therein lies the
secrecy. This paved the way for serious
trouble at Bridgeport. One hundred aud
twenty. SIX ballots were thrown out In The
Fifth ward for the reason that they were
20 marked that they could be identified.
II ls understood that the democratic city
clerk, Mr. Mullins, who was one OF the
party managers that day, learned that re-
publcans were hiring ner at two dollars
ballots, so that the purchaser might deter
mine, when the count was made at night,
whether hfhe goods had been delivered ;"
Mr. Mullins took hand IN the counting 10
the ward that night, and detected no
straight republican ballots, ten "ecratched'
republican ballots, and one "scraiched"'
demorr ratio ballot These were lhrown
ont Of the count, a republican counter, who
was job printer and preseman, joining
with Ar Mullins IN noting on the package
that the vot"s were marked. All the
counters pretent asscnted to Il.
Late in the evening the chairman Of the
republican. town committee, who had heard
OF the affair, came TO the polls and insisted
that the marks on the ballots were nothing
more than "specks" due to mtsphnling a
piece OF the roller having broken off and
eaugi. on the electroplsie from which the
tickets were printed lie produced some
unused ballots, on which there was small
elongated mark close after the letter "y'
in governor. Mr. Mullins insisted that on
the fejseted tickets, which we're not shown
10 the republican Committeeman, there
were various small marks, evidently made
with pencil. On one Of these that he
remembered there 10 cot following the
last letter In governor" and small dagger
after "t' IN Samuel They are tmail
marks, but would be perfectly plain TO the
republican counters, who could readily
keep n tally of these ballots and report to
iheir town committeeman They insisted
that the marks on one Of ihe ballots he
produced were In Ink marks only. Mr.
Mullins borrowed rubber aud easily
craeed The marks wlthou; disturbing tie
adjacent prin,ed letters.
Upon the rejection OF these ballots much
dePsEded, by 1, Judge Morris. the demo-
cratic candidate for governor. has a ma
joll.y Of twenty-four. they had been
eognled hc would have been over 100
short Of a clear majority, and The election
OF governor would have gone 10 the legis-
la,ure, which Is republican. All the other
arc elected by safe naiorities The repub.
lIeaus with eDdeayor TO have an investiga
tIon Of tho I26 ballots, and TO have them
| eounicd foi General Merwin. Bu. th c
| legislature alone can revise returns Of =
stale ,ickei and order an investigation Il
must be ordered by concurrent vote OF both
houses. The senate is democratic, and
will not agree 10 ibis. The democrats have
elected iheis governor on the face of the
returns. They hold the fort, and don't
propose 10 open gap in the wall. They
claim that Il The Bridgeport ballot hox Il
opened, aud even II I, was found that ths
ballots we've properly thrown out, there
no knowing how many ballot boxes in o,heI
places will be called for; aud they say The
votes Ia the boxes may have been "fxed'
since the republicans have found tarm-
selves ia the minority.
!, Is necessary that both houses Of the
legislature shalt declare The election o
state officers. The democratic senate
basing It's action on the majority of Judg'
Morris or the face os the returns, will b,
ready to pass resolution declaring hin
elected, The republican house will tabl,
the resolution aud demand an investigation
Hence a deadlock Is expected.
The republicans are talking OF legal p-o
ceed'ngs to secure the opening of tht
Bridgeport box, but il is doubtful whethe
they can reach solution of the difficulty
in that way. The Legislature. not th'
courts, passes upon such questions ans
orders recounts. The managers of boil
parties are stubborn, and the democrat
especially so, bccause their candidate 70
governor, while having only a clear ma
jority, had 1886 more votes than the re
publican candidate. Hence, they are no
disposed to yield an inch of their advau,
age. Whatever happens, Gov. Bulkele
will hold office until ,he affair is settled.