Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-12-12
The Result of the Recount in the First
Assembly District.

On Dec. }, 1890. the following appli-
cation, signed by ten qualified voters
was filed in the Office of the county
clerk. at Dodgeville:
TO Vim. w. Williams
We, the undersigned qualified voters ofthe list
assembly district OF Iowa county, have reason to
believe that the returns of the county oanyassers
are erroneous. We think that there are errors in
the votes of Arena and Ridgeway aud that votes
have been counted Tor Robert NJ. Crawford in
several towns, To which he was not entitled"
Accordingly the board of county
canyassers composed of w. w. VIII
liams and William Sands. both repub-
LEANS, and Thomas NJ Evans, demo
crat convend mt the county clerks
office, IN Monday, Dec. 8, to examine
and recount the ballots thrown in said
county, as far as they relate to the
Office of member of assembly in the
first district Of said county.
On the recount, Crawford, democrat,
gained three in the town of Arena;
while Martin, republican, lost two in
the town of Moscow and one in the
first ward of the city of Mineral Point.
From the returns made by the town
officers of Brigham it appeared that at
least 279 votes were cast, but only $50
ballots could he found returned "A dis
crepancy of AZ; and neither could any
poll list from Brigham be found. OF
the ballots returned the county can
vassers found 81 for Martin and "a for
Crawford 4 loss of IS to the former
and of II to the latter, from the figures
returned and used on the former can
yass.
The ballots from the town of Mineral
Point, the second ward of the city, and
the towns of Ridgeway and Waldwick.
were found to agree with the official
returns from said precincts.
The recount resulted in finding 743
votes for Martin and 793 for Crawford,
giving the latter 4 plurality of 80, in
stead of 20 rs appeared by the former
official canvass.
The poll list from the town of Brig
ham was found in the court house the
following day, however, it having been
carried from the county clerks office,
during the recent session of the county
board, for tie purpose of preparing
Jury lists. As the number of names re-
corded on the poll list rs having voted
correspondent more closely to the re-
turns made by the town clerk than to
the number of ballots returned, it is
probable that some of the ballots were
lost or destroyed, and that the original
returns were substantially correct. At
any rate they would seem to be more
reliable than any recount that could be
when made from what is supposed to
be only portion of the ballots cast in
the town.
While in this case the recount has
resulted in favor of a democrat, The
Iowa County Democrat does not like
that part of the Cooper election law
which provides for recounting or re
eanvassing ballots. 1t furnishes no ad-
equate safeguards against mistakes or
frauds; and it is extremely doubtful
that any such safeguards can be pro-
vided. 1t would be better 70 make
strict provision for fair representa-
ton of different political parties upon
each precinct board of inspectors and
clerks, and then accept the returns of
such boards as final - excepting, of
course, where error or fraud can be
clearly established. Such law would
reflect the spirit of true democracy
faith in the honesty and intelligence of
the people in general.