The Indianapolis journal., 1890-10-22
BALLOTS FOR THE ELECTION
County Clerks Did Not Come Prepared
for the Big Loads Waiting for Them.
They We're Worried Over How to Get Safely
Home with Their Responsibility Discharged
Counties That Have Been Supplied.

Marion county is the only ore in the
State which finds it possible to carry ont
to the letter the provisions OF the new cleo
tion law. This complicated statute re-
quires the county clerk. or his authorized
agent, to call for the ballots apportioned
to his county. and not lose sight
of them until their transfer is
safely accomplished 1t is both
ering the clerks considerably to
follow out this requirement and they will
have to stretch the law in order to cart
their ballots home successfully. Various
devices are being resorted to in order to
grapple with the problem and solve it. To
shoulder from three hundred to one thou
sand pounds of paper, and stick to 1T until
1t is deposited in the proper, place is some
thing the clerks had not bargained for.
They did not know the law
contemplated such a thing. Many of
them came to the State Election Boards
rooms at the State-house yesterday with
the expectation of tucking a few bundles
OF ballots under their arms and returning
home. One glance at the pile of packages
apportioned TO his county causes the clerk
to change his mind. and he begins to cast
mass of paper. well, I'll be ID said
one astonshed clerk yesterday after
noon. after he had been led
to his. section and formally
introduced to his task. "Why, I'll need
balloon to get all that stuff back home if |
have to keep my eve on it every minute"
he soon abandoned the balloon idea, how
ever. and procured several large wooden
boxes on which he will put handles in order
to have them checked. He said he would
try to SIT on them all the way home, and If
not allowed to remain the baggage
car would inspect them at each
station TO see that they were not disturbed.
Another clerk bought couple of cheap
packing-trunks, and thus disposed OF his
liberal slice of ballots. Still another, after
sizing up the situation made up his mind
that shawl-straps would just about mt his
case. and, purchasing four. proceeded to
put his ballots in shape for transportation.
Sixteen counties have thus far been sup
piled. the clerks of fourteen counties coming
in person, while two were represented by
deputies. Marion was the first county to
receive her ballots. and under Deputy
George Buskirk's direction over eleven
hundred pounds of ammunition for carry
ing on the great political battle of Nov.
were taken to the courthouse, where they
were deposited In large box.
They will be carefully guarded
until put IN use, watchman having
been detailed to sleep by the box until
election day. These ssventy-six thousand
ballots made a good-siZed wagon load. The
counties supplied yesterday. the number of
tickets received by each, and those receiv-
ing them, were as follows: Marion, 761SO,
clerk. George F. McCulloch; steuben. 1850,
clerk. w. +. kempsey; Hancock. $500.
clerk, r. Z. Black; Scott. 4,sOO; messen-
ger, Elijah A. Gladden. Washington.
$500. clerk. f. w. Menaugh: MI
ami, 1890, clerk, Joseph H. Larimer;
Floyd, l4.S9O clerk, H. r. w. Meyer; Madi-
son, lS.40O, clerk, j. j. Netterville; Jack
son, IL, 130. clerk, James X. Anthony; De-
catur, l0160 clerk. j. NJ. Thomson; Wabash,
clerk, John r. Engle; Hamilton, 1870,
clerk, Ira w. Christian; Ripley, 10.83G,
Edward w. Wood.
The election commissioners nominally
supervised the work of delivering the bal
lots. the bulk of the actual labor, of course
falling upon clerk Bookwalter and his
corps of assistants. The law gives the
county clerks the privilege of demanding
that the ballots be counted and sealed in
his presence. but does not make it manda-
lots would he turned over to the
clerks about Christmas. To-day will
probably witness the biggest rush
of the three. and the work
ers are, preparing for lively day.
cure their ballots. Next to Marion county,
Aliens supply is the largest. weighing
about seven hundred pounds. Then comes
Vigo with about six hundred and Wander
burg with 500. TIE only county for which
supply has not been prepared Is Perry,
the Auditor of which has only reported
fifteen of the twenty-five precincts. The
supplies of all the other counties are
punched, labeled and ready for the clerks
to receive and receipt for them. 1t will be
several days before the smell of sealing
wax will desert the southeast corridor of
the Capitol. 1t is the general opinion that
unnecessary safeguards are thrown about
the transportation of the ballots, and that
the printing of the tickets in the respective
counties As each ticket, under the law,
must be signed with the initials of the
county clerk before being handed out to
the voter, the precaution taken seems