New-York tribune., 1890-04-03
RHODE ISLAND ELECTION.
THE AUSTRALIAN SECRET BALLOTS USED
WITH SUCCESS.
.rcr VOTE DRAWN OUT BY THE EXPERT
Nrxr Under THE NEW LAw-THE MAYOR
op p,wTUCKET ATTEMPTS TO
DEFY THE LAW.
DEFY THE LAW.
~ ,x,rcnAru TO TIE TKIBCNE.I

r,ov;dence April 2.-Such an clccton-dav rs
.,,o ono inst drawn to close has not been wit
,,ossed in This State for thirty years. II has been
olnost ne oniet as prayer meeting. II has been
-. o,ston, herc for Vcars-in fact. ever since the
Io.;or of William Spraguc as Governor, in 1860.
Gov botb nartics 10 employ small armies of work
~ and of late the contests had become so splr-
;,cd and at all times close. that the presence
Of these workers became more than obnoxious.
the Democrats having for their licutcnantS the
rif-raff of the liquor-trade and the scum OF the
wards All this has been changed. Tie new
Ballot law an adaptation Of the Australian secret
system Of voting, went into effect to-day. and the
boodc-distributcrs, boodc-scckcrs and coat-coliar
hanlers were out of n Job. Formerly the voting
places were surrounded by hundreds of hungry
Democrats waiting to be paid to vote their own
party convictions and in the end getting their
sugar" To-day they had sorry faces and empty
pockets, and they voted or not as they pleased.
without money influences.
The ballots. prepared by the State printer were
all sent out by express last Saturday and Locked
up until to-day Here the big vault in the 'l'N
Hall was unlocked at o'clock and twenty hacks.
each containing two policemen were loaded with
large packages of tickets still bearing the oihclSl
seal of the Secretary of State. An hour later the
Everything worked serencly excepting in Paw
tuckct and Cumberland In one district in the
latter town. the Democratic moderator refused 10
call the Republican supervisor when n Hcpubl
ccc,or asked for instructions and said that he
wanted the official of his own party 10 aid him
In Pawtucket the law violated br Demo
Gratis who entered the enclosure before their
names were called and refused T. 20 outside thc
guardrail To add 10 the confusion. Hugh j.
Carroll, the Democratic Mayor. intcrfcred by en-
tering the enclosure and opening the
gate whcn the warden ordered
closed. Carroll announced that that
gate would be oFcncd and he dcicd any one 10
close it, The warden read the law, and called
upon a policeman to close the gate, but the Mayor
threatened 10 suspend tie patrolm1n. and the lat
Ter declined 10 ohcy the warden. The deputy
sheriff was then sent for and placed at the gate.
Mayor CarrOlls interference was in keeping with
his presumption in pretending TO be in control Of
the wardcns by virtue of his Office as chief cNccu-
tive of the city.
There will he only mcagrc returns tonight.
Block Island, the first 10 send returns. and always
heard from by 3 p. m. had not sent any tidinsS
I'D 10 o'clock In this city the vote is phcnomc-
nally large Instead OF frightening people away,
the new voting system seems 10 have acted Ike
a charm. desire TO know what 1t mcani TO vote IN
a pen away from the rabbc having brought out
hundreds who otherwise would have remained az
home. City Clerk Joslin, in view OF tins bis vote.
is of the opinion that the waroens VIII not DC
able 10 ret in their count before noon tomorrow
and that the Board of Aldermen. who must by law
count the legislative vote al once: Will not hnsh
that task before Friday noon. lie has arranged
10 divide this laborOus task that there will
lie five sets of counters. one Alderman counting
the crosses and another in the sane set checking
on the names There is no way To Tell al this hour
ANYTHING at all as 10 tho general result.
Full returns from fourteen towns and eight
districts including none of the cities. give Ladd
Last wear the same districts gave Iadd Los.
Davis 2422 Returns from this city viii be
late and the Assembly ticket will not be counted
until morning.