New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-04
BY TRICK AND OUTRAGE.
HOW HILL HOPES TO WIN.
SECRETARY RICE'S HURRIED CALL TO THU
STATE BOARD EXPLAINED.
SEEKING TO ESCAPE FROM THE RESTRAINING
ORDERS OF THE coURTs-PRoGREss OF
THE FIGHT AGAINST THE GREATEST
CRIME OF THE YEAR.


THE FIGHT AGAINST THE GREATEST
CRIME OF THE YEAR.
tBr rELE0R,rH THE rRIsuNgI
Albany, Dec. 3.-There is a suspicion among
Republicans here tonight that David b. Hill in
tends to have the Democratic State Board of Cam
vassers complete it's canvass of the vote for State
officers and State Senators upon Monday night
next, and then assert that the State Board
limited TO iive-days session. IL the Board Of
State Canvassers should adjourn at that time, OF
course the State courts would not have sufficient
time to correct the falsifed election returns
sent here by Democratic Boards Of Super
visors, and Mr.. Hill would, perhaps, he able
10 boast that his prediction had come true that
"a Democratic Senate and a Democratic Assembly
were elected" Joseph Ii. Choate, of New-York.
who has the reputation of being rather good
lawyer, said here tonight that there was large
number of decisions showing that the life Of the
State Board Of Canvassers is not limited to five
days. The same opinion, that the State Board
of Canvassers can remain in session longer than
five days, expressed by Attorney General
Tabor, the law adviser of the State officers at the
session of the State Board of Canvassers to-day.
But Mr.. Tabor and his feow-members
of the State Board informed the Republican coun-
sci to-day that they, the members OF the Board,
must consult with some high authority upon this
matter of the legality of the Board continuing
to examine the returns longer than five days.
The State Board selected ex-Judge Countryman,
of this city, as this adviser. If the State Board
of Canvassers is compelled to shorten its labors
to five days, how earnestly Frank Rice, the Secre-
tary of State, will reproach himself that he sum-
moned the Board together soon, when it need
not have met until December Is. Mr.. Rice
WIS aware that cnurtS were considering these
contested election cases, and were rapidly coming
to decisions upon them. How natural IL would
have been for him TO think that it would be
best TO give the courts ample opportunity to right
the frauds of election officers. But he came here
on Tuesday last and precipitately ordered meeting
Of the State Board of Canvassers the following
day. He made similar error" last year, when
he had the State Board of Canvassers meet at
such unexpected date, and without proper
notice, that the counsel of Henry w. Noyes, Re-
publican candidate for Congress, was deprived of
the chance of pointing out that the election re-
turns in his case had been falsfed. as was de-
clared the following winter by the Court OF
Appeals
But Mr.. Rices extraordinary haste in getting.
the State Board of Canvassers in motion this year
has put him in an even worse position than he
held last year. II is now shown that all of the
tion returns of Dutchess County were lacking, and.
of course, therefore, the vote for State officers and
State Senators could not be canvassed.
There was pretended election return from
Dutchess County, signed by a man named
John j. My!od, but this piece Of
worthless paper did not contain either the seal or
the attcstation of the Clerk of Dutchess County.
Open confession was as it were, made by Mr.
Rice yesterday that he had started the State
Board of Canvassers upon its work without the
complete election returns in his hand by his
sending one of his clerks, Mr. Hooper, to Pough-
keepsie and requesting County Clerk Hoffman, of
Dutchess County, to send the election returns OF
that county here. Mr. Hoffman Informed Mr..
Hooper that he could not send the election
returns of that county to Albany because Judge
Barnard Of the Supreme Court had the Board
of Supervisors in session, to correct them. Mr.,
Hoffman said that the Board of Super
visors of Dutchess County completed its work
he would be happy to send the returns TO Albany.
AS might be expected, this report from Dutchess
County greatly annoyed Governor Hill, and, per-
haps, also made Mr. Rice feel that he had rushed"
the consideration of the State election returns
a little too quickly.
But there a remedy for the muddle
Charges were preferred against County Clerk lIoff-
man to-day because he would not sign the falsi-
fled returns brought here from Dutchess County
by the man Myod. 1t will be remembered
that these returns boldly transferred votes cast
for Gilbert a. Deane rep to Edward Osborne,
the Democratic candidate for Senator, and threw
out Others cast for Deane, the whole effect being
to deprive Deaue of his 70 plurality in the dis-
trict
To-day, also, at midnight, Governor IIil removed
Mr.. Cotton, the Republican Clerk Of Onondaga
Mr.. Cottons real fault, OF course, is that no
would not falsify the election returns of Onondaga
County. Mr. Hill in his paper of removal Of
Mr.. Cotton says that the County Clerk did not
obey the mandates of the Board of Supervisors
of Onondaga County. The Governor further
says, undoubtedly with his eye upon County
Clerk Hoffman, of Duchess County:
Such acts Of disobedience and insubordinaton
tagious. IL is understood that the County Clerk Of
Duchess County has done the thing. and IL is
torous that tho whole state is awaiting thas
clerks pleasure.
Clerk Hoffman, of Dutchess County, is cited to
appear before Governor Hill in Albany at
o'clock on Saturday morning. This is an unusu-
ally early hour for the Governor TO get 10 work.
Every politician here thinks the Governor Intends
to remove Hoffman on Saturday, as he did Cotton
to-day, and thus make way for the appointment
of IA Democratic Clerk in Dutchess County. In
that case the falsifed returns of Dutchess County
will of course at once be certified as correct by
the new Democratic Clerk, and the State Board
Of Canvdssers can say that from the face of the
returns they were compelled TO give certiii-
cate Of election 10 Osborne as Senator
1t is suspected by the Republicans here that
the new Clerk of Onondaga County will send here
election returns which will warrant the State Board
Of Canvassers in issuing "a certificate of election to
.lN hal lad
$50 votes OF an election. Both the State and
the Senate District returns, the Democrats boast,
will all he canyasSed Saturday night.
Joseph II. Choatc the leading Republican, coun-
sci. arrived here tonight and will take the man
n.,nn,ont Of the case aofinst the Rnard of Snner-