Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-07
POLITICIANS PUZZLED.
Party Leaders Unable to Foretell
the Outcome of the Vove On
A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
The Sheriffs Proclamation Being Prepared
for the Public. = r
SOME SPECULATION ON THE VOTE CAST

Inc proposed CONSTITUTIONAL convention
and the election of delegates thereto are
still confusing the political party leaders
and the officials of Allegheny county. No
one seems to know definitely who is to pro-
vide and pay for the election tickets nor
what blanks are necessary to record the re-
suit of the contest.
Sheriff McCleary and the County Commits
sioners yesterday received from William f.
Harrity, Secretary of the Commonwealth, a
circular letter throwing some light on the
subject. The letter states that the tickets
to be voted for or against Constitutional
Convention shall have no inscription what
ever on the outside, and such tickets must
be printed separately. The tickets to be
voted for members at large shall have on
the outside the words Delegates at Large"
and shall be printed separately. The
ticket to be voted for district members
shall have on the outside the words ''Dis-
trict Delegates" and shall be printed sepa-
rately.
SOME IMPORTANT FACTS OMITTED.
The letter further advises that those hav-
ing to do with the printing of the ticket
should read carefully the act providing for
the convention and the election of dele
gates thereto, but it does not throw any
light on the subject as to who is to pay for
printing and distributing the ticket.
The act providing for the convention to
amend the Constitution makes no provision
for the use of official ballots and Me- Har-
rity's letter says the ticket will have to be
supplied by the political party organiza-
tions or hv the voters Themselves
Sheriff McCleary will, within the week,
issue his proclamation for a general cleo
tion to be held on the Tuesday next follow
ing the first Monday of November next. In
the proclamation the Sheriff will embody
the first, second, third and fourth sections
of the act to provide for a convention to
amend the Constitution and the election of
delegates thereto.
RULES TO BE FOLLOWED.
The fourth section of the act provides
that the following regulations shall apply
to the election:
First. The said election shall be held and
conducted by the proper election officers of
the several election districts of the Conn
monwealth, and shall be governed aud regu-
lated in all respects by the general election
laws of the Commonwealth, so far as the
same be applicable thereto and not incon-
sistent with the provisions of this act.
u
against n convention shall have on the in
side, Fora Constitutional Convention, "and
against Constitutional Convention" and
no other inscriptions thereon.
Third. The tickets to be voted for men,
bers at large shall have on the outside the
words, delegates at large" and on the
inside the names of the candidates to be
voted for, not exceeding Is in number
Fourth. The tickets to be voted for dis
trict members shall have on the outside the
words, District delegates" and on the in
side the name or names Of the candidates
voted for not exceeding the proper number
limited as aforesaid. but any ticket that
shall contain q greater number of names
than the number for which the voter shall
be entitled to vote shall be rejected.
Fifth. The return judges shall meet at
the same places and at the same time after
said election, and shall make out the re-
turns thereof of the votes cast for delegates
members of the said convention in the sew
eral counties of the Commonwealth and
shall follow the same form in making out
their returns as prescribed for return
judges in the case of an election for Cover
nor, except that the said returns shall be
transmitted to the Secretary of the COM
officer alone.
DETAILS OF THE CONVENTION.
Section of the act provides that in case
a majority of the State vote in favor of
Constitutional Convention, the delegates
Harrisburg on the first Tuesday of Decem-
Der, 1891, and after being called to order by
the Secretary of the Commonwealth, shall
elect one of their number president and
such other officers as shall be needed in the
transaction of business. The convention is
then empowered to submit to the citizens of
the State for their approval or rejection a
new constitution or amendments to the
present one. E.
Chairman Bremen, of the Democratic
County Committee, and Chairman Gripp, of
the Republican organization, both said yes
terday that they had not yet decided
whether they would act separately or to-
gether in supplying and distributing the
Constitutional Convention tickets Both
were under the impression, however, that
their organizations will be compelled to dis
tribute the tickets necessary.
SPECULATION AS TO THE RESULT.
There was considerable speculation yes
terday as to whether a Constitutional Con-
vention will be ordered by the votes of the
people of the State. In many counties in
the State both political organizations are
opposed to the proposed convention, and in
such counties it is believed by many that
no tickets will be distributed, no blanks
will be prepared and no effort will be made
to get at the sentiment of the people on the
subject.
In Allegheny county, however, the tick
cts will be distributed, the County Com
missioners have already ordered the blanks
necessary, and the temper of the people on
the subject of a convention will be thor
oughly tested.