New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-26

put that maze no dlHerenCe. ftle pacc Wao WdutSu
by David B. Hill, and Hill simply took it.
Mr.. Shcrrills original majority was twenty-four.
but the counting out of ffty-two Republican
ballots, in utter disregard Of the statute left him
thirty-seven votes behind his opponent All that
the Republicans saved from the grasp Of Hill was
the Member of Assembly in the lid District OF
this county and the Sheriff. This was not be-
cause Hill did not try hard TO count them out, but
simply and solely because with all their twisting
and turning, and with ell OF their supreme IN
reference TO the law. the Democratic majority
on the Board Of Supervisors could not find places
enough at which to attack them. Mr.. Wheeler
the Republican Assembyman-elect, will receive his
certificate, but by a plurality of twenty-five only
and William H. Bartlett, the Republican candidate
for Sheriff, will receive his certificate but with
only seven plurality. Red Hook, the town In
which the thirty-one ballots on which were the
printers marks. did not happen 10 be in the lid
Assembly District, else Mr.. Wheeler would have
been counted out well.
FALSE HOPES OF DEMOCRATIC JUSTICE.
At one time to-day it looked as though enough
Of the Democratic members Of the Board had come
10 their senses to unite with the Republicans ana
undo all of the evil which the majority OF the
Board already had done. They learned that the
stealing State Senator's scat was not little
were iutcrcsted. They found that the tntire
State was aroused: that Democrats as well as
Republicans were denouncing their actions in I'M
measured terms They had found that they
were guilty of committing felony, and they
found that their neighbors and associates
gave them an exceedingly wide berth as they
passed them in the streets or met them at their
clubs Ii came upon them suddenly and almost
with enough force to cause them to break away
from the control Of Jim" Hinckley, and to do what
was right and just and what the law directs
Three of them made a feeble movement In this
direction, but it was so feeble that Hinckley and
his gang had no trouble in soon swinging them
back into line and making them more servie
than ever. One of these men is Frank
G. Ripert, who pretends TO be lawyer His
home is at Fishkill. He admitted this morning
that he had not read the law. and that he did not
knew what the duties Of the board were Another
was William A. Brewster, of Wappinger's, and
the third was John H. Wiggers. of this city. None
of these men, however, had sufficient independence
or sufficient regard for his obligations to his con-
stituents to adhere to the position which they
first took. They allowed themselves to be
bullied and browbeaten into line, and in
place of setting themselves right before their
friends and acquaintance. they put themselves
In q much worse light.
BREAK IN THE DEMOCRATIC RANKS.
The break in the ranks of the Democrats came
over the introduction of resolution by the chief
of the gang of seat-stealers to attach to the
returns which are TO be filed with the State
Board of Canvassers certificate telling why
the thirty-five ballots from the town Of Red Hook
had beer thrown out. This was the same sort
of proceeding that Judge Adams, of the Supreme
HI anal
legal in the case of the Board of Supervisors
of Steuben County, who wanted to attach to the
returns from that county protest against the
seating of Franklin d. Sherwood on the preteXt
that he was ineligible as candidate for the
Senate Supervisor Williams, Of this city, OBJ
ected to the attaching Of these certificates on the
proper ground that none had been received by
the Board of Supervisors from the Inspectors OF
Election This, of course, every member OF the
Board knew to be true; all the statements relat-
ing to the marked ballots or to the defective
ballots have been made up by the Democratic
Supervisors of their own accord. The split was
brought on by the question asked by Supervisor
Hanna as to whether these certificates would
apply to only the local county officers or to the
entire State ticket.
After much quibbling and many ef-
forts to squirm out Of answering the question
directly, h. Wright Vail, who has taken the lead
in running the steal through. was forced to
admit that the resolution applied to the entre
ticket-State, Assembly and county 1t had been
noticed that the three Democratic members OF
the Board who temporarily refused to follow the
lead of Vail into what might lead them INTO
serious trouble had been getting exceedingly
nervous and restless Two Of them especially
were almost up to the pitch where they would
openly denounoe Vail, Mylod Hinckley and the
other Democrats who, under the dictation OF
David B. Hill, have led them into this fraud.
SUPERVISOR RIKERTs STRONG WORDS.
1t was at this point that Supervisor Rikert
jumped up and asked if there was copy OF the law
in the room None of the Democrats had a copy
and he proceeded with these strong words:
II want to ask this question: If these mo-
lions are to strike out rather not TO count
all the ballots that this Board finds to be de-
fective by way of mark or scratch. or anything
upon the ballot which would indicate That II
had been marked in any way? l am here as
Democrat; am here as citizen; am here as
n Supervisor of the town Of Fishkil to do what
is right. what is Just and what is fair. am here
also TO ascertain if possible, and to know why
we should vote upon all these, or how we should
vote upon all these questions, and L would Ike
10 know il, and would like to have the gentle
man, Mr. -, or somebody read that section OF
the law in regard 10 ballots that have been
marked. am not familiar with it myself, Tor
/ have been busy nights and mornings IN my
office, and perhaps there are some members Oh
the Board here, who may be Republicans or
Democrats, that are occupied and in the same
position that am in regard to this law We are
to act here as a Board Of Canvassers, carefully
and to act in such manner that If this mat
ter comes before the courts hereafter
the courts will be able to stay by
the actions of this Board. anticipate
that the motions made by my friend Mr. van
have all been put, with view of carrying out
these interests, and by the advice oil able counsel
Ill I.a thnrn