New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-26
ijNION SQUARE S sGs s'ss .s)cor. Broadway

| 6pv NJ he
1w NJ Old stock Everything made sasisfac''"'
| y, such desperate effort to nulhfy the
.,,, ., the ueope expressed at the ballobox i"e,o
CON he no reasonable doubt that the nnpreceoen'ou
| q, Democratic boards Of canvassers I'D 'af'o"' POI
A.. S,,,. rave all been inspired BY the same person.
That person Is David B. Hill. lie Is INC a''r.o -
snrator who Is at the bottom OF the giganu0 p,o,
defeat the will OF the people THOSE WHO nav.
during the last six or eight years have long
| known that he Is entirely destitute Oh Po'iu'' 80
.is ond is ruided in all his political course Dy co'i
,.,,ons NJ thu narrowest seInshness. But no' eve"
thew have thought him capable OF dong SUCH WIN %
| ma IL now engaged in. They knew him 10 De po'u
crafty and unscrupulous, and that ne Always ave =.
nolitical matters upon the Jesusticai maxim '"e '
nd iustides the means but they did not thnR MIN %
lacking I'm prudence as to make an open a''a'h wv"
| the most sacred rights Of his fellowcltizehs'
| an must he that Mr.. Hill greatly underestimate
| the Intelligence or the patriotism OF the peope.
| know that the public conscience IS some"m,' oo'
unon questions OF political morality, ana thao '"oue""
| are 60 blinded by partlsanshp that they 40 hoc per
| ceive at all the meaning and tendency oi sueh y"
| s,dious attacks upon institutions. But am
| sure that there are Democrats and goou many VI
them who look with disfavor upon such revolutionary
m.tbods They would like to have Democratic ma
ortv in both branches Of the legislature ouo 'es
think Il OF much greater Importance thaI pupho .o
ddence I'm the integrity OF our election machinery ''
NOT be violently shaken. The legal profession 'hroue
out the STATE without regard to party aihi,uon'
| hone. unite in condemnng any infracuoh Oh 'he
ietter and spirt of our laws for mere personal vi
| nor,,san ends Tho people, when they come 10 I'M
derstand the matter as they surely must sooior vi
later will rcbuke these attempts on the part vi ooo
Of canyassers to exercise such un"afrnh'eu anu N'
| gerOus powers. , :,
com Democratic friends. at least those whom
| IN deny existence
| q, Tho mart OF Democratic leaders TO capture inc
epslature nor do they attempt TO JUSTIFY whaU mas
bcen done I'm pursuance Of the plot, except upon V'
prncpIe-or lack Of principe-that every 'hins 10 @
| in politics The most singular thing OF All IS 'i".
every one assumes as matter Of course that II David
p Hill has the power in his hands he VIII carry ous
his ends even il in order TO do SO ne is conpeheu
v,o,ate every law and trample upon every moral CD
| legation. ,. .oo.u.,
every step that mas been taken In the direction Oh carry
| ing out this great conspiracy has been Followed ny
the cver-vigilant press but want to call Afternoon
for a moment to the present situation in ohohdaga
| county There the name of Republican candidate
| for member of Assembly not correctly stated IN
be returns from certain election districts. The mis-
takes were not those of the voters The baiiolS "ee
all right and the name was correctly prlH'eu "po"
| all NJ them The mistakes were made by the eecuon
officers in Cling out the certificates OF canvass what
|
law Chapter 100, Title 3, Section 10, Laws OF lo42
directs that H. upon proceeding to canvass the votes
~ shall clearly appear to the Board Of Canvassers that
| in any statement produced TO them any
mistakes which are clerical merely exist they snail
send the certificate back for correction Ihe Boatd vi
| Canvasser, knew-eyery one Of them hnew-that the
mistake was merely clerical They SHOULD upon their
own motion If they were acting as public onlcers
| and not as mere parsans, have sent the sli'ci'i
baok 10 have the errors corrected IL Is saed tft
| Judge Kennedy had directed them 10 90 So Dut
whether that be so not, every lawyer knows tht
a court would have so ordered If the matter had been
presented as courts have always done under similar
| circumstances But instead OF doing this their
| manifest duty and thus giving an opportunity TO
rectIfy patent mistake they rejected Oh disre5arded
a large number Of votes which they knew had been
actually cast for Mr. Munro, and gave The ceriicte
TO a minority candidate. The County Clerk refused
to sign the certificate. because he had been enloed
| from doing so by the court and now charges are
pending for his removal, to be passed upon by the
very man who believed by everybody to be engineer
| Ing all the details Of the conspiracy.
"There might be some excuse for these nigh
handed proceedings II, many suppose we were act
ing under new and untried laws. But that
Is not the case The BALLOT law does not touch upon
te duty OF canvassers in any OF the particulars that
| have been brought up during the controversy. The
only charge that has been made is with reference TO
ballots apparently marked for identification. When
such ballots are attached to tie original certificate oil
canvass by the inspectors Of election they are to be
mentioned separately In the statement made by the
Board OF County Canvassers but the statute expressly
prescribes that they shall be counted in estimating the
result The sole object of the provision is to preserve
such ballots in order that their validity mag be passed
upon By court OF competent jurisdiction in action
that may be brought to try the title TO the Office. In
all other respects the boards acting under the old
statute of 1912, ard almost every question that has
came I'D has already been passed upon by the courts
~ think it is very evident that the courts afford
the only protection against these assaults upon the
rights Of the people. the Munro for example
there would be no difficulty II the question could be
presented TO the courts upon quo waranto proceeding
Evidence could then be given showing that the rejected
ballots were really cast for the Republican candidate
and upon that fact appearing. they would be counted
| for him by the Judgment OF the court. But being
candidate for Legislative Office the courts have no
eSmpei ELECTION on" Officers 10 do their duty
was really elected must be determined by the Assembly
| But suppose the certificate IS awarded to Ryan. His
vote upon the organization Is Just what is needed to
| OF Justice would Munro have by presenting his case
| to such tribunali The very man who would wrong
case and his vote alone would finally determine the
question I'm his own favor. such an example ought
| to be enough to convince any man that 1t would be
all Others could be decided by the courts and not by
partisan bodies that have no Idea OF determining them
upon any principle Of right or law or equity -,
not. this year to the LEGISLATURE giving the courts
the right to decide contested legislative election -
winter when IL 1t Is approved by the Legislature it
| poils in the fall Of 1907