The record-union., 1892-10-14
WHO'S TN THE HOLE" now?
Secretary of State Waite's Caustic
Reply to the bulletin"
1t Shows that He Was Not in Very
Bad Hole, After All, But that
Someone Is.

A few days ago the San Francisco Bal-
tetin made certain charges, or allegations,
rejecting upon Secretary of State Waite
IN connection with his supplying ballot
paper for that city's use at the coming
election. To these statements Secretary
Waite has replied by addressing the fol-
lowing communication to that paper:
SACRAMENTO, October 18th.
The article III your paper of yesterday,
headed I'm a Hole" calls for notice.
The many statements therein are extra
ordinary.a
First-You say E'the law says the Reg
lstrar is the custodian Of the baliot-paper. !"
GU VIII confer great favor on me and
my legal cOunseLiors if you will cite me
to any such law.
Second-4ou say just who ordered the
ballot-paper is not known. On the 25th
OF August L received a note from Regis
trar Brown, IN reply to one of mine in
curing the probable size of the ballot
paper to be required for the San Fran
cisco municipal ticket in which he said
the probable size would not be less than
thlrty-three and one-half inches in length,
The paper would have TO be specially
made. did not regard this as an order,
and waited for one. The following was
afterwards received and acted on:
SAN FRANCISCO, September 7, 1892.
Hon. Il. G. Hdite, Secretary Of State: The
Board OF Election Commissioners instructed
me today to inform you that the City and
County of san Francisco will require ballot
paper as follows:
For general ticket, Is inches by IL inches
(l4o,7oO) one hundred and forty-fve thous-
and seven hundred and nfty ballots.
For municipal ticket, Is inches by 42%
inches (145, 800 one hundred and forty-five
thousand seven hundred and fifty ballots.
Also such additional amount of paper as may
be required on account OF any wastage that
may occur. Very respectfully yours,
W. A. BROWN, Registrar,
Per G. L. STONE, Clerk.
Here we see that the Registrar received
instructions from the Board of Election
Commissioners in regard to ballot paper,
! acknowledged himself in terms subject
to its order, as he is its clerk by law, and,
without protest, obeyed it's instructions
with regard to the size and quantity of
| ballot paper required in San Francisco.
| obeyed the instructions, had the ballot
paper made and delivered to the Election
Commissioners, who, / am advised, are
the proper ones to receive it under Sec
ton ZIG OF the election law, which is the
latest law and the one L must heed. At
one time, after my attention had been di-
rected to part Of the law, and had not
taken cogniZance OF it as whole, enter
| tanned for a short time the opinion that
the Registrar was the proper custodian of
| the ballot paper.
Third-ln your article the point is re-
newed about the secrecy to be observed
| with regard to the ballot paper. l hope
! to be able to settle this clamor in few
| words. There is no time fixed in the law
| when County Clerks and other proper Of
! tlcers may not order ballot paper. In
fact, | had an order for paper last spring
for the general ticket, long before the bal
| lot paper had been made. Now many
country newspapers have not,the facilities
| for printing the ballots, and some of the
| County Clerks order the ballot paper to
| be delivered to printing offices in San
| Francisco and this city. 1t must be evil
| the first ream of paper under such an or
! der the color and Water-mark are prac-
| ticauy no longer a secret.
Fourth-The story that the Registrar
told me 'to have the pulp ready" ETC., is
wholly without foundation. The only
letters I have received from him are those
! before noted, and the order for more
ballot paper which he handed me in San
| Francisco on the 9Th of the month, from
which you will see that he has ordered
300 reams Of ballot paper of the same size
as that l have already delivered, viz,
| 1Sx42t inches. If ballot paper of a larger
| size is now required, where does the
| blame belong? Here is the Registrars
| order:
SAN Francisco, Cal, Oct. 5, 1892
| Hon. u. G. Waite, Secretary Of Siate-DEAR
| SIR: Please send to me as follows:
Ballot paper for general ticket, 1880 bal
| lots, size s inches by L inches.
| For municipal ticket, 145, $50 ballots, size
Is inches by 421@ inches.
! The same being the quantity required for
the tickets and ballots to be used at the elec-
| ton November s, 1892, in the city and
county of San Francisco by the electors
| thereof.
Your attention is respectfully called to Sec
| ton 1l96 OF the Political Code.
w A. Brown.
Registrar of Voters for City and County of
| San Francisco.
| A few more words and I close. I have
ordered ballot paper made in accordance
with the law governing me, and from
present data have not purchased too
| much. 1t is not apparent to me that [
have paid too great a price for it. But
the appropriation made by the Legisla-
! ture is almost exhausted. No one can
| create debt to buy more paper, except
| the Board of Examiners, and it only in a
case of urgent necessity. / have no order
to supply ballot paper fifty-three inches
| long, and shall not alone attempt to Gre
ate debt or deficiency to produce it. /
am thoroughly advised that in regard to
| making and distributing ballot paper I
am within the scope of the law, and do
not propose TO act outside of it. Very re-
ootf I1l1 yr -