The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-11-17
COUNTING THE VOTES.
The Funny Blunders Made by Presi-
DENTAL Voters.


dental Voters.
Governor Brown. Secretary of State
Utter and Attorney General Burbank
met at the State House this morning and
proceeded to examine and count the votes
for Presidential electors cast on Nov. 8.
United States Chief Supervisor of Elec-
tions John r. Blodgett was present In his
official capacity aud watched the count,
which was commenced at $3.50 o'clock.
There were "A great many def ctive and
blank ballots. more Than ever before
since the abolition of the old style of vot E.
ing. This is partly accounted for be
cause the electors were voted for AS
group and not individually, Many men
put "A cross against the word Republican
or Democrat, and also put "A cross against
each name. Consequently the ballot had
to he thrown aside.
One men In Ward 0, district 2, of this
city. put cross against the name of
Joseph Banigan only. One man evidently
went TO vote for Cleveland aud Steven
son, but his ballot had cross against
every name but that of the Dem cratic
candidates for electors. A Republican
scratched every name but those of the
electoral candidates of his party aud put
a cross against every one OF those n tmes
A number Of the ballots had dis
tinguishing marks. Sumo of tho crosses
were made with indelible ink, stylo-
graphic pens aud colored pencils. OF
course they were counted as being de-
fective
One ballot was marked with a peacil,
but the cross was a double one aud so the
ballot was not counted for the candidate
the man wanted and attempted TO vote
for, A Democrat had feIt victory in the
air and tried TO draw rooster against
the names of Cleveland aud Stevenson in
stead Of making "A cross.
"A great many voted for two or more
| sets of electors and a novelty was found
| in the shape of Prohibition Democrat.
| In the first district of Ward l. the name
of Joseph Banigan was scratched and
| Robert Grieve was written in the blank
| space, but there vas no cross against his
name. Mr.. Banigan ran behind one or
| two votes in about every district.
The vote of Providence WAS taken up
| and that of Ward ., district was COM
menced with. Cleveland aud Stevenson
| lost fourteen votes and Harrison and
Reid ten votes compared with the war
den's count. Seventy-eight ballots were
| declared defective instead of fifty-eight,
| the later being the warlen's count
In Ward 8, district /, the Republican
| loss was three. The Democratic vote was
| the same as the warden's count. 329.
| Forty-seven ballots were declared defec
| tive instead or forty-four.
The count Of Ward |, district I, re-
| suited in Democratic loss of forty-two
| and Republican loss OF fifteen Seventy
| five ballots were found defective against
| the warden's count OF seventeen.
In the second district Of Ward One, the
| Democrats lost sixteen aud the Repub.
| licans lost fifteen. FifLy-two bailo. s
were declared defective against the
| warden's count OF nineteen
Nine was the Republican loss in Ward
| three district one and fourteen that of
| the Democrats. There were forty-three
| defective ballots against the warden's
| count OF eighteen.
The supervisors count in Ward 3, Dis
| trict 2. gave sixteen prohibition votes.
| This was not verified by the count of the
warden or the official one and no votes
were credited to the cold water party ia
| that district.
The Republicans lost six and the Demo
| Gratis twenty-six. The warden counted
four defective ballots but the cauvassers
found forty-four.
In the third district of Ward Three the
| Republicans lost four and the Democrats
the same number. Twenty six defective
ballots were found, six more than the
| warden's count.
| trlct one was twenty and the Democrats ic
loss was seventeen There were sixty
| seven defective ballots found against the
warden's count OF twenty four
| In Ward 2, district 2, the Republicans
lost ten and the Democrats lost sixteen.
| The wardens found twenty-four defective
ballots but the official count gave fifty
| two.
| A little after 1 o'clock recess was
taken for dinner. AT 2 the count COM
menced again.
The nine districts counted up to the
time OF taking "A recess showed that the
| Republicans had lost ninety-two and the
| Democrats l4l.