St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-16
To the Public.

TO the Public.
At the convention of the Minnesota
Democracy, held at Minneapolis on the
Sd day of August, 1892, The party NOM
mated full ticket of presidential elect
ors, consisting of the following nine
men: Robert A. Smith, Benjamin +.
Nelson. D. n. Jones, William Quinn,
Martin Shea, D. r. P. Hibbs, A.
L. Sackett. James 7. Barron and
John c. Oswald. About a month
later the names of these candidates,
along with those selected by the con-
vention for the other offices, were
sent by the state central committee to
the secretary of state to be printed on
the official ballots prescribed By the
election law now in force, and which
are to be used by the voters of this
state at the coming election.
On the 10th of October four of the
party's nominees for presidential elect
orS declined tos serve for one reason or
another, and at a meeting of the state
central committee then called, William
Meighen. A. l.. StrOmberg, James Dill
Ion and Al Holloway, who had pre-
viously been nominated by the Peoples
patty for the same Offices. were chosen
to fill the vacancies thus created. These
substitutions were at once reported to
the secretary of state in proper shape.
with the request that corresponding
change be made in the official ballots.
ha Of ln
atives OF the respective political par
ties having tickets before the people
met at the secretary of states office, and
the order of arrangement on the official
ballots was decided by lot for candidates
to whom this portion of the law applies.
At the same time the secretary of state
prepared a specimen ballot for public
information, exhibited it for inspection.
and filed 1T where it might be seen by
tnquirers. On this ballot he placed at
She top in group the list of nine Re-
publican presidential electors. writing
III front of each name the words
"presidential elector." and after each
name the words "Republican-Har-
rlsOn." Next he placed in a
group the list of nine Prohibition
presidential electors. writing after each
name the words ''Prohibition-Bidw
Third. he placed the five Democratic
presidential electors. who had been
nominated at the Minneapolis conven-
ton. and who had not declined, writing
after each name the words democrat
Cleveland" Then. after an interval
he placed in a group the list of nine
Peoples party presidential electors.
writing after each name the words
'PeOple's party Weaver" and in the
case of the four electors who had also
been nominated by the Democracy, the
additional words" Democrat Cleveland. -
Now it happened that, when the Of
ficers of the Peoples party's convention
had transmitted to the secretary of state
the record of its nominations, they had
quite arbitrarily arranged the list of
presidential electors in an order which,
If followed on the Official ballots, would
not bring the name of the four electors
who had been indOrSed by the Democ-
Tacy together, but would scatter them
through the nine at irregular intervals.
This seemed so well calculated to cause
confusion at the polls that the secretary
OF the Democratic party and the secre-
tary OF the Peoples party called the at
tentlon OF the secretary of state 10 the
fact, and requested him to rectify 1t.
For this purpose they asked that he
should group at the head or the list of
the electors of the Peoples party the
names Of those who had also been nom
lDated by the Democracy. Had this
suggestion been complied with. this part
OF the official ballot would have read as
follows:
= Correct Ballot.