Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-14
CAMPAIGN NEWS AND COMMENT.


law requires the names of candidates to b,
arranged under State, district and county
us, ihS'eaa OF being grouped as parties
aooh 'ne sample ballots sent out. This scheme
VIII render 1t impossible for a voter to cas-
stral2hs ticket by making one oross-mark
ne Will have to mark his choice in eacr
sroup Vi candidates There is great diff
ioiehce Oh opinion among politicians as tc
'n1 eAacC meaning of the law. Many Re
peD.ipans agree with Harrity as to the form
vi the ticket and some Democrats side with
Reeder. Representative Baker. who fathered
tne Dill In the House, holds to the belie
.nat the ballot as originally prepared by
| MI Harr1ty in the form of regular party
eickets Is correct and according to the spirit
| W tnS law. Representative John III. Fow
says IRaG IL was the understanding of mem
! poIs vi one mouse that the candidates were
| " oe grouped upon the ballot under the
designation OF the office for which they
we're nominated. He holds that General
Reeder's Interpretation OF the act is the
| proper one and believes that the form will
nave TO be changed. The other change
winch 1t Is fntimated will be made, in sink
ing gne democratic candidates an inch below
| the republican, Is caused by complaint as
70 the possibility OF mistake to which atten-
| tlon was first called by THE DISPATCH. But
~ ~ Is dl1i1cult to see how this proposed altera-
| non can De carried out II the names of can
1luates are to be grouped as now scheduled.
| Under the Attorney Generals opinion the
| WORK OF those philanthropists who have
| Deen conducting voting schools IS worse
than useless, as they have been educating
the people the wrong way.
The Democratic Congressional nomina-
| tion in the Twelfth district, which L. ID.
| woodruff, the Johnstown editor, secured
so easily week ago. has appreciated in
value at least 100 por cent because of the
deadlocked Republican conference running
up against tho provisions of the Baker ballot
law.
IN discussing the tangle in the voting
system well known attorney OF Republi-
can proclivities who has been examining
the measure. raises some fresh objections
He says: Ton Mr.. Harrity's ballot the
blank spaces are all in the last column.
That is all wrong, and it is defect in the
ballot. The law distinctly says that there
snail be left at the end of the list of candi-
dates for each different officer Tor under the
title of the officer itself, for which an elec-
tion is to be held, in case there be no can
d1dates legally nomina ted therefor as uany
blank spaces as there are persons to be elect
ed to such offices in which the voter may
insert the name of any person whose name
is not printed on the ballot, for which he
desires to vote as a candidate for such Of
hce, and such insertion shall count rs u vote
without the cross-mark. There can be no
mlstaklng where the blank spaces shall be
placed under that clause. They must come
at the end OF the list OF candidates for each
dlnerent office, and not at the end of the
ballot. l know that great many politi-
clans think it would be more convenient to
have all the blank spaces in one column at
thu end of the ballot. But this is not a
question Of convenience; it is a question of
law and the law says the blank space shall
be placed at the end of the list of candi-
dates for each different office and that is
where they will have TO appear if the ballot
is to be legal.'
MCGINTY will not stav down Recorder
j. j. McGinty, who was defeated by Senator
Hines Tor the Democratic nomination Tor
Congress in Luzerne county, talks about
being an independent candidate, and getting
on the official ballot.
THERE is still one more question of
peculiar character which may be raised
by the ruling of Attorney General
Rensel. A number OF special elections
throughout the State, including several
in Allegheny county, have already been
held, using the form of ticket prescribed by
the Secretary or the Commonwealth. One
section of the Baker law reads as follows:
"Whenever. in any contested election, the
tribunal trying the case shall decide that
the ballots used in one or more election dis
drcts were, by reason of the omission, ad-
d1t1on, misplacing, misspelIIng or mrsstnUe-
ment OF one or more titles of offices, or
names or residences OF candidates. or parties
or policies represen tel by them, so defective
as to the office in contest as to be calculated
to mislead the voters in regard to any of
the candidates nominated for the said Office
and that the defective condition of said
ballots may have affected the result of the
entire election Tor said office,
the said tribunal shall declare the election
to be invalid as regards the said office, and
shall report their decision to the Governor
of the Commonwealth" who is Instructed to
order another election. AS the Attorney
entirely misplaced" the question as to val
idity OF elections IN which it was used may
come to the front.
JOHN JAMES INGALLS, is expected home
from Europe to take the stump in Kansas
shortly. II he still believes the purity of
politics to be an iridescent dream he will
probably keep the thought to himself this
time.
THE Populites are making vigorous
claims that they will carry Nevada because
of the silver issue, and they have certainly
secureda few converts from the old parties
William E. Sharon, in q letter resigning his
position member of the National Repub-
!ican Committee for Nevada, says: "Owing
to the complications in Nevada among Re-
publicans, caused by difference of opinion
as to the means and methods that sh ould be
pursued to secure the free and unlimited |
coinage of silver (our paramount industry, |
my earnest desire to aid Nevada and her |
people at this time may lead me into inde- |
pendent action which may not be regarded |
As strictly consistent with party fealty for !
realize that the destruction of our mining
means for the future q picture that |
is not pleasant to contemplate. Therefore |
hereby tender my resignation as Il MEM |
ber of tue National Committee for Nevada"
But Nevada Republicans will probably re- |
turn to their senses before November.
ONE explanation of that reduced ma
orlty in Maine is that while the Pine Tree
State is loyal to Republicanism there is still |
Just n little disappointment that her favor
Ite son was not honored at Minneapolis.
THE list of notable additions to the pro-
;ection column increases daily. Colonel
Noah A. Plympton, of Boston, veteran
Democrat, has announced that he will vote
he Republican ticket this year. He says:
L have just returned from Philadelphia.
where attended o directors meeting OF a
corporation am interested in. There are
z directors and four years ago there were
even votes for Cleveland among them.
This year there is but one. The force bill is
imply piece of playing to the gallaries.
t has had the effect, however,o of uniting the |
'outh against the Republican party and put.
ing off the time when the colored vote
will be counted That will never be until |
he South has been let alone long enough so |
hat the whites down there get to dividing |
nd quarreling among themselves and then |
hey Will cater to the ignorant vote just as
We do at the North"
INSTEAD of Peck of trouble it nows
ooks as though the Democrats would ex-
oaf hrll lhalS Of |
lew York statistician's report of the bene-
!cial effect of the Mckinley tariff.