The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-05-23
The MAY SESSION.
Will the Democrats Insist On a
Complete Count of Votes?
TWO CONTESTS PROBABLE.
II the Newport Delegation 10 Objected
To, So Will That Of Lincoln Be-Op-
position is Manifested to q Special
Session Here I'm June.

The representatives-elect are beginning &
to think of packing their grips for the
Newport session, and week from to-day
they will assemble at the dock Of the Con :
tinental Steamboat Company in this city,
shake hands with friends, bid them adieu
and set sail for the City-by-the-Sea.
The all-important subject just now
seems to be part that the Democratic
minority will play in the May session.
They number 32 to the 40 that the Re-
publicans will have in the House, and
this is close margin to figure on during
the season of the year when so many Of
the legislators are compelled to give their
attention to farming. Still the Republi-
cans will all be there.
The first thing which will be done when
the members-elect get together, week
from tomorrow morning, will be the pre-
sentation OF the certificates of election.
No contest can begin until these are
handed in, and no man who has one in his
possession can be denied his seat, for the
certificates are prima facia evidences Of
elections.
After all the cities aud towns have re-
ported, then there will be a committee
appointed to consider all cases wherein
seats are contested.
The Republicans propose to contest
every seat from the city OF Newport. They
have been Quietly gathering the evidence
requisite for the fight they intend to
make, aud have secured a sc, of affi-
davits which have been placea in the
hands OF an attorney.
The Democrats, on the other hand. in
tend to contest the seats of the entire
Lincoln delegation.
1t Is not believed that much time will
be consumed in the settlement of these
cases.
After these matters had been disposed
OF aud the two branches have been organ
lied, there will come the counting of the
ballots cast for the general officers.
1t has been the custom to appoint a
joint committee and send them to the
Senate chamber to make a count, the
committee accepting the returns of the
wardens aud mouerators found on top Of
each bundle of ballots.
While this count has been going on the
other members have usually gone TO their
hotels or taken a stroll about the city.
AS rule the counting has been con-
cluded not later than 2:30 o'clock, and the
usual election ceremonies have been con-
cluded in time to permit the local mill
tary companies to escort the newly
elected governor through the principal
streets to the Auuidneck House.
RA few years ago the Republicans in
sisted on a full count, as there were rea-
sonabe grounds for believing that their
candidate for governor had been elected
by the people. The count was made but
the result was not declared until after
darkness had set in and as a result the
usual lection parade was necessarily
shorn of about all its glory.
This year the Democrats say they will
turn the tables and insist on n full count.
They also say that they will insist that a
committee does not make up the legisla-
ture and that the count shall be made by
the los members. They will also insist
that each ana every ballot shall he counted
even il that work delays the usual inau-
guration ceremonies two days or two
weeks. There were four tickets in the
field, with five names in each ticket.
There were more than $1,000 ballots cast,
and this would mean that more than
100000 names would have TO be called off
and checked. III such a program should
be carried out it would spin out the New
port session beyond any previous one held
In that city.
The Democrats are said to be opposed
to June session in this city to finish up
business which may not be gotten through
with at the May session. After the elec-
tion of State officers and United States
senator they will move TO adjourn until
January. They do not believe that Mayor
Honey and his colleagues will be unseat-
ed, aud they look for the most energetic
and aggressive array of Democrats the
House has ever contained.