Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-11-04
HOW THE STUFF IS MAILED.
Plenty of Election Bluff but Few
Bets Are Made.
NO TAKERS FOR HARRISON MONEY,
Democrats Want to Take Chances on Par.
ticular States
READY RTO-MoRROw NIGHTS PARADE

ballots distributed" said County Commits
sloner Mercer yesterday. "We will get
them printed in time, but there is vast
amount of work to be done in getting them
to the 427 voting districts in Allegheny
county. We are doing this the best and
cheapest way we can. In most instances
contracts are being made with someone in
each township to distribute the tickets and
election papers for that township. The
| first lot of ballots are sent out tomorrow
and the balance on Monday"
Up on the third floor of the Court House
large room is being utilized as mailing
and storage room for the ballots. Here q
number of men are at work getting the
voting material in shape. The floor has
been divided into eight spaces, representing
the eight Legislative districts. The space
is then divided again, giving place to each
of the sub-districts. In this way the ballots
can be separated and gotten in shape to go
out Huge piles of paper are stacked
within the chalk lines OF each district and
hourly the piles are growing higher and
broader.
Looks Like Fakir's Job Lot.
On long table at one end of the room is
collection Of stuff which reminds one very
much of a scene at a county fair. Nearly
everyone has seen the fakir who fills an en-
velope to overfowing with nick-nacks and
sells it for 25 cents Just now in this
mailing room a similar scene is being en-
acted each day, only the things that are
going into the packages are all requisites to
Baker ballot law election. Following the
gentleman, who presides at this table, this
is what you will see him put in
each package: One return sheet,
three triplicate return sheets, two
tally papers, two statements of voters,
large piece of wrapping paper, two cards
for voting places, 25 afidavits of Nos. 1, 2,
8 and 4, four blotters, oaths of election
officers, pay sheet, election law, instruc-
tions as to how to seal box, six MANILA
envelopes, one voters check list, one ballot
check list, letter of instructions from
County Commissioners, five pen holders,
eight lead pencils, sealing wax, one screw
driver, paper OF tacks, paper of screws,
bunch of twine, pens. keys for ballot box,
andSas a very fitting finale the gentleman
stuff is ali sealed up and designated for
some one of the 427 districts. The three
triplicate return sheets and the two tally
papers are each 1ok feet long, while many
of the other numerous articles are of large
dimensions t.,
Sending Out Specimen Ballots.
Another thing which takes a great deal
of work is the sending out of the specimen
ballots. The law requires that four of these
must be sent to each judge of elections four
days before the election. These are coming
in slowly from the printers and there fs
some fear that there may be delay. They
have to be mailed and registered. The
mailing of these cost IS cents apiece. The
for watchmen, who are appointed by the |
different political parties.
The ballot boxes have been tested as to |
their capacity and it is found that they will |
hold 800 votes, when put in through the |
slot. This is thought large enough to hold |
the vote of any district There is one re-
quirement by the law relative to this that |
cannot be carried out. 1t says that all un-
used tickets must be put back into the box. |
The Commissioners have not been able to |
figure this out yet as about one-half of the |
package great deal larger than the box.
The Commissioners are unable to say how
long it will take to count the votes They |
expect TO get results sooner than the people |
are figuring on.
Scratched Tickets Will Cause Trouble.
'The only trouble the election boards
will have in counting" said Mr.. Mercer,
twill be in deciding on the ballots which |
are marked wrong. If the people vote
straight tickets there will not be any trouble
in making the count. It is not clearly de-
cided yet what is to be done with votes that
are wrongly cast. This will be left to the
election boards, and they may throw
them all out There are a great number of
people who have wrong ideas about split.
ting q ticket, and it is from them we ex-
pect the trouble next Tuesday. We have
written to each of the election boards and
asked them to watch closely the workings
IF this election, pick out the defects and
De ready to furnish us with any facts
needed in making the amendments to the
aw in the next Legislature.
"We are having . little trouble yet in
securing polling places. The law SAYS we
ire to get them, and when persons in any
district refuse to let us have the places We
ook around for another, even if it is not 80
With but a few exceptions all
hese have been secured with little more
expense than before"
Late last night the printing of the ballots
vas completed. To-day they will be bound,
pasted and sealed, and tonight all of the
tickets will be turned over to the County