Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-09-14

The Democrats announced Tuesday
morning that they wanted recount OF the
vote for representatives To the Legislature
from this city. The vote being closer than
they are accustomed TO deal with they
seemed TO think il the proper thing to
make Is much stir about il as possible,
Many amusing things are related con
corning the voting unier the Australian
system. As whole everything wens along
with surprising smoothness but ludicrous
mistakes we're made and good
many of them by the very persons thai one
you'd expect TO vote without hssitaney.
Nothing could be simpler than to vote the
straight ticket under this Law is the gen.
erai remark heard and il conveys the truth
hut notwithstanding this csrelessness and
inatiention produced the results they al
ways do wherever there IL the slightest OPP
portnnlty.
One intelligent looking man came To his
ward room. got his ticket aud proceeded 10
mark 1t on the table by the entrance. file
was told 70 20 Ia the booths to mark his
ballot but instead went over 10 the warden's
table. Finally he was steered into one Of
the booths where after he had remained his
limited time the election officers looked to
see what kept him. He was peering about
and feeling around the booth and then
leaving that went into another booth and
went through similar performance.
Finally In disgust he exclaimed ''where in
the al Is the hole for me to put this bal
iotF'
one Individual around whose head shone
the halo Of American suffrage stood
outside the guard rail listening atten-
lively To a ward politician, who, To ase a
common expression, vas staying right
with him. The instructor had been stay
ing with him for nearly half an hour
sticking closer than brother AMI fairy
bubbled over with information rs TO voting.
Finally a dswning perception lit mp the
face Of the voter. he walked proudly 10 the
booth and in about four minutes came out
"WeIl I fixed II just rs YOU said IL vas
found that he had marked the ballot but
left il lying on the shelf Of the booth. His
Intelligence extended TO marking no on the
educational qualification but not 10 casting
his vote.
one man wrote his name in one of the
blank spaces under the union labor ticket
and without other mark cast his ballot.
In one ward II blank ballots we're cast.
The voters couldn't get it through their
heads that any use Of the pencil was
necessary Some drew their pencil through
every ticket on the ballot but one. hut did
not put any cross opposite that any can
diiate under It,
In ward one but one vote was returned
as spoiled and that was not really spoiled.
Ia one ward man gave his name differ
eut from what il was on the list. Not being
allowed 10 vote he got an affidavit from the
Board OF Repatriation that his name should
be a. he gave II on demanding a ballot.
The warden ruled that he had no right to 20
behind the list furnished by the Board of
Registration and certified to by the board.
One man said he hal spoiled his ticket and
sould not hand il back in order to get
another. lie evidently didn't want the
election officers to know how be had marked
his ballot 50 he tore it into small bits then
Of course the clerks wouldn't receive it back
and give him a new one. The voter became
impairment aud was finally removed from
the polling place by the constable Of the
Wurl