Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1892-12-20
PaE OPTICAL COUNT.

The official count of the returns
Of the vote in the various counties
was made by Secretary Alexander
on Thursday and the totals show
just what The Sun has been claim
ing since election day, to-wit: that
Joseph actually defeated Catron
by a larger majority than he did
Otero. Let us look at the figures
a moment.
In 1888 Joseph's total vote in
the Territory was 1871 and
Otero's was 14,481. giving Joseph
a majority Of 1850. In 1890 Jo-
seph's vote was 1906, and Otero's
was 1912, giving Joseph a ma
jority Of 2,0GA In 1892 Joseph's
total vote was 10, 100 and Catron's
1920, giving Joseph a majority
of $40. Looking back over the
total vote Of the Territory at the
various elections since 1880 it will
be found that it increased each
two years about 1000. At this.
rate of increase the vote this year
should have been about $4,000.
All those who are posted know
that this average increase has been
fully maintained during the past
two years, in fact has been more
than maintained by reason of the
rapid growth of south eastern New
Mexico. But the total vote cast
was only BLOB, a falling off of
about 5000. Which party did
this shortage of the vote affect the
moreP Let us look at the figures
again for a moment.
The totals of '8S and 80 show
that Joseph and Otero each re-
ceived about the same proportion
of the increased vote. Maintain
ing about the same proportion,
Catron's vote this year should have
been about Is, 300 and Joseph's
about $4,000. Instead of main
tanning the average increase, Cat
ron only received 70 more votes
than Otero did two years ago,
while Joseph received no increase
whatever, but on the contrary fell
short 1,407 Of his vote two years
ago. As the total vote Of the Ter
ritory this year was 1886 less than
it was two years ago and about
5000 less than it should have been
if the average total vote had been
polled, and as the Joseph total
showed a decrease as compared
with 80, of 1886, while the Catron
total showed an increase of 78, il
is apparent that the shortage of
5000 votes in what the total should
have been this year affected Mr..
Joseph's majority almost solely.
We are firmly established in this
conclusion by facts at hand. II
will not be doubted that the short.
Q age Of 5000 votes in this years
3 totals is due to the disfranchise.
= ment of voters through the opera.
= tions of the poll tax law. The
2 democratic central committee has
t the figures from the various coun-
I ties TO show that over 1000 of this
: shortage was democratic vote, dis.
: franchised partly through the
D carelessness of the voters them
, selves, but more largely through
s the rascality of poll tax collectors
S who seemed to be acting under
instruction from the bosses to de,
liberately put every obstruction il
t the way of the payment of th'
poll tax by democratic voters
Devel opments in criminal prose
e cutions against these rascally pol
r tax collectors will fully develop
n the truth of The Suns claim. Il
Taos and Rio Arriba counties
alone 450 democratic voters wert
e ma%liciously disfranchised by petty
republican poll tax collectors
These petty rascals will have t.
answer at the criminal bar 20.
their outrages on the elective
t franchise of their fellow citizens
AND our democratic friends are
, opposed to cutting down the ex.
orbitant official fees, are they
Well, perhaps a republican legis
+. lativo council will have something
3 TO say about this, and the mem
3 bers of the house Will be PLACED
on record whether they like it o.
not.-New Mexican.
!, The opposition to cutting down
the fees, if there be any, will come
f-om republicans. The democrat