The morning call., 1892-11-13

Regarding the election in this city ballot
clerk with an experience of twenty-five
years in elections does not hesitate to say
that many frauds were committed by
officials in the precincts. But this would
probably occur under any system of voting.
He prefers the Australian ballot plan to
any that has yet been tried. Upon this he
remarks: Upon the whole. so far as /
have seen, the Australian ballot system,
though but an experiment this time, has
proven perfect success IN every precinct
where there was competent, honest and
sober set OF officers, and there Is no excuse
whatever for the delay in the count that
has occurred In so many precincts, and the
only reason therefor that | can assign for
the unnecessary delay in the returns is uh-
mitigated rascality." Should there be re-
count all NAV be set right. The voters
stamp can hardly be obliterated and frauds
In the counting can be detected.
Comment not favorable to California is
made on the fact that New York with
100000 population has got through its
election count sooner than this State The
explanation comes from difference of man
agement. In New York the counting be-
gins after twenty or twenty-five ballots
have been cast The boxes are taken away
from the precincts TO central hall for the
purpose of being counted and other boxes
are left to be dealt with similarly as the
vote proceeds. This is a sensible plan.
When counting is facilitated fraud is
checked. because the opportunity to devise
fresh plans passes as the count is ascer-
tanned. 1t is not creditable to San Fran.
cisco that there should be still some doubt
as to how the election has resulted. But
what can be done when illiterate clerks
OF the hOodlum, drunken character are
chosen for numbers OF precincts? Only
men OF high character should be chosen for
election service.
The proposal to sell off the election
booths as irewood should be promptly de-
nounced. The city has paid a vast sum for
these election voting places and they are
just as good for next election as for this
1t would be dirty Job TO sell them for
song. Next time they are needed some i'm
provements for ventilation may be intro
duced. but that is all that Is required. 1t
would be shameful to toss aside the booths
as so much damaged timber and go to the
expense of providing fresh ones a couple of
years hence. Had these booths been put up
earlier good deal OF money would have
been saved to the city in respect of precinct
registration. Altogether the cost of this
election Is enormous, and the expense
should be curtailed where it is possible.
The murder OF Mr. Planz at San Jose Is
as peculiar as any that can be found in the
annals of crime mystery. The man was
popular and appears to have had no ene-
mics lie was not in politics. He was only
In business and hc seems to have had friends
everywhere. Being a tall. handsome man,
he had confidence in himself and his ability
TO get home on shank's pony at any hour of
the night II is quite clear the man did not
commit suicide. But why the villains who
beat him and robbed him should have
hanged him from the bough of a tree is
strange indeed. The man had his hands
tied behind his back and his feet were tied
These circumstances exclude the notion of
suicide and give conclusive support to the
theory of mulder. And then the ques-
uon arises why the murderers should have
gone to the trouble Of suspending their vic
tim from tree II their primary object was
to rob him. The Coroner has some work in
hand TO clear uD this mystery.
Still the British peerage comes TO the
United States for wives, and the wives are
generally wealthy. 1t is very much COM
mercial bargain, or marriage de convenance
in the French style of transfer by parental
sanction and dowry. This time 1t is the
eldest son of the Earl OF Arran, a poor
Irish Peer, who marries q widow twice his
age, and who has daughte. almost his age
III the world were governed by romance
there Is good law for this union. In
"Esnond' the hero courts the daughter and
marrles the mother, but 1t requires all
Thackeray's skill 10 reconcile the reader to
the unexpected. In Europe there is now
good colony of American women who are
married to the titled of the so-calIed effete
aristocracies. They swap wealth against
titles and lordly possessions. mostly in need
OF repair or ready money to stave off the
apparition OF the usurer and foreeloser.
What sad world it would be without folly
in some-shapel
The Austrian army is supposed TO be weak
In numbere and officer caliber. and the coun-
Try has no spare money to fire away in gun
powder. But The Mannlicher rifle, with
which the army Is equipped. appears 10 hold
the lead 10 superiority This rife lets fly
120 bullets minute and the pace of firing
can be regulated TO any extent The sight
range is 27o0 yards-practically couple of
miles-and the penetrative power Ii high.
With such weapon the next war WILL as