Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1893-04-21
The Weekly EXpOSitOr.
FRIDAY, April 81, 1898.
The Official Canvass For Circuit Judge.
Many Ballots for Judge Vance
thrown out.

THE SUPREME COURT CALLS a HALT
The County Board of Canvassers and
Township Clerks, about 90 in all, have
had fat job, big pay, and a small
amount of actual labor during the past
week, while the Sheriff and his deput.
les have reaped Il whirlwind of fat fees
and cash for mileage in gathering in
ballot boxes and summonsing the var.
ious township clerks to appear before
the board.
If any taxpayer doubts that there ii
money in this business let him examine
the county records when all the bills
have been paid. If he then doubts LET
him examine hs tax receipt for next
year and see if he don't find trace OF
IT in paying his county tax.
And why the necessity of this enorm.
Gus outlay of money that the people
must pay? What return will they ge,
for all Of these hard earned dollars
Absolutely nothing. 1t is another case
of "The Public be damned" for the
only part that the public seem to have
in the matter is the prospect of paying
much for nothing.
This Board of Canvassers is strongly
democratic. They have canvassed but
nine townships, thus far, and yet they
have thrown out enough votes that
the canvassers of the various townships
had determined were fairly and hon
estly cast for Judge Vance to entirely
wipe out his majority of rs and to give
Atkinson a majority of l6.
The Democratic majority of thi!
county board insist that this has been
necessary because the people made
mistakes in marking their ballots. But
this board of Canvassers is almos
wholly made up Of the men who can
vassed the votes on the night of elec
ton. These are the same men who
had carefully looked over these very
ballots and had corrected all errors
| that they found defective.
But there is this difference. The
canvassing board of the township con
cluded their labors on the night of eiec
ton and knew nothing as to which
candidate had majority and as rule
they were non-partiZan boards. II
there were mistakes in these ballots
| why did not these same men discover
them?
In the nine townships canvassed the
democratic majority, in opposition
to the strong protests of the republican
members, have thrown out enough of
these ballots to give Atkinson gain OF
los.
What would they have done had
they counted the whole 80 precincts in
the county?
Burtchville gave a republican major.
ity, and the democratic majority threw
out 80 ballots that were honestly cas-
and counted for Judge Vance. In
4 In l.All aN. l.,
Wales they gave Atkinson a gain OF
20; in China gain of 9; in Fort Gratiot
Il gain of IL; in Himball gain of %
IN Greenwood gain of 3; in Column,
bus gain of 20.
The only gains they found for Vance
were in Berlin .; III Clyde IL; in Lynn
3.
The question naturally arises, Hou
does this democratic majority fnd thai
these "miStdkeS" all or nearly all point
IN one direction
If the people did make mistakes in
voting were they not us liable to err
in favor of one as the other Of these
two candidates?
Does it Just happen that this demo
cratic majority continue to find errors
which will defeat Vance and that must
seat Atkinson?
Are the electors, when mistakes are
being made, so HGble TO maize them so
unanimously one lrdy
Are not the township canvassers,
those who counted the ballots and
examined them carefully on the night
OF election in plain view of many rs
likely to be honest and fair in their
count rs the democratic majority who
vote to throw out these ballots?
But this sport for the democratic
majority has been effectually blocked
for the present ut least, tor Judge
Vance, accompanied by A. +. Chad
wick, appeared before the Supreme
Court and upon petition the court
issued an order restraining the canvas
sers from proceeding further. This
order cites the board to appear before
the court ON April 25th and show that
they have legal right to canvass the
vote for Circuit Judge; or whether it
should be canvassed by the State
Board of Canvassers or the State Legis-
lature on the ground that the Judge
is State officer.
This question has never been deter
mined in this State and will be watched
with interest.
One thing seems certain, however,
if the Court holds that this County
Board of Canvassers may continue to
handle the ballots, and they continue
to find "mistakes" as in the past, then
Judge Vance will never sit as Judge of
this district, Notwithstanding the fact
that the returns show that he has a
majority of IS ballots, and that the
people desire his election.