The Portland daily press., 1893-03-07
Mr.. Frank w. Robinson addressed the
warden as follows:

4
warden as follows:
desire to present motion to be acted
| upon at this time. Before stating the
motion wish to say that Section II of
| the City Charter directs that the voters
of each ward may choose two persons to
assist the warden in receiving, sorting
and counting the votes.
| The Australian ballot law has annulled
SO much of that provision as relates to
assistance in receiving the votes and pro-
yided for four election officers, two from
each political party to perform that duty,
| but contains no provision relating to the
| counting of the vote.
Our charter, therefore, stands un-
changed in this respect and the vote must
| be counted and declared in open ward
meeting and the voters have the right to
choose two persons to assist the warden
in that duty.
! In presenting the following written
motion, l ask that the same may be
| spread upon the records of this meeting
and the action of the warden and of the
voters be duly recorded.
now move that the polls having closed
and no further votes remaining to be
received, the voters of this ward do now
proceed to choose two persons to assist
the warden IN sorting ana counting the
persons shall be selected. one to repre-
sent the Republican candidates and the
other to represent the Democratic candi-
dates, 10 this elect.sn.
The motion was seconded by several
voters present.
Immediately Mr.. Peter Daily, who
seemed to be in charge Of the Democrats
shouted tc the Garden, Mr.. Frank Chase,
''Don't accept it," Mr.. Robinson, with
out paying any attention = the obsHep-
erous Daily, asked the warden Il he
would put the motioA The warden de-
clAred peremptorily that he would not
Mr. Robinson then asked him IL he
would spread the motion on the records.
He replied that he would not While
this was going on. City Marshal SWEET
was inside the rail, for the purpose. we
presume, of stiffening up the backbone
of the warden. After the warden,s re-
fusal to entertain Mr.. Robinson's mo-
tion, the latter retired from the room.
The lspace inside the railing was then
cleared of everyone except the warden
and clerk and City Marshal SWEET, who
remained for the purpose, we suppose,
of preserving order, though there was
not the slightest sign of any disturbance.
When it came to declaring the vote in
Ward there was more of the same kind
of maneuvring that was so prominent
| in Democratic councils all last evening.
The vote was held back, and not de-
clared unsil late. Ward was the last of
which returns came into the city clerks
hands. One of the Democratic officials
brought it up, and remained wit it in
| the corridor while he was button-holed
by the leaders. These leaders took an
abstractsof his figures. Marshal SWEET,
! Mayor Ingraham and others studied
them some time before anyone was al
lowed to see the return book. An ex
animation of that book revealed the
cause of their consultations; Mr.. Baxter
had carried the ward by good majori-
ty. On alderman there was no majority
for any one, although Rounds (Rep.) led
Tolman .Oem.) by eight votes. There
were. 1s votes for Skillings (Pro.) which
prevented an election. For first council
man, Mr.. Lyman Cousins Rep.) had
majority, receiving 620 votes to 571 for
Hicks, the highest Democrat. The other
two Republican candidates for council
men, Messrs. Kent and Lefavor, had
clear majorities also, but the Democrats
have made use of a peculiar condition to
declare that these two do not have ma
jorities. This is the condition. Twen-
ty-four ballots were not marked on the
councillors vote, that is, they were
blanks. Kent had 594 votes, the highest
Democrat had 571, and the highest Pro-
hibitionist had IA; 571 plus IA is 5S5,
which is nine less than Kent's vote.
Kent, therefore, has majority over all
his competitors.
But the Democratic warden reasons
thus: He says that there were 1907 Of
the Australian ballots thrown. A major
ity of this is 604, hence they say that
neither Kent nor Lefaver have major
ity.
The reason for this straining of a
quibble is apparent. The Republicans
had carried WARDS Z, o, ana o, thus GET
ting nine councilmen sure. ,Mr. Cousins
in three made ten sure for the Republic
cans. The Democrats had carried Wards
2, and thanks to Warden Harper) I,
giving them nine councilmen. 1t will
thus be seen that the two in Ward 3
would hold the balance of power in the
council. To go farther, the board of
aldermen weuld stand three and three
with Rounds to try again. With Kent
and Lefavor conceded to the Republi
cans the city government would be Re-
publican, whether Rounds should be
elected or not. Did this state of things
inspire the Democratic warden to his Pc
culiar arithmetic?
The vote as given on the face of the