The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-21


sheets ala not agree. That was some
ching tha il melted even The Republican
Commissioners to declare even after
| they were yisIdlng to the notion that
the recount ought not to be mad that
the ballot boxes wquid have to be-
lDpened. However. they wanIed the ex-:
animation to be confined to the ques-
ton which Of the three lowest Demo-
lcratic candidates had the majority!
They did not want q full investiga ton.
They did not want any Republican sup.
posed majority to be disturbed.
But when the recount was made it:
was evident q biz blunder had occurred
| in the original canvass Al present we,
DO not care to go into the manner in
which il was conducted. the physical
incapacity of one Of the judges who
was too .'indisppsed' to perform his
Duties the crowding round of Republi-s
can lockers on in the early morning.
hours. and other incidents which will
| all come out in due season. Suffice it
TO say that a. protest was made very
ernphaticaHy when the straight
ballots were piled up in fif-
ties, that one pile which should
have been counted in the Demo
cratic total was counted In the Republic
can total Also that votes were called
out for H. A. Smith which were tailed
for John Henry Smith. These facts.
Twill account for the changes in that
precinct
The ballot box from the poll now re-.
ferred to was taken to the Commission
by. the judge of election who had it in
charge and whom no one accuses of
Itampering with it, There is no room
for supposing any improperly occurred
after it was locked up by the Commits
sion.
There are many reasons why errors
occurred throughout the territory in
lcanvassing the returns. The judges CT
election, after working all day, had to
work, in many cases. all night and. in
some, part of the next day to complete
the count. Besides the vote for Dele
gate to Congress there were the votes
for county and precinct officers. and
those for members Of the Constitutions
al Convention. 1t was a treble task.
For many of the judges it was new
business. There was an unusual guam
|tity of scratching done, making the.
work all the more difficult. Errors oc-
Cured almost everywhere. The face
of the returns prove that to a GER
tainty.
Why then did not the Commission
order in all the ballot boxes?'s Be-
cause the lawsdoes not authorize such
a proceeding, unless the Irregularities
or discrepancies would affect the cleo
ton of any candidate. Where all the
discrepancies put together would not
alter the result If credited to the min
ority, the returns Were accepted, as
the law requires. 1t was only in cases
where it appeared that the result was
in doubt that the ballot boxes We're
ordered in for a recount. But the
majority of the Commission are per-
fectly willing that a recount shall be
had of the entire election returns. :.
Why. it may be asked on the other
stop a full investigation. 1t COM
menced just as soon as 1t appeared
likely TO affect the election of some
Republicans. A contest before the
courts would result in the opening of
the ballot boxes and a. full recount.
But it is clear that it is not examina-
ton they want. 1t is the stoppage of
inquiry. If there is anything in the
nature of wrong connected with the
whole affair it reflects on the Republi-
can side from beginning to end. We
repeat, we do not charge any fraud,
we do say there have been grave mis-
takes. And all we contend for is that
they shall be rectified, and that until
that can be accomplished, charges that
cannot be established by proof shall
cease. Let US be just. even if we are
ever SO partisan.