Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-12-10
HAS An UGLY LOOK.


The proceedings 10 tho 5snpoio
county election Tor delegates to tho
Constitutional Convention are not
such as to inspire confidence Ia the
election machinery or methods now In
vogue here. On tho other hand they
convey an impression Of either gross In
consistency or criminal lugglery that
lie alarming, and which should not be-
permitted 10 go without thorough In
vostigatlon and satisfactory explana.
ton, NO that the oulpAbility shall be-
properly located.
A concise view Of the situation IL
thiI In each precinct three Judges
Of election were appointed. Two Of
these, including the presiding Judge,
uniformly belonged TO one political
party. At the close Of the polls count
was made by the judges, presumably
In the presence Of candidates on both
Fides or their personalities, and the
result certified 10. Then tho ballot
boKes, etc, were placed in the custody
OF the presiding Judge Ia each
polling place.
When this relurns-eEolusivo Of the
ballot boxos-wefo forwarded to the
Utah Commission, whose majority IL
Of the same political party A. tho
majority OF tho judges OF election,
there are found 10 DO dis.
cropauolss between the registration
book, the poll llsts and the tally sheets.
The ballot boxes are next opened,
and recount develops serious dl,-
eTepanoy between the original count,
mad, by tho judges, aud the second
box, mads by this Utah Commission.
Further than this, the errors arc prac-
tically all on ono side; aud that, In the
original count, agSinsl the party which
had q majority of the judges, and one
Of whom was custodian Of the ballot
box. Or, stating 1t from the basis Of
the second count, almost tho whole
list OF corrections Is favorable 10 the
political party which has the majority
VI canvHssets.
We arc not going to make any sug.
gestlon 10 10 tho probability or improb.
ability Of the judges mailing the errors
claimed under such circumstances; nor
as to tho likelihood or otherwise OF
manipulation Of tho ballots subsc-
quent TO the original count. ATgu.
ments AMI inIlmAtiOus pro anu con In
relation 10 those matters may DO left 10
the politicians. They will do plenty
Of that 10 tho extreme OF absuriity
both ways. But tho Interests Of pure
elections In this Territory dsmands
that more light than comes from the
tpse dart Of a oanvasslng hoard at either
snd OF the muddle shall be- thrown on
tho contradictions between count
number Que, which was official, and
count number two, which may be.
Asto which political party shall con-
troll Ia the Constitutional Convention,
the NEWS does not care q snap Of the
hngers,so long as that control is secured
honestly. But In common with all
good oltizeua II does demand that the
supremacy In that body shall not DO
gained by political "iuuny business"
either with Que party la gegurlag false
returns from tho Judges of election, or
with the other party Ia making a count
that changes tho SEXUAL result. Just
where the fault Ia iu the present in.
stance We do not pretend 10 know or
say. But there IL fault, auI Ia the
interests Of good government aud Tor
tho fair fame Of our Territory, We wisu
~ have II explained In way that will
satisfy reasonable persons not blinded
by partisau,h.p to either view OF tho
situation.