The morning call., 1894-12-10
THEY JOIN ISSUE.
Controversy Over State
Election Returns.
McNAB ANSWERS CORNWALL.
Says His Protest to the Board
Is Childish.
McNAB ANSWERS CORNWALL
AL EVANS SHARPLY CRITICIZED.
A Dispute Between Democrats and
Republicans ELECTS Some Very
Interesting Remarks.

Chairman Cornwall of the Republican
State Central Committee took steps on
Saturday to protest against The counting
of about forty precincts in this city in the
casting up of the vote for Governor.
The election officers of the precincts in
ques ton had failed to perform their duties
properly, and the Registrar had been
directed to cite them to appear and sign
the returns, of the correctness of which
they had neglected to certify. Some of
them called at the Office and duly signed
the papers, but the Registrar kept no
record of the fact and was unable or un-
willing to inform the commission as to
what precinct returns had been signed. 1t
then became necessary to ascertain this by
examining the returns, and when on
Saturday the Commissioner undertook to
do this, Chairman Cornwall sent in long
protest against the counting of the votes
10 any of the precincts involved.
Other members of the Republican State
| Central Committee also raised a howl. de-
claring that the commission had exceeded
| its authority. The Democrats say that
| nothing was done that was not necessary
and entirely within the province of the
board. Gavin McNab. one of the attor-
J neys representing the Democratic State
|
made a full sta tement Of the facts yester-
| day. and said some pretty sharp things
about the action of the Republican lead
ers.
''In reopeniug the envelopes to make
second examination of the tally sheets"
| said Mr.. McNab, "the Election Commits
sion not only acted wholly within the law,
| but were making an earnest effort TO com
| ply with all its provisions. The circum-
stances were these: When the State count
began 1t was found that many precinct
boards had neglected 10 sign the tally
sheets. although in many instances they
had properly certified on the envelopes
containing the tally sheets, and although
the tally sheets themselves were in proper
! condition otherwise.
las the lawyers for the Republican
State Committee entered the technical OBJ
iections the commission decided to sum-
mon the election officers, that the direc-
tory provisions of the la might be COM
piled with. Registrar Evans was ordered
to issue the citations. The Election Com
mission held several evening sessions, dur
ing which election boards appeared and
signed.
ION Friday evening last Registrar Evans
informed the commission that in every
precinct where his minutes showed neglect
in signing the tally-sheetS the officer had
been ci;pd. and gave the board to under
stand that they had appeared and signed
T..
the Democratic State Central Committee,
obtained permission from the commission
to examine the minutes. We found that
although the Registrars Office had been
particular in netting the absence of sigma
lures on tally sheets, they had not been
careful to note that the officers aflerward
appeared and signed, nor could we obtain
10 formattOn on this point from the Regis
trar's office. We made list from the
minutes of the total number of tally sheets
originally unsigned and as the Registrar
could not inform the commission as to
which had afterward been verified there
was nothing for the commission to do but
to examine the tally lists themselves,
which they accordingly did.
''W before the Election Commission
l have carefully RETAINED from crltieiZing
Registrar Evans, as L fully realized that
mis- position was difficult and disagreeable,
1 certainly think that he has acted very
strangely in this last matter. Why should
his minutes show wherein returns were
defective and not show that afterward
the boards of election removed the defects
by appearing and signing? Why should
he have pretended To tue Election Com
mission that he had cited all derilect cleo
, ton officers and that ali had appeared
when the examination of the tally sheets
by the commission showed that there were
still eleven unsigned?
''As for the protest filed by Chairman
| U u
Committee with the Election Commission
it is childish. Mr.. Cornwall has reason to
feel sore at the result of the election. as it
is generally understoo cd that Colonel Burns
had promised to appoint him Harbor Com
missioner in Mr.. Bassetps place in the
event of Republican success.
"But personal disappoini ment is no ex-
cuse for misstatements, and when Mr..
Corn wall or his committee say that election
returns were thrown out in other parts of
the State for technical defects similar to
those in certain pre- cincts in San Francisco
he states what is false, and being a well
informed politician he must know it to be
false. One precinct in Tulsre County was
thrown out, not because the tally sheer
was unsigned. but because there was no
tally sheet and no means of ascertaining
how the vote was cast.
"'The same technical defect in details
that characterlZes some of the San Fran
cisco returns prevailed pretty much all
over the State. They were very largely in
evidence in Los Angeles.
"Wben Mr.. Cornwa talks about fraud
real fraud--we can meet on common
ground. We are all anxious to send cleo
ton criminals TO prison. The Democrats
aud Non-Partisans have made good start
) in Judge Wallaee's cOuri, but they need
help, they need money. The only appear
auce that Mr.. Cornwal's people have
made has been to make common cause
with crime by employing attorneys to pre-
vent the unearthing of fraud
"Mr. Cornwall can amend all this a
one of the numerous meetings of his com.
mittee. which he calls to consider SRA nd, :
by asking thu rich members to su bscribe
to the expenses of the, present prosecu-
ton. Mr. Cornwall is too large man ia
hesitate 10 this matter, because all the
crime so far unearthed has been commit lee
in the interest of Republican candidate
but II he feels any delicacy he can ash
Senator j. II. Mahoney of the fraud COM
mittee' of the Republican State Contra
Committee to make the motion"