The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-14
What the Official Canvass
DiSClOSeS.
STUPIDITY OF OFFICERS,
MANY of the Returns Were Sent
In Unsigned.
BLUNDERs AND BLoTs GALORE.
The Official Canvass Does Not Reveal
Any Serious Losses or Gains
on Either Side.

In almost every envelope opened during
the official canvass before the Election
Commissioners yesterday there was some
evidence of inexcusable stupidity or crimi-
nal negligence on the part OF the persons
comprising the precinct boards. 1naccu-
rate totals, ballots without tally sheets
and tally sheets and poll lists not certified
TO were as numerous as suffers in the
Baldwin Hotel, but aside from the delay
caused by these blunders. no gain worthy
Of mention was discovered in favor of any
OF the candidates.
Before the forenoon session had pro-
crossed for more than an hour. the canvass
had resolved itself into an official disclo-
sure of the incompetency of more than
one-balf the individuals who acted in the
capacity of clerks and inspectors on elec-
ton day. In more than one instance it
was shown beyond doubt that the simple
arthmetical process of addition was en-
tlrely unknown. The fooungs of tie
tally sheets varied so widely from the
actual number of votes cast that no
reasonable explanation can be offered
other than that fatigue or alcoholic
'bracers" induced the officers to guess at
totals and let it go at that.
The proceedings were utterly devoid Of
incident of an exciting or sensational ma
ture. Attorney ShOrtridge, of course, was
on hand loaded with Oratory and objec.
tions as numerous as spots on a leopard.
but be did not succeed in changing the re-
suit as already published. The Board of
Election Commissioners listened patiently
to all of the objections made, and in the
majority of instances overruled them. pre-
ferrIng to allow the courts to pass upon
the technical legal points raised from
time to time. The rhetorical efforts of
ShortTidge were promptly met with the
plain, unvarnished Anglo-Saxon of At
torneY Clunie, and between the two of
them the mOnotOny OF the situation was
decidedly eDlveDeG.
Blots, erasures anu finger-marks delayed
matters considerably at times, and as each
additional envelope was un Sealed the more
firmly did the official canvassers become
convinced that crowbars, hammers and
shovels were beyond doubt The favorlte
implements OF most of the alleged clerks.
- The count was fairly under way when
Attorney ShOrtridge objected to the count
ing OF precincts where bunders had been
made and the returns not signed by the
precinct officers. He commended that the
board had no authority TO send for these
officers to correct mistakes or append their
missing signatures. Attorney Ashe, rep
resenting the Democrats, took an opposite
view OF the matter. He stated that these
errors were il Able to occur only in certain
districts, where the educational standard
of the precinct officers was net over eight
karat The board decided to count these
returns and summon the precinct officers
when the figures were not clear.
During yesterdays session the Fifth
Precinct of the Twenty-eighth District
was passed pending the arrival of some of
the officers who had been summoned to
explain several bad breaks, and why the
off ri al a1af foIy I'D yaOll fiof
The additional inspector Of the precinct
put in an appearance during the forenoon.
but could not tell what had become of the
poll.list. He said be had copy signed by
the members of the board, but the original
was probably being carried around the
coat. The counting Of this precinct was
again postponed pending the arrival of the
inspectors son, who Is out of town.
When the Third Precinct of the Twenty
ninth was reached it was found that the
municipal tally-list had been placed in the
envelope intended for the general tally
list. A halt was therefore called and the
precinct board summoned to throw some
light upon the Whereabouts of the general
taly-list. The returns from the Fifth
Precinct of the same district were found
10 be unsigned; the number of tlckeis
voted was not signed and the time when
the count closed was not filed in.
MIR. HeggeTty, on the part OF the Repub-
licans, argued that these omissions rem
dered the returns defective, but the board
decided to count them.
An error in the Eighth Precinct caused
another lengthy objection from Mr.. Short
ridge. The poll list showed that 173 votes
had been cast, but the tally list for Gov
ernor footed up ia. The board decided
not 10 throw the precinct out, but issued
an order for the appearance of the mem
hers Of the precinct board. with the du-
plicate poll and tally lists.
The liveliest breeze of the day was
caused when the returns of the Tenth Pre-
clnct of the IweDty-DlDth were spread be-
fore the board. The election officers had
signed the envelopes containing the re-
turns, but had failed to certify 10 the Off
clal documents contained therein. They
were stoutly objected TO by Attorney
Shortridge, who read the law bearing on
the case and claimed that the returns were
no more important than so much waste
paper. No excuse could be reasonably
offered, he said. and the simple fact that
they were unsigned was sufficient TO have
them declared utilities.
He also pointed to the fact that while
the pol-list and taliy-sheet showed 1S2
votes cast the register gave the names of
only 176 persons who had voted. Attor-
ney Ashe argued that the mere fact that
the Official envelope had been signed was
sufflcient to prove that the returns were
regular. Inc BOARD took the latter view
and the returns were counted.
The Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Eight
eenth OF the Twenty-ninth were then dis
posed OF without much trouble, except in
the Seventeenth, where it was found that
the tally-list had not been signed by the
precinct board. When the Fourth of the
Thlrtieih had been finished the board was
obliged to come TO sudden standstilI. in
asmuch as Registrar Evans had failed to
supply additional returns and had gone 10
dinner with the mbination of the yanIt
safely slowed away in his massive brain.
An adjournment until evening was conse.
quently made necessary.
Nine precincts were canvassed dnripo
the evening session aud out of these onIv
two were found TO be correct in eyerv mar.
ticular. The balance showed simply rena.
titions of the discoveries made during the
afternoon. and it required fully as Iauch
time to straighten them OUT and render
them ineligible.
About an hour after the board had COM
menced its work Colonel Shortridge en-
tered the room and remained silent spec
tat0r and listener until the Twelfth Pre-
cinct of the Thirlieih had been disposed
of. He then called attention to the fac;
that quorum of the Board of Election
Commissioners was not present and there
fore the canvass of the precincts from the
Eighth to the Twelfth inclusive was lille
gal and would probably have to be gone
over again.
Then followed a painful silence, during
which the two lonely members of the
board, Messrs. Ores we'll and Fitzhugh.
appeared to realize for the first time that