The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-16
TO CONTEST NOW.
Republicans Decide on the
Step.
BUT ONE DISSENTING VOTE.
The State Central Committees
Resolution.
BUT ONE DISSENTING VOTE.
ADDRESS BY MORRIS NJ. EsTeE.
The SUBJ COMMITTEE on the Recount
Is Appointed as the First Action
in the Matter.

The Republican State Central Commit
tee has decided to contest the election of
James II. Budd as Governor, committee
has been appointed to procure recount,
and the subject will probably be laid be-
fore the Legislature.
A meeting of the Republican State Gen.
trial Committee was held in the headquaT-
tiers, Market street, at noon yesterday {,
Chairman P. B. Cornwall presiding.
The following report was submitted by
the special CO mmttee recently appointed
TO inquire into frauds:
To the Republican State Central Committee:
The undersigned, special committee OF the
Republican Stale Central Committee, whose
duty IL has been 10 investigate the frauds at
Ihe recent election in San Francisco report the
following:
There are 293 voting precincts in San Fran.
cisco. The total vote cast there al the recent
election was l,549 The number of election
officers on each precinct board of election at
the ddte OF the election was supposed TO be
twelve. amounting in the aggregate for The 293
precincts TO 3016. The Board of Election
Commissioners of San Francisco is COMPOSED of
William Frederick, Auditor; I. II. CTesWell,
City and County Attorney, and William FIIZ-
hugh, City and County Surveyor. All are Dem
Ocrais, except, possibly. one. That commission
appoints Tie precinct boards of election Off
GERS, and II appointed those of this Year. (See
statute OF 1878, page 204)
This election was under the control Of the
Democratic party. Thus, the original inspec-
tor of election ia each precinct OF this city and
county was Democrat, and by virtue of his
office practically controlled the entire Board of
Election of his precinct, and in siXty-sIX pre-
clncts oil the city and county such Democratic
INSPECTOR appointed officers of his own Selec-
ton in place of Republican officers on the
opening OF the polls. In many of these in
stances this was done. as we are Informed. be-
fore the lime for opening The polls. and before
the arrival OF some of the officers selected by
the commission 10 act as officers of election.
The law REQUIRES poll-list 10 be made. This
poll-list is supposed TO contain the name, ad-
dress and number of each voter, which name,
address ana number Is entered at the time the
vote is cast Il also requires tay.list 10 be
made by the officers of such precinct boards.
This tally-lst should contain the cOrrecl num-
Der OF votes which each candidate receives
and II is not possible for IL 10 honestly contain
a larger number OF votes than there are names
on ID. pOl-list.
In eight precincts of the city of san Fran
cisco the taly-sheets show larger number of
votes counted for Governor imam there are
names upon The pOll-lists, and IN each Of these
precincts the vote was counted which resulted
IL the aggregate as follows:
For Mr. Budd 994
for MI OSo
In two precincts OF the city Of San Francisco
no poll-lists were found In the returns or in
any way accounted for. yet the Board OF Flee
tlon Commissioners counted the vote for Gov
ernGr. In these two precincts Mir. Budd had
259 and Nh Estee 126 votes.
In three precincts of The city no pOll-lsts
were returned by the election officers Of SAID
precincts, but aiterward individual members
OF each board brought in pretended poll-lstS,
which were received by the commission, and
the vote was counted. In these precincts Mr.
Budd received 306 and Mr.. EStee 1913 votes.
In four precincts Of the city no original poll
list was turned or afterward accounted for
but what were said o be duplicates were after
ward produced by some member OF the respec-
tive boards OF election, ma the vote was
counted. In these four precincts Mr.. Budd re.
ceivrd 468 votes; Mr.. Estee nad ZAP yo es.
In seVenty-four precincts OF the city there
were either no signatures or certificates to the
poll-iSts or to the tally-sbeets. or 10 either OF
them, or other means of identification, upon
such poll-lists or laly-sheeIs. The vote was
counted, however, and aggregated as follows:
MI Budd 50 2S
MI tSIee 3s
1t is claimed that some of these officers had
not previously signed these returns because
they were erroneous. The officers were sum.
mOned before the Board OF Election Commits
sIoners, and most Of them signed the returns
and some of them made their fOoIngS in the
room where he commission was seated. These
officers were threatened with arrest il they re.
fused 10 appear and sign, and they evidently
preferred TO sign the returns rather than I'M
dergO the inconvenience and indignity of Grim
1Dal proceedings. Your commit tee is Informed
that number of such officers who thus signed
under compulson said al the lime OF signing
the returns that they did not know that sucl
returns were correct.
In another precinct of the city it appeared