Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-29

than the above NUMBER; that WIZ
once destroy all imperfect impressions;
that az soon as said number OF bsilo's
IL printed Will distribute the w
used for said work: and finally, tnat =
will not communicate TO any one WIZ t
soever. In any manner WIZ VIII ,a,,a,s
size styie or contents OF saiI baiiots.
This section to me Is as plain as III.
English language can make II, though
say 70 with great diffidence because judge
Turks saws: Literally construed IL wouhi
result I'm an absuriity as palpable as any
nerbans that ever existed" ! think Judge
Turks and the public have fallen ihto
error tbecausss the word impression
which f. used In said section. They e'i-
IDENTIFY construe IL To mean "Daiiot' ~
the word ballot" had been used then 'the
absurdlty" would exist. Read the sixth
section literally and II not only means
I'm, s-,ys this: The Electoral Board shall
contract with the printer to have. say
2eo0 ballots printed one OF their number
shall go TO the printing office. and. after
ALI hands connected with the printing
shall be sworn. then the cOmpositors shall
set the type and strike OF. for the IN
spection OF the member OF the boaru.
what IL called In ordinary printing par
lance the proof. or impression; " there
are errors In the proof or impression
then a corrected impression Is submitted
10 the member OF the board. lie pro-
nounces ii all right. What next me
printer destroys all imperfect and perfect
Impressions" or proofs clears the deck
ana the work OF printing the ballots
begins.
If the word proofs" had been used
there never would have been question
raised. not even by the author Of the
bill. but the word impression Is used
which word means the same thing as
proof. That section was drawn by one
evidently we'll acquainted with the state oil
the art Of printing as well as the law
and naturally he would use the word
most elegant and appropriate to express
the idea.
An Iexlcocraphers when treating Of
impressions" and proofs when the
subject Of printing or engraving Is re-
ferred TO. give them the same definition.
"Proof Impressions. called also proofs,
are the earliest impressions taken from
the plate or stone."-Fairhoit
II will be observed that In the said sixth
section the ticket or thing To be voted
is called ballots" eight times. and the
word "impression' only appears once,
and that is In the Instructions To destroy
all perfect and imperfect impressions
that il. destroy all the proofs or earliest
impres sions and then let the printing OF
the ballots" proceed.
II Judge BuTks's construction Of tha'
section were correct. that impressions
means ballots" and that the language
of the statute requires the printer Ia
destroy all ballots, perfect as well as
imperfect. then the defect would be sd
great that no ministerial officer could
correct It. and to give the law effect the
highest court must cOnstrue it, or tho
Legislature change II.
| doubt if the court would have this
power
In Re SchiIling, 81. Fed. Rept., SIS. c
G.. \. L. :, al.
IL is rather surprising to me that this
dotlht should arise as 10 the meaning OF
what | regard as the plainest of any OF
the important sections OF this bill. and
| like Judge Burks have not gone beyond
this section, and confne myself to IT.
However. | do think the whole bill is SO
incongruous and Incapable Of execution
that the highest court of the state ought
| to be invoked To construe II. or the Leg
Islature convened to amend or repeal IT
JOHN T. HARRIS.
Harrisonburg. Va,