Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-09
SATISFY ALL INTERESTS
south DakOta's Canvassing Board Does Its
Work Impartially.
PoPULISTS TAKE ALARM AT FIRST
Explanations Give Them Assurances
that All Votes Counted VIII lie
Properly Credited In
Every Instance.

PIERRE, S. D., Dec. S.-(Special.)- Fri
day night the most exciting incidents of
the late unpleasantness, known as an cleo
tion, in this state closed. There never has
! been since the organization of the state the
! intense interest that was taken in the
tion of the state canvassing board, as an
other election so close as the last one is
more than unlikely again.
The popuists came here suspicious of
I every act of the board, and II had been
heralded over the state by them that the
board would take any opportunity which
it might find in the returns to steal the
state" With this feeling they were on
| the watch at every moment for the action
of the board which was to give verhcation
to their assertions, and some OF them left
here with the firm belief that all their pre-
dictions would have been fulfilled had they
not been watchful and wary.
Instead of any straining of technicalities
to give to the republican candidates an ad
vantage they found an unqualified spirit of
fairness on the part Of the board, and If
there was anything in the way of strain
ing technicalities 1t was all done in the
effort to secure a full count of all the
votes cast in the state and to secure for
those who had received a majority of all
the votes cast the certificates to which
they are entitled, and as the counties
which sent in the most defective returns
were populist they themselves received the
benefit.
Every adjournment of the board was
looked upon an effort to fix up a deal
and so declared by many of them. But
the deal at no time developed or showed
any indication of so doing
The most exciting time of the whole ses-
sion was after the state canvassing board
had declared the purported returns
l,,NN tIn
organized counties attached to Butte to be
mo returns at all by their failure to
bear the official seal of the auditor, and
their instruction to the secretary of state
to secure properly certified returns from
those counties, for the completion of the
canvass at the recess meeting, December
IL The returns from these counties on
the national ticket were in the same shape
as on the state ticket, and ii was not be-
leved that the board for the canvass of
the returns on national officers had the
power to adjourn, which is specifically
granted to the board of state canvassers.
With this view of the matter the
board to canvass the national returns hav-
ing before 1t the precedent of the state
board it was believed by many that the
board would in the nature Of the case be
compelled to couIt the returns in their
possession and issue certificates accord
ingly. Such action would of necessity give
the certificates to the republicans, and when
the following resolution was presented
from the governor and read it began to
lock as IL such would be the action of the
board:
STOOD ON THE FIGURES.
at is resolved by the governor and sec
retary of state of South Dakota, acting
as canvassers of the state of South Da-
kota to open the returns and ascertain the
number of votes given at the November
election A. ID. 1896, for the offices of mem
bers of congress and for electors of presi-
dent and vice president of the United
States, that the returns of votes from all
the counties of the state of South Dakota.
as opened by us, the said canvassers, are
valid and legal and properly authenticated,
with the exception of the counties of Law
renee, Butte and unorganized territory at
tached to Butte, and we find that the pre-
tended returns OF votes from said excepted
counties are not properly authenticated, nor
are they legal or valid returns, nor such
returns as can be considered by us or can
vassed as the returns from said counties,
and we refuse to consider or canvass said |
pretended returns from said excepted coun-
ties
1--WE further find and ascertain that the
number of votes from said counties so can |
vassed for members of congress are as fol- |
lows: Robert j. Gamble, 3S,41O Coe l.
Crawford, 3SO46; John f. Kelly, 37,SS7; !
Freeman Knowles. 1889; NJ. D. Alexander !
$40; X. Lewis, 6S5.
For electors for president and vice presi- |
dent of the United States: Richard j.
Wood, 3S,533; Richard NJ, 'Slocum, 3S,47S; |
John l.. Turner 3S,494; Thomas ID, Ed !
wards, 3S, 467; Henry p. Lason. 81 926; f. NJ. |
Goodykoontz 37,904; f. NJ. McLafresh 81 |
9Ol; p. NJ. Ringrose, 81 ,S99; G. A. Goddard, |
626; A. II. Reed, 622; A. G, Hunt, CPS; c. S. |
Kelly GAG.
To those not acquainted with the intention |
of the canvassers. and these were nearly every |
one in the room, the reading of this resolu- |
ton indicated that the board had decided |
that no further time could be taken by the |
board and that certificates would be issued |
to these who were shown in the resolution TO !
have received majority of the votes.
Immediately following tho reading of the |
resolution Governor Sheldon explained that ,
while the figures given in the resolution were
the totals of the votes which had been regu- |
larly returned to the board and that it was
the opinion of many attorneys that the board |
had no power to adjourn to a future date
and eecure properly authenticated returns
from the counties mentioned. that the board
had locked the matter up thoroughly for IL
self and that there was no question in It's |
mind as to It's right to take such action ard
that the board would be adjourned to De-
cember II, the date of the meeting of the
other board. and would then canvass the re-
turns from these counties, TO which the sec
retary of state would in the meantime send
special messenger to secure the proper au-
thentication Of the votes cast in them; that
il was neither the wish nor the intention OF
the board to take advantage of the irregulari-
ties and that it would only issue certificates
of election to those who were shown to
have the highest number OF votes on a can
yass OF all the votes cast in the etate.
DEMANDS Or THE POPS,
Following this statement on the part OF
the governor, Attorney Stewart, for the re-
publican candidates, demanded certificates
for his clients as they were shown to have
majorites on the returns which had been
by the board, which demand was
refused.
Following this demand Melvin Grigsby, for
the populist candidates made demand
for certificates for the parties shown to have
the highest number OF votes on the abstract
list which had been made of the canvass,
and which contained the figures from the
counties in dispute. which was also refused.
The board then adjourned from day to day
until December II.
A question has been raised as to whether
any OF the amendments to the constitution
prese nted to the people at the late election
have been carried. All received majority
Of the votes cast on the question submitted.
but section / OF chapter lXxNyi, laws of
1895, provides that whenever a proposed
amendment TO the constitution shall be
printed ON each ticket OF the ballot, etc. "A
the amendments were all printed on a sep
arate ticket to themselves and did not ap-
pear on each ticket OF the ballot, this, Audi
tor Nipple holds. would inyalidate all OF
them. The question will undoubtedly be
.l.N. II. n.