The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-11-10
BARLOW MAKES A GAIN
A Sudden Fit Of Economy Strikes Four
Of the Supervisors
When II Comes to Democratic Representation
Among Tally Clerks
But When the Services of Democrat
Were Volunteered Free of All
Charge to the County They
>. Were Accepted

Four members Of the board of super
visors were yesterday morning suddenly
impressed with the idea that to employ
one man for a few days as clerk to as
sist in tabulating the election returns
and thereby satisfy everyone that mat
tiers and things were all right insofar as
the official count of the ballots cast at
the last election was concerned, would
be piece of extravaganza.
There were four members of the board
that were of the opinion that to employ
this clerk would be wretched waste of
the peoples money. 1t would cost $12
and this fabulous sum would, in their
opinion, have bankrupted the county.
When the official count of the votes
commenced yesterday morning the room
where the board of supervisors meet
was crwded with people. Many of the
defeated candidates were on hand as
we'll as representatives of the various
political parties.
The suffragists also had representa-
tives on hand to see that the amendment
got square deal, in the persons of Miss
Alice Ludlam and Miss Abbie Keene.
The Democratic committee was rep
resented by F. M. Reach, while the Sill
yer Republicans were on hand by f. ].
Cooper, the secretary of the club. Brad
ner w. Lee, chairman Of the Republican
committee, was also present, and Fred
w. Potts took the official tally for his
own satisfaction.
Before the count commenced County
Clerk T. E. Newlin announced that he
had appointed as tally clerks four gen.
tlemen who had assisted in taking the
registration and compiling it after it had
% Il re- do fctv
ers.
Every one of the four appointees were
Republicans and the Democrats thought
it but fair that they should have one
clerk Of the four Of their political faith.
Supervisor James Hanley arose and
protested. He said that 1t appeared that
nd provision had been made for repre-
sentation for the Democracy among the
clerks. This he thought was scarcely
fair inasmuch as there was some Ques-
ton as to the result, lie thought 1t fair
and right that the minority parry should
have it's representative on the clerical
force tallying the votes.
Supervisor Hay was impressed with
the idea that this would be reckless
waste of the public funds. County Clerk
Newlin had, he said, appointed four men
and that was enough. True they were
all Republicans but that made no diff
ference.
Then up rose the Democratic represen-
tative and said that the supervisors
need not stay awake nights thinking
about wreckless waste of public moneys.
He announced that il Mr.. Reach was
appointed to represent the Democrats in
the county his services would be re-
warded by the Democratic committee.
Then the Republican members could
make no further objection SO the fol-
lowing clerks were named:
H. G. Miller, Charles H. Mason, G. w.
Hawk, j. A. Newkirk, Republicans on
pay; F. M. Reach, Democrat. services
gratis as far as the county treasury is
concerned.
The count was then commenced, start
ing with the precincts in alphabetical
order. The tally sheets, as returned
by the clerks, were merely counted up
and the figures as totaled were checked.
No ballots were handled in any way
and none will be- except in the case of
recount which will have to be demanded
by one Of the defeated candidates.
The precincts were counted from Ac-
ton to Llano, and this morning the
board will take up the count of the city
on the day of about So A gain of 80 was
made in Clearwater precinct where no
Populist votes had been totalized.
Barlow made net gain of IA in three
precincts.
The total vote cast in the several pre-
c1nctS tnuS lar counted OOeS not tally
with the vote returned. 1t is 40 short.
What has become of those 40 ballots no
one can tell.
Thus. far 70 votes were rejected be-
cause they were improperly and lille
gally stamped and the entire ballot
thereby invalidated.
The result is in no way affected by
discrepancies thus far discovered, and
1t is not probable that it will be, al
though there is no telling what recount
might uncover.
This. therefore. leaves Los Angeles
county in this position: Nine thousand
voters either failed to vote last Tuesday
or there is large number of suffers
on the register.
Either horn of the dilemma is sad to
contemplate. If there are 5000 people in
this county who could have voted, but
who did not take enough interest in the
result of a national election to go to the
polls and vote, then, indeed, have things
arrived at pretty pass.
IL there is that number of suffers on
the register. or anywhere near that num-
Der. then it is scandal and outrage
upon the people-the manner in which
the registration was taken.
A PROTEST ENTERED.