The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-11-14
FISHING FOR FRAUD
Republicans Don't Get Any
Bites in the Recount
Waters.
RANK AND FILE GRUMBLING
Want the Contest Abandoned and
the Money Given to the Boys
-Today's Proceedings

-T0day's proceedings
Although the recount of the votes cast
for Sheriff and Surrogate at the recent
election win not. as the Republicans
fondly hoped, disclose Democratic frauds,
ana elect their candidates, it has even
thus far shown that a radical change is
needed in method of making up the cleo
ton boards Of the various precincts. OF
the five wards thus far counted hardly a
box has been opened which has not re-
yealed some stupid or careless biurder
either in the count, the tally sheet or the
stringing Of the ballots for ali Of which
there appears to be no reasonable excuse.
The majority OF these errors are on the
face thrilling and cannot affect tie result
materially, still they show a carelessness
pr stupidity, or both. on the part Of the
election officers which should not be toll
Grated for a moment in the occupant of a
position which. requires the greatest care
and accuracy in the discharge of its
duties.
In the First precinct of the First ward
was found perhaps the most glazing
error. The tally sheet gave Mr.. Baldwin
1853 votes, while the bog contained only
los ballots with his name upon them. It
was explained that this was q clerical
error made, no doubt, by an ~excitable
clerk, wrought up by the excitement of
the occasion, and illustrated by the haste
TO complete the count. This may be so,
but an excited, frustrated man would be
more apt to write down 15s, las, and some
other los, the first and last number re-
naming in his mind. But why he should
write 1853 instead of los, is only account
able for on the ground that it is a "cleri-
cal error
In the Fourth precinct of this same
ward there were found many ballots
numbered differently from the envelopes
in which they were enclosed. This was
simply gross c-arelessness, and any man
who would commit such an inexcusable
blunder has no right in sdch an import
ant body as a Board of Election. An
other gross error was discovered in the
Seventh precinct of the Third ward, where
the official figures gave Lillis 246, while
the recount showed he really had 224,
and the only excuse given for that was
that which, like charity, covers a multi
tude of sins. cit was q. clerical error"
It's a shame the Legislature don't pass
a bill compelling men of repute and in
telligence to serve on election boards"
said a disgusted citizen yesterday as he
saw the bluDders which were. disclosed
as box after box was opened. HIS re-
mark was re-echoed by others and it
seemed TO be the prevailing sentiment
among the reputable citizens who were
watching the recount, tina the method
of selecting election officers or the per
s3nel OF the boards should be radically
changed.
The recount maintained its weary way
yesterday afternoon up to seven O'Clock
without resulting in anything calculated
TO relieve the monotony of the days pro-
ceedlngs. The Fourth ward was skipped
yesterday, because ii was announced that
John Driscol, the defeated Democratic
candidate for Freebooter in that ward.
was ABOUT to apply for a recount and it
was thought that time and expense could
be saved by counting them both to-
gether- When the Fifth ward had been
c9npleted as set forth in yesterdays
the Eleventh ward. The @ only m ressa 10
given for this by the Supreme Court
commissioners was that they had been
requested to do so by some of the gentle
men interested in the recount. The result
IN the Eleventh ward
For Sherif-Heller-Oficial, 2,O22; re-
count. 1882: loss. 40.
BaldwinI7Ohicial, 1,7s1; recount. 1.7ee:
aoss, Il Net gain for Baldwin, Is.
odm sSurrogate-Lillis-Oficiai 2.074; re-
Wanser-Ofaciai. i,72e: recount. 1890.
io S ~ Net gain for Wanser, 4.
ane recount has now developed into a
y lAoia1lS excursion. and th0Sa xyha
direct it remind one of an amateur snortso
man angling in strange waters. Yo1ir
experienced fisherman knows where the
MIN ar s. ana gees there direct and waits
LII ~ ne catches his mess. Your tyro
crops his line anywhere. and after wait
ras,s VIM - without obtaining a bite, he
.gels IN his line and rows to another
pace, only to go through the same nro-
cess. This he keeps up until he becomes
uuissusted and goes home, with firm be-
Old s shas mere amt a fish in the darn
% Il is with the Republicans who are
ulascting the recount. They counted the
Tbi,d we nhe me FIRST and Second and
nna frauds, and, finding none, they skin
peg away up to the Eleventh and Twelfth
wards. Seeing that those were as free
from any indications of fra11d &C H.
5 9tners, they skipped away up to the
ioWn OF Union. 1t was said that thev
Son s9p9Ts oWn 81 go tnr9ug = the North Hud-
cioseo no better results for them than
saose already opened, they would aban-
Ihere is much kicking among the rank
ana file of the party over the recount
Ihey look upon it as a most unwarranted
waste OF good money.
why; if the Republican party has cot
- inuen money to SPEND said one of
the most faithful g. o. P. workers this
OF the poor fellows who are out of work
tnan throw 1t away in this fashion"
some OF the leaders are also grumbiing
NAE ldICG. 10GV saw that
enough votes have already been 9nenad
70 snow that the result as announced
VIII not be materially affected. and thew
cant see where any advantage is to he
gained by continuing the count. On the
otner hand. there are some of the more
IaDld who declare every box in the conn
" should be opened and its contents
scanned They hope that they can find
enougn Democratie ballots which, under
me Werts law, will be considered defec-
Is the reason why they are Directing to
every ticket which has any mark, paster
III typographical error, which might pos
a marked ballot.
u. to this time at least 200 such al
legged defective ballots have been sent
to Justice Lippincott, to be passed upon
py MIN, the greater number Of which are
SO monotonous were the proceedings to.
day that the spectators found Sometime
very humorous In a Prohibition ticket
which came out of one of the Twelfth
- NJ I'd haHaa - - -.