The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-10
THE PUBLIC WAS BARRED OUT,
WHILE THE LAW SAYS "TO OPENLY
AND PUBLICLY CANVASS THE
RETURNS"
NO STAR CHAMBER WORK GOES.
Figures From Three Wards Said to
Have Reen About the Same as
loPubIished.

the work of canvassing the vote of the
late election in the Office of the county
auditor yesterday morning. The law
says the members of the board shall
put In eight hours per day at the task
until the same is completed, and the
members thereof came very near liv
ing up to the letter of the law. The
board is composed Of the mayor, as
chairman of the board of county COM
mlSs1onerS, the county auditor and two
justices of the peace. Mayor Doran
had a few loads of wood to sell early
in the day, an official decapitation to
attend to at midday and council COM
m1ttee meeting to attend during the
afternoon, but he was present most of
the time to see that the wicked Demo-
cratic justice Of the peace did not rob
the Republican officials elect. Auditor
Sullivan had nothing to do but attend
to business, SO that he lived up to the
requirements of the law. Justice Black
well, the Republican justice, had little
to do. as did also Justice Hoyt, the
only Democratic justice in the county
They were present by grace Of the
county auditor-and the law.
But there were others not, present
in spite of the law. There were some
candidates and several newspaper re
porters who were anxious to be pres
ent when thes canvass was made The
reporters, particularly, had business
with the >cahvassing board and it's
work. But the county auditor, who in
this instance at least is a law unto
himself regardless of the instructions
OF the election law declined to admit
the reporters For fear some of them
would enter the sacred precincts where
the only mayor and the only Demo-
cratic justice of the peace were swap
ping stories, Auditor Sullivan left word
in the outer Office that the newspaper
people were to be given the coolest
kind of shake; and then he estab-
lished barricade in the person Of
fierce proved fsclerk who took up his
station at the entrance of the auditors
private Office where the mysterious
rites were being perfunctorily OBJ
served. II was put here to see to it
that you fellows didn't get in" said
the guardian to a reporter.
Auditor Sullivan is the autocrat of
his private office and can admit whom
he chooses, he says But in this par
ticular instance the election law, says
:" and on or before the tern day
after election said board shall proceed, after
taxing the usual oath of office, to openly and
publicly canvass the returns made to the
auditors Office" (Section 1884, page 49, Gen
eral Election Laws of MinnesotaA
1t was given out last evening that
the reason that the doors We're kept
| guarded was that the work of can
Eassing the vote might be expedited.
1t was claimed by one of the clerks
Who assisted in the work that a crowd
would have been about the board and
| the work delayed owing to the con-
fusionethat would naturally arise. The
reporters were kept out on general
principles, it would seem, as the clerk
did not have any reason to assign why
the press was excluded, except, maybe
1t was at the suggestion of the wicked
Democratic member Of the board.
! Mayor Doran is known to have a high
| regard for newspaper workers. He
himself has Said it on numerous Oc-
casions when some inquisitive reporter
insisted on asking why some faithful
! city employe had been decapitated.
| The mayor has a standing order at the
station, at the city hall and at his
home to admit reporters at all hours
! of the day and night Auditor Sulli-
van, likewise is of the opinion that
| his Office could not be conducted sue
| cessfully without the assistance of the
! press gang. He has been heard to re-
! fer to the newspapers in such compli-
| 1rentary terms that there can be no
| question that he5is the best friend the
! reporters have at the city hall-nit
| Justice Blackwell is also a friend of
| the press, SO it couldn't have been his
| influence that{ioelSed the doors. This
lays the awful charge against that
| Democrat, Justice iHoyt.
| But, as a matter of fact, there wasn't
| very much inrCtherthely of hollies for
| the reporters 30 do if what the clerks
| said after it was adj over be true. The
| canvassing board smoked cigars and
| let the clerks DO the work. When the
| board reached the, limit of it's days
| labors three wards and a part of the
| Fourth had been completed. The re-
| turns thus far counted and canvassed
show little difference from the figures
printed in the G 10 b last Thursday
| The official Vote shows: McKin-
| ley, 4,919, a loss of IA from the
! G b e S figures; Bryan, 2,814, a loss
of u. Clough, 4,017, a gain of "A; Lind
1888, a loss of IS. For coroner, Dr.
| Nelson, 4,405, gain of 1872; Whitcomb.
| 1912, a gain of Sc.
It is not likely that the canvass will
be completed before Thursday night or
Friday. In the Eighth ward there is
| likely to be a contest between Martin
and Carter for the legislature, and
there will be put forward the claim
! that there We're thrown out lot Of
| votes that should have been counted
| for the Democrats. 1t will be a Singu-
| lar fact if the canvassing board admits
| these figures The contest between
Martin and Carter is close, and it is
| likely the Republican members of the
| board will do little as possible for
| Martin.