Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1896-06-12
THE CONGRESSIONAL LECTION.

There is great public interest
the congressional election In u
district and The mass meeting callt
fef o'clock Saturday afternoon
Marion square will bs held ~ sdYe
sIsed, though pfUfb have been mad
10 head II bfi
The pe5ple dft deeply Interested !
The question whether Tongue or Var
tierburg has lawful plurality Of vote
casti According 10 the official return
OF the county canYasslng boards Nj
Tongue is elected by about 70 plural
lty.
The people were not pleased will
the way Mr.. Tongue got the nomina
tIon. They were not pleased with hi,
canvass and failure to stand on TIC
silver question. While the district is
strongly Republican, still at least
five thousand silver Republicans ie-
pudiated Mr.. Tongues position.
The JOURNAL published the truth
abont Mr.. Tongues position on tie
vital Issue and was not surprised Il
the result. But II believes IN fair
play 10 Mr.. Tongue. He should le
given his certificate OF election " he
has 10 plurality, or plurality or oLe
plurality, on an actual count Of bal-
lots.
Has there been correct, actual,
fair count OF the ballots? That Is the
only question. What are the undIs-
puted facts In the caseY IL Is well
known that Mr.. vanderburg's friends
were not represented on the
precinct election boards. Ia some
counties not Popullst or Democrat,
Judge or clerk, was appointed. In
Marion county, where the Populsts
were the second party in numbers two
years ago, their request TO be allowed
a Judge In each precinct was denied,
though IL Is understood Judge Hub
bard thought II should be granted.
II Vanderburg's friends had been
allowed precinct Judge In each pre-
cinct TO count the ballots, the Popu.
lists could have no just kick, unless
there was palpable evidence OF fraud
Ia the election. But the fact that
they were not represented, leaves
them room 10 question the yemcity OF
the count In this district.
On the face Of the returns as they
first came In, Vanderburg had safe
plurality. Then came a series OF
changes running from votes to.2OO
votes, all In favor OF Tongue, with
one exception In Clackamas county.
We are not prepared 10 say that these
errors were not really found; but the
way that they were found and
the uniform character OF the find,
and the fact Of no errors being
discovered practically, but errors
against the only real silver candidate
In the field, aud the fact that all the
county canyasslng boards nearly were
against Mr.. Nanderburg, leaves a
loud upon the integrity OF the Of
fetal canvass by the county boards.
As soon as II was known that Mr..
Ganderburg was probably elected. all
hose county canyasslng boards went
o work TO flnd errors In the count by
reclncts, and found errors In many
asses. And they found what they
'ere looking for, They were not
'oking for errors In favor OF Mr..
'anderburg.
What should be donep Expressing
ldignation and infammatory
peeches will accomplish but little.
IS the matter stands, the people viii
ever believe but what the returns
ere tempered IL not tampered with
10 help Mr. Tongue out OF the
OF defeat at the hands OF
II behooyes Mr., Tongue
lder the circumstances 10 demand
le fullest Investigation. The mass
eetlng should take steps, II Il does
lything, 10 secure a recount OF the
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