Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-09-02
Communicated
4Otae editor Of The GLOUCESTER County


DEMOCRAT
i In your editorial referring to the Boards
of Registry and Election last week you use
the following language
j Sour elections must be honestly con-
Quoted and the result honestly announced
if our Government is to remain strong in
the affections of all the people, and when
we turn To the announced figures OF the
result Of the election last Fall, and COM
pare them with the census of the p0pula-
ton taken only the year before, there Is
grave reason to doubt the accuracy of the
i figures, and the fear is strong either that a
large number of illegal votes were cast or
the count of the votes as cast was not
honestly announced
That 8O01 votes should he cast in a
population of 81, 191 indicates that the old
rule OF comparison(th that each voter represents
five persons) needs radical revision, and
that the voter really represents only four
| persons"
1t the above pretty broad intimation
that illegal votes were cast or the count
not honestly announced last Fall be well
founded, then there are number of in
dividuals in this county who ought to be
in the penitentiarv If the editorial
opinion in the question was written, as is
more than likely, without thorough ex-
animation and comparison of the figures.
then in justice to last years election officers,
such an examination. should be made.
It is difficulty see just how the vote of
the county could be materially increased by
illegal ballots or dishonest counting, with
out collision between the members of both
parties to an almost incredible extent.
Dishonest or careless counting cannot
possibly increase the apparent number Of
votes polled above the numbers registered.
without certain detection; for the revised
registry lists are forwarded to the County
Clerk before election, aud the checked
registers after election, besides the state
ments showing the total number of voters
registered and the total number polled, =
all of which are submitted to the County
Election Board.
| 1t Is also self-evident that no more votes
can be received at the polls than are
registered, without detection.
This, then leaves illegal registration as
the only means by which the vote of the
county could have been fraudulently
| increased.
That persons not legally entitled to vote
are some times registered through the
carelessness or ignorance of election officers,
is not at all unlikely.
| It is also possible that the names of
these illegal voters may escape public
notice on the registry lists that are posted
conspicuously for three weeks before
election, and pass the inspection of the
chailengers on election day; but that the
vots of Gloucester County was perceptibly
enlarged last year in that manner is highly
improbable
AS matter of fact, when the total vote
of the County is compared with the popula
ton it shows very little difference from that
of previous Presidential election years.
The total vote cast in Gloucester County
at the last three Presidential Election was,
1877 in 1883, 1907 in 1892. and SOO1 In 1896.
We have no official figures as to the
population in these three years. but by
comparing the census returns we can come
very near to the correct number.
The population of the County in 1885
was 276O3, in 1890 it was % $40, AN
increase of 79-10O per cent. during the
FIVE years, or an average of rs per
cent. for each year. Consequently the
increase up to 1898 was 2. 28-100 per cent
making the population in that year approx
imately 1922
According to the State census the
population in 1895 was 81 ,191, an increase
of 887 per cent from 1890, or an
average OF lit per cent. per year
thisbeing more than twice the gain during
the preceding five years.
Figuring upon this percentage we get
for 1892 a population of 28,6e6, while the
same rate of increase, i. e.-1T per
cent per year, gives rs for 1896 popula-
ton of 81, IA.
By comparing the vote cast in TIE
County at the last three Presidential cleo
tions with the approximate populations
in these years, we get the following per
centages of proportions
Total votes in 1883, 1877, approximate
population 28,232, per cent OF population
voting 1913.
Total vote in 1892, 1907, approximate
population 1866, per. cent. of population
voting So.
Total vote in 1896, 8OO1, approximate
population S1,744, per cent. Of population
voting 252
From this it will be seem that instead of
the vote being SO large last year as to
afford grave reason to doubt the accuracy
of the figures, it was actually less, in por-
portion TO the population, than at either
of the two preceding Presidential elections
Had the proportion been as large as
in 1888, the total vote would have been
1885, instead of 80O1.
According to the U. q. census eport for
1890, the potential vote in Gloucester
county was 294 per. cent Of the
population; apparently, therefore, the rule
by which one voter is counted as re-
presenting five persons needs the radical
revision suggested in your editorial
L N.
FERREL N. j., Aug 80 '97
| THE figures compiled by our esteemed
Terrell correspondent ieem to prove that