The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-11-11

COLUMBUS, Nov. 6.--The Ohio legis.
lature stands "a Republic ms, 20 Demo
Gratis and doubtful on the present re-
turns. With dozen or more of the IS
counties very close there have been no
material changes, except in Wood
county, which will be claimed by both
parties till the courts pass on the action
of the supervisors
There have been no unusual proceed.
ings before tho returning boards of
any of the counties, except that of
Wood although both parties have had
their representatives and attorneys in
the countyseats wherever the vote was
close
Chairman McConville of the Demo.
cratic state committee has not changed
his claims of Democratic majority on
JOINT ballot and will not do so till the
official returns of all counties are in
and show the final results to differ from
those he has at hand.
Chairman McCoDnvllle and others
from the Democratic state headquarters
went to Cincinnati to confer with Mr..
John Il. Mclean and other party
leaders regarding the contests that are
to be made III the close counties.
Chairman Nash insists that the leg
islature stands 10 Republicans to ~
Democrats and the majority on Joint
ballot for senator will not be less than
>. lie says he is satisfied with the sit.
uation in Wood county. What he
feared was that the official count might
wipe out the small Republican plural.
ity in that county. Since the face of
the official tally sheets show "a pluI ality
of II for the Republican representa-.
tive, Judge Nash says he is willing and
ready to have any court pass on the
case He says the law provides that
the members of the board of election
cannot go behind the returns and the
supreme court has held that they have
no ministerial powers whatever, cannot
hear evidence or use their discretion IN
throwing out any votes. That is left
to the courts and to each branch OF the
legislature in passing on the creden.
tials of It's members. In Wood county
Norris, the nepublican candidate tor
representative, fled a protest against
the board counting the vote of FREEDOM
township because the ballot should be
tailed in blocks of five.
This precinct gave Norris 15l and
MCars, the Democratic candidate for
representative 263. If the vote of the
township had been thrown out il
would have increased the plurality OF
Norris by i2, but it was counted The
Republicans insist that Norris will be
declared elected in Wood county and
that the Legislature stands ~ to ~.
1t is learned here that counsel for
both the democratic and the Rnpub.
lican committees at Bowling Green
ts
at once to the circuit court and the
lawyers on both sides went to Toledo
for that purpose. The court will be
asked to decide whether the election
board can go ehind the returns. OF
course it would be left for proceedings
in contest in the house to decide
whether the vote of Center TOWNSHIP
shall be counted.
Information has been received at Re.
publican headquarters of protests to the
Soldiers home vote at Dayton on the
ground that the voting precincts were
not in the pro er places. If that vote
should be thrown out the Democrats
would gain two representatives from
Montgomery county and one senator
enough (OD the claims of the Republi.
cans) to make the legislature stand 7.
Democrats to - Republicans on jo Mt
ballot. Chairman Nash says there are
about 40 precincts in the state where
these technical points on the location OF
the polls can be raised, and if it is made
an issue of contest it will work both
ways with no one knowing the final re.
suit.
TOLEDO, Nov. 6.-The close vote IN
Wood county has been submitted to
Circuit Judge Parker. Congressman
T. G.. Burton of Cleveland represented
the Republicans and Frank Baldwin of
Bowling Green represented the Demo
Gratis. The hearing was held at cham.
bers, and the arguments resolved
themselves into mere statement of
the facts and the rights of an election
board to establish voting booth in a
convenient pace. Decision was re.
served until today.