The Anaconda standard., 1898-11-21
WILL TAKE A WEEK MORE
Returns VIII Not Be Finished
Before Next Saturday.
HOW THE VOTE STANDS
Under the Election Laws the Canvass
ing Board Had No Right to Throw
Out the Straight Votes in
Precinct II.

At the present rate Of progress Il is
likely to take the board Of county COM
missioners about all Of this week to
complete the canvass of the Silver Bow
county returns. Four days have been
consumed In canvassing 10 precincts
and IL the court so orders. precinct II
will have to be canvassed over again.
Thursday il Thanksgiving day and the
commissioners will doubtless take
holiday on that day. Under the circum-
stances IL would not be surprising II
Saturday were reached before the can
vass Is completed.
IL may be. however. that the commits
sioners will not be as slow in canvas
sing the republican precincts. II may
not suit the majority OF the board to
quibble about technicaities quite so
much The heavy democratic precincts
have all been canvassed now and the
balance of the precincts are either fus-
ion or very close. with only a small ma
jority either way. Everything north Of
Park street has been canvassed. I'm
less the board decides to throw out all
the straight democratic ballots. IL will
be an exceedingly difficult matter for
any fusion county candidate to creep
in now. even with 272 straight demo-
cratic votes thrown out In precinct IL.
In the nineteen precincts already can
vassed. the vote for Campbell and for
Marshall was precisely the same in
every precinct as given In the Standard
IL or l2 days ago. IL We except the 272
votes for Campbell thrown out Of pre-
cinct IL. There is a 81 ght increase in
Hogan's vote by the official returns. but
nothing that Is material. There is no
change in Pemberton's vote over the
unofficial returns. except In precinct IL.
but there is a considerable increase in
Brantly's vote. In the 10 precincts al
ready officially canvassed. the total
vote on the head OF the ticket is as fol-
lows:
Campbeii..... ............ ....5,oaO
Marshall ....... ......... ...." ..l2io
hogan ............i,Slz
In these precincts. Campbell has a
majority of 2.325 over Marshall and
majority OF LOIS over both. IL the court
decides that the 272 democratic votes in
precinct IL shall be counted. Campbell
will have a plurality of 2.597 over Mar
shall In these precincts and a majority
of 1.2s5 over both Marshall and Hogan.
The total vote on chief Justice In the
10 precincts already canvassed Is as fol-
lows:
Pemberton ..... ....... .............3.s5S
That gives Pemberton a lead up to
date of 1.64S. If the 272 votes for Penn
berton in precinct IL are counted. he
would have a lead in the 10 precincts OF
1915. Pemberton's lead will. however.
be much reduced in the precincts still
to be counted.
The election laws OF the State of Mon
tana apparently give no warrant for
the disfranchfsing OF voters on account
Of any clerical or technical error on
the part of judges or clerks OF cleo
ton. The law gives a very wide scope
to the comm 'ssioners. the intent being,
evidently, that the votes must be can
vassed II Ii can possibly be ascertained
whom they are for. Section 1893 says:
I'm canvassing. no returns must be
rejected II IL can be ascertained there
from the number of votes cast for each
person. The fact that the returns do
not show who administered the oath To
the judges or clerks of election. or a
failure to fill out all the certificates in
the poll books, or to do or perform any
other act in making up the returns. that
Is not essential to determine for whom
the votes were cast. il not such an ir-
regularity as to enritle the board to re-
ject the same. but they must be can
vassed as other returns are"