The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-05-20

number of bills with this end in view
were introduced and passed and have
received the signature of Governor
stone One of the bills which was
introduced by Senator j. c. Vaughan,
is somewhat drastic in it's provisions.
1t is as follows
AN ACT
To amend the ninth section of an act
entitled "An act designating the sew
eral classes of contested elections in
this commonwealth and providing for
the trial thereof approved the nine
teenth day of May, Ammo Domini
one thousand and eight hundred and
seventy-four providing that the costs
in certain cases shall be placed on the
petitioners.
Section /. BE II enacted by the SEN
ate and house of representatives of the
commonwealth of Pennsylvania in gem
eral assembly met, and 1t is hereby en-
acted by the authority of the same,
That section nine of an act entitled IAN
act designating the several classes of
contested elections in this common
wealth and providing for the trial
thereof" approved May nineteenth,
Ammo Domini one thousand eight hun
dred and seventy-four, which reads as
follows, witnesses and officers shall be
paid the same fees as are now or here
after shall be fixed by law for similar
services in the county in which the
trial shall be held. If the court or judge
shall decide that the complaint is with
out probable cause the petitioners and
every one of them shall be Jointly and
severally liable for all the costs and the
same may be collected as debts of like
amount are by law collectibe or pay
ment thereof may be enforced by at
taChment.
STATE CONTESTS.
In contested elections of electors of
president and Vice-president and
state officers whose Jurisdiction eX-
tends over the state in which the court
or judge shall not decide that the COM
plant Is without probable cause the
commonwealth shall be liable for all
costs and the same shall be paid by the
state treasurer out of any moneyssnot
otherwise appropriated on bills certi-
fled to be correct by the proper court
or judge upon examination and ap-
proVal of the auditor general. In con-
tested elections of president or addi-
tional law judges senators and men,
berS of the house of representatives
and of county, borough, township or
municipal officers in which the court
or judge shall not decide that the COM
proper district county, city. township,
borough, ward school district or munic-
ipality shall be liable to pay all costs
and the same shall be promptly paid by
the proper authorities upon the order
of the court or judge trying the case"
be and the same is hereby amended to
read as follows:
Section .. Witnesses and officers
shall be paid the same fees as are now
hnr ftnt. .l, he 1oHt f,N.s
similar services in the county in which
the trial shall be held, but witnesses
whose votes are shown to be illegal
shall receive no witness fees or mile
age. In contested elections of presi-
dent or additional law judges and of
county, borough, township, municipal
officers or school directors or school
controllers, If the contestant or con-
testants fail to establish his or their
right to the office to which he or they
claimed to have been elected, the petit
TONERS and each and every of them
shall be Jointly and severally liable for
all the costs, and the same may be col
lected as debts of like amounts are by
law collectible or payment thereof may
be enforced by attachment.
DISPOSITION OF COSTS.
In case the contestant or contest
ants establish his or their right
to the office in either of the
above named cases the costs shall
be paid by the proper district,
county, borough, township, municipal
ity or school district. Whenever a petit
tion to contest an election in any of
said cases shall be presented to the
court it shall be the duty of said petit
TONERS within ten days thereafter to
file a bond signed by at least five of
n 1,h
said court or any judge thereof during
vacation shall designate with sureties
to be approved by the said court or judge
conditioned for the payment of all costs
which may accrue in said contested
election proceeding. In case the said
petitioners by decree of said court shall
be adjudged liable to pay said costs
and If the said bond shall not be filed
as herein provided the said petition TO
contest the election shall be dismissed.
In contested elections of electors of
president and Vice-preSident and state
officers whose jurisdiction extends over
the state and senators and members of
the house of representatives If the court
or judge shall decide that the complaint
is without probable cause the petition
ers and every of them shall be jointly
and severally liable for all the costs
and the same may be collected as debts
payment thereof may be enforced by
attachment. In contested elections of
electors of president and ice-president
and state officers whose jurisdiction eX-
tends over the state and senators and
members of the house of representa-
tiVes as aforesaid in which the court or
Judge shall not decide that the COM
plant is without probable cause the
commonwealth shall be liable for all
4 l. @1n oil INnV V,eai hNTt 11A
state treasurer out of any moneys not
otherwise appropriated on bills certi-
fled to be correct by the proper court
or judge upon examination and ap-
proval OF the auditor general"
SENSIBLE AMENDMENT.
An amendment suggested by Judge
Archibald has become a law which will
permit of the curing of defective afii-
davits. The intention of the amend
ment is to prevent the incompetency
of election officers from robbing man
of his vote. In every election con-
test scores of votes are thrown out
because the election officer who made
out the affidavit was incompetent and
did not know how 10 properly I'll out
the document Heretofore the votes
had to be thrown out because there
was no way of curing the defects in
the afiidavits.
Judge Archbald's sensible suggestion
remedies the difficulty. The amend
ment Is TO the tenth section of an act
entitled "a further supplement to the
act regulating elections in this COM
monwealth. The amendment is as
follows
provided, that in case any person