The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-11-09
The 4 /: BOARD. 4. {.
!. 10 4 0 CANVASS
THE RETURNS
Next Week, and it is Expected to
Require Several Days TO Conn
plete the Undertaking.
THE ELM GROVE INCIDENT.
OF Thirty-Two Votes Being Thrown
Z Out Will Result In Demand
for q Recount. I.

The Ohio, county board OF commits
sioners will meet next Monday to cam
yass the returns Of the late election,
and 1t Is expected that the work Will
require, sittinSs extending into several
days. About two days will be required
in comparing the ballots with the vote
as counted in each precinct, and then
will come the tabulation Of the vote by
Clerk Moffat, which is no small UNDER
taking. though the newspapers manage
to make their compilations in time for
publication the day after the election.
But the newspapers figures are seldom
or never accurate throughout, though
the changes as made In the vote as can
vassed are never great.
A recount will be demanded by Re
;publicans OF Elm Grove OF the votes
cast in that precinct and without n
doubt the board of commissioners will
count thlrty-two votes which the cleo
ton officials there threw out as lmpcr-
feet ballots. 1T seems that early In the
evening of election day. almost at the
start OF the count Of the votes. a ballot
was encountered OH which the voter had
defaced the headings Of all but the
Democratic ticket. instead OF drawing
lines straight down through the entire
ballot. This, the election judges held
enormously to be an Illegal manner of
preparing the ballot. and 1t was accord
Insly thrown out. At the same time the
Judges decided that all other ballots
similarly marked would be thrown out.
Soon others we're encountered similarly
marked, and in all thIrty-two. of which
twenty-five or more were Republican
votes. AS matter of fact the state
law governing elections specifically pro-
vides that ballots marked as described
are proper and legal, and the election
judges were wrong In throwing them
out. 1t Is stated that the demand for
recount in Elm Grove will be presented
Ut the meeting of the county commits
sioners next Monday.
Perhaps some OF the Democratic read
ers Of the Intelligencar who read the
above will fly Into rage and shout to
the four winds that this recount Is a
Republican scheme to count out Nelson
Cecil, who was elected n member OF the
county board of commissioners in Tues
days election. But there they are
wrong, as the counting of all
these properly marked ballots at Elm
Grove would still leave Cecil consider
ably ahead of Commissioner McCurdy.
OF course Mr.. McCurdy may decide.
upon learning OF the Elm Grove incl
dent, that recount OF Triadelpha dis
trict entire might be of advantage to
him, in that there Is a possibility that
other election officials threw out ballots
of the same kind. The only change the
counting of the Elm Grove ballots
would make would be the election OF
John Anderson (Rep.) as constable over
Shep Smith. The latter on the returns
as made for the district, has a majority
Of thirteen over Anderson.
County Chairman ". II. Hornish.
when asked as to his candidacy for
sheriff OF Ohio county In 1904, OF which
the esteemed News Is sponsor. laugh
lngly said that there was nothing In
the story. Charles e. Dannenbcrg Is
being mentioned as the man for 1904.
4 b.. # d
There are several aspirants for TON"
Moffat's job as clerk OF the county
board Of commissioners, and Mr.. Moffat
is ambitious to succeed himself. His
opponents for the position are County
Committeeman Charles a. Hclmbright,
of Webster district: County Committee
man George Bell, of Richie district. and
Colonel Charles Scibert Of Triadelphia
district.
The office OF county surveyor, to which
Robert Hazlett (Rep.) was elected on
Tuesday, Is worth the munincent sum of
$40 per annum- However. the office of
county engineer, which Is appointive. by
the board OF commissioners, pays more.
and for that Office MT. Hazlett Is sa1u 70
have no opposition.
Mr.. S G. Smith has SHE'D his castor
Into the ring as q candidate for speaker
of the West Virginia house OF delegates.
He sent circular letters yesterday to all
the Republican membcrs-elect OF the