The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1900-04-14

probably called on to decide as
many election questions as any
body or court ever considered. II
would be strange indeed it it made
no mistakes, when even the United
States Supreme Court has reversed
its own rulings. 1t had but few
brecedents to guide il, decisions of
the Northern courts as to the mean
ing and purpose of their election
laws, from which that of Louisiana !,
was taken.
From these facts, and from some !,
popular ignorance as to the law and
it's purposes, many misconceptions
have grown up, and it was well. in
the interest of the peace, harmony
and political future Of the State,
that these should be set at rest.
This, we understand, was Mr..
Cages purpose in asking that
The Times-Democrat, through
committee, investigate the findings
and rulings of the State Election
Board-in order that the whole
truth should be known and rumors
aud Misrepresentation set at rest.
1t will be seen, as shown else
where in the report, that the pop
ular idea that a number of nomina-
tons were rejected because the
signers to the papers had with
drawn their signatures is untrue.
There were such Withdrawals, but
they were illegal, and received no
consideration from the Election
Board, and deserved none. The
trick of signing a nomination paper
| for the purpose of destroying it
afterward by Withdrawing one name
should have no part in the politics
of Louisiana.
| There were in all nominations re-
jected in eight parishes and wards,
the third and sixteenth wards of
New Orleans and the parishes of
Ascension. ST. James, Lafayette,
Vermilion, Iberville and ST. Helena
fewer than generally imagined.
These nominations were rejected on
the ground of informally and fraud.
About most of them there can be no
question among impartial men that
the Election Board acted rightly and
interpreted properly the new election
law Of the State. That law sup
poses the existence of an educated
electorate. The voter has some
diff Guilty in preparing his ballot
correctly, and sometimes fails and
| loses MS Fotc lnCISOy. uC Sou
didate similarly being required tc
perform certain formalities, may
err. and thereby lose his nomina
tion, especially if he be nominated
on petition; but such mistakes, al
though naturally somewhat frequen
at first, will grow less frequen
when the people have had longel
experience of and better knowledge
Of the law There will naturally
: be fewer faulty nomination paper:
next election than at this one.
Some of the points coming be
fore the Election Board we're ''niCe'
and difficult of decision, such, TO
instance, as whether or not the Law
requires the voter to write his owl
; address on the nomination paper
as well as his signature. 1t is tt
be regretted that there has been nc
ruling on this point in Louisiana
but the board acted under de
cision Of the Supreme Court 0
election statute of that State, from
: which the Louisiana election la,
was borrowed and copied.
Many Of the nomination paper
: we're carelessly and faulty pre-
- pdICh anu lSJSNSS' WI VIC
] ground. Quite a number Of tn
faulty ones were not objected to
. and were passed for lack of protest
S 1t may seem hard for candidat
to lose his nomination thrOug
S some technical fault in his papers
i but It is relatively no harder tina
r for the voter to lose his ballot be
cause he stamps it in the wron
n place or makes some similar minO
e error.
S The committee reports that as ia
as it can see, with the facts an
n law before it, that the Electio
n Board was right in the decision
:, rendered by it save in two cases
S and that it was justified in its find
t ings by the law or the judicial dc
t cisions explaining and interpretin
e the law. Whatever may be one
t opinion of the wisdom 0: expe
n diency of taking advantage Of
: technical error of ones opponent
e there can be no question Of tn
t legal right to do so-and it is don
! a thousand times every day in on
: courts.
The committee expresses tn
u opinion that the Election Boar
q erred in two cases--affecting thre
Offices in the State, sheriff,
: coroner and Representative, an