The sun., 1900-11-05
Altered Election Returns.


ing, Democratic pap-r, which is headed
as follows.
Altered Election Ret arms.
The scenes enacted during the past
twenty -four hours while the board of
canvas was in session at the Court
House, in this city, We're in many re-
spects the most remarkable, and in every
respect the most disgraceful ever known
in this State. A mob of bowling parti-
sans of both parties shouted and swore
and fought over what should have been
made grave and responsible public
duty, the counting of the votes of the
people of this county as cast on Tues
day last A detailed story Of the oc-
curence will be found iii our local col
umnS.
| The cause of the riotous proceedings
was an alleged offence of certain in
spectors Of election, i'll altering their
l returns after they had been duly certl-
fed. 50 as TO elect John i. Eicliey to the
Legislature instead OF some other Demo
cratic candidate, and James B. Toman
sheriff instead OF William K. Finn. The
ease Uf Dirkcy, should the canvass show
him 10 hr elected. will be for the House
III Representatives 1T Dover TO deal with
fer il Is not to be presumed that the
Democrat Who would be supplanted by
eAaI+e, II the returns, II the charge can
be sustained Will tamely submit to the
outrage. Tho contest for sheriff would
bG uIo fur tile courts 10 determine.
While under The sEStcms q elections
thai prelail, III lhis STATE, the returns
presented +! tle inspectors 10 the board
ii eanru-. must bc accepted, tabulated
anil u&gega,etl without question, there
are methods d determining whether the
figures are correctly manipulated unless
ihe result between contendng candidates
should lie exceedingly close. While the
canpasSng boards do not assemble until
the second day after the election the
close collection and publication of re-
turns by the newspapers on the day fol-
lowing. generally gives reliable data upon
which to base necessary calculations.
On Wednesday afternoon Every Even
ing printed the complete vote of Will
mington for sheriff and other county
officers, and also had in hand returns
from each polling place i'll the county,
excepting the Eastern district of Appo-
quinimink hundred and both districts of
Blackbird. These returns supplemented
by official returns from the three missing
districts are as follows:
Wilmington, Finn, 7,645; Toman, 6,716;
, totals, Finn, 11,556; Toman, 1o,454; ma
jority for Finn, 1,102.
The figures it will be seen, show ma
iority in the county for William r. Finn
for sheriff of 102 votes.
The many people who are familiar
with election returns are well aware that
there is seldom any material diffenerce
between the returns obt;tinedby thenews-
I M, ~ .p,
officially presented 70 the boards of cam
yass. l'ltc former are obtained directly
from the election officers, Immediately
after the completion Of tho count and
frequently the blanks arc filled by the
A election officers themselves. 1t is ap-
pHrent therefore that the newspaper re-
lltlS arc IN almost absolute transcript
ol tli2 inspectors returns.
Should the official count show the cleo
tion of Mr.. Tonan to the office Of sheriff
thufa will h. only one conclusion, in the
face nf the figures printed above.
However, under onr system of votes
presented to tho canvaSsing board must
be accepted and counted. But ut this
writing it is not at ill certain TINT even
the very suspicious returns presented
and reaa to the board of canvass will
serve to place Mr.. Finn in the minority.
In this event the conspirators will have
underreachcd themselves.
No matter what may be the outcome
of the affair, there is sufficient reason
for criminal proceedings against some of
the election officers. Their suspicious
returns will afford vital subject of ex-
animation by the next grand jury of
this county.-Eyery Evening, November
s, 1896.