The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-05-21
THE SEVENTIES TROUBLE
TOO MANY VOTES IN THE BALLOT
BOX.
Might have been Stuffing or Ignorance
of Voters-Hacks Carry Many to the
Polling Place.

Was the seventh precinct ballot box
stuffed in the election on Saturday
evening, or did some of the ignorant
voters make the mistake of putting in
all the ballots they could get hold Of?
This is a question that is being very
generally discussed in Honolulu today.
After the polls closed in precinct seven
the election judges found that $50 votes
had been cast though there were only
lao names on the registration list. The
judges Immediately declared the cleo
ton void and the matter has been re-
ferred to the Executive Committee of
the club. The committee will meet this
evening to decide what should be done
There was a good deal of lively cam
paign work in the seventh precinct on
Saturday afternoon and quite "a little
money was in circulation. 1t is estima-
ted by those who favor the Stewart side
of the controversy that about forty or
fifty votes were cast by men who could
not prove their right to vote by signing
their own names. The were natives,
| Chinese and Portuguese. Some of them
were given probably the first hack rides
they ever had to get them to the polls
and they had cigars and gin in the
hacks. 1t is considered quite likely
| that some of the representatives of this
class of voters are responsible uninten-
tionally for the overplus of ballots in
the box at precinct seven. AS they ar
rived at the polling place each one was
given ballots by the vote canVassers on
hand. BY the time they got to the box
each had received three or four of these
bits of paper 1t is thought by many
| that the Chinese Portuguese and natl
yes might quite naturally think it was
their duty to cast all the ballots, and
and some might think they were earn
| ing the gin and cigars more thoroughly
| by putting all the bits of paper they
| could get hold of into the box. A man
who has never voted before and who
probably doesn't know whom or what
he is voting for If he were asked to put
piece of paper into the ballot box
might easily think he was doing twice
as well if he put two pieces of paper
| in, say those who think the 'stuffing''
was due to the ignorance of many of
the voters.
T. McCants Stewart stated this morn
ing that there was no way of ascer-
tanning who had been elected. Il have
not stated that it was my opinion that
L had majority of the votes that were
legally cast" said Mr.. Stewart, but
that it is the opinion of many of my
| friends that IL about forty or fifty men
who were brought there to vote and
who should not have voted, had been
refused the privilege of casting ballots
| l should have had majority.
The election was quite surprise.
There were hacks coming with loads of
voters, and there was an amount of
energy expended in getting votes that
seemed to suggest an election of some
| one or other to a great position. l do
not know what the committee will do,
! and as candidate, do not feel that ii
is my place to recommend anything.
am glad to say that there is no feel
ing shown on either side and that do
not think there is going to be any. We
are showing" Mr.. Stewart continued
with a smile, what a good thing it is
for brethren to dwell together in unity
! II am charitable enough to think
| that the extra votes were cast by liz.
norant people who did not know how
| to vote" said K. r. G.. Wallace this
morning. 1T is a fact that there were
many voters who were ignorant enough
to have done this, or worse"
| The judges of election in the seventh
precinct were Captain Quincy, Rev.
Timoteo and b. p. Fabian. The cleo
| ton was held in the Reform School, and
the candidates We're T. McCants Stew
art and w. r. Sims. Mr.. Stewart be-
ing the man who had been formally de-
clared the candidate of the club at its
meeting on Friday evening. Mr. Sims
ran independently of the club contend
ing that the club had no right to vote
at the Friday meeting, but should sim
| ply have put up candidates to be voted
for at the primaries.