The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-24

press unpOu lllt; le" ieNtiop-
l. ments which have vet come
to light in the conspiracy by
which William Connell was last month
cheated out of an election to congress
already make interesting reading and
will doubtless grow in interest as the
developments increase. Here, for in
stance. is what the Philadelphia Press
says:
''The commissioners appointed by the
court in Congressman Connell's contest
ed election case TO secure and preserve
the ballots have found that the ballot
boxes in six districts of the borough Of
Dunmore had been submerged in water
and the ballots reduced to a pulp. They
are useless i'll determining how the
votes in those districts were east. 1t
happens that these districts are Demo-
cratic strongholds. and it was in some
OF them that Congressman Connell eX-
pected to find the evidence of fraud
that would justify his contest and make
it plain that he had secured u majority
OF the legal votes of the district. 1t is
not stated in the dispatches how the
ballot boxes got into the water, but
even the pretense of an accident in the
case can hardly be accepted. The laws
of the state are very direct on the sub
ject of caring for ballot boxes. They
are TO be kept in safe place under re-
sponsible authority. so that they may
not be tampered with. 1t should be
promptly ascertained who is responsible
for the condition III which the Dunmorc
boxes We're found and proper punish
ment inflicted. This should be done
whether this destruction of ballots is
sufficient TO defeat the purpose of Con-
gressman Connells contest or not. 1t
was a misdemeanOr to place the ballot
boxes anywhere but in safe place, and
it was not safe where they could soak
in water. The law provides Il proper
punishment for such misdemeanor. The
discussion of additional, legislation to
the laws we now have are permitted to
be either violated or ignored without
certainty of punishment. The Dunmore
matter needs to be turned inside out"
Next read this from the Wilkes Barre
Record: ut is evident that somebody in
Iackawanna county who has an inter-
est in the Connell-Howell congression-
al election contest Is determined to pre-
vent an examination of the ballots cast
at the last election for the office of
representative in congress- On Satur-
day, when the commissioners appoint
ed by the United States court to secuye
and preserve the ballots for use in the
contest, opened the ballot boxes used at
the said election in the borough of Dun
more, they discovered that the boxes
used in six districts where frauds We're
alleged had been soaked in water, and
and consequently the ballots We're re-
duced to the condition of pulp, so that
the writing or printing on them was OBJ
liberated, rendering them useless for
The purpose of ascertainng for what
candidates the ballots were marked.
Clearly these ballots have been de-
stroyed for the purpose of preventing
The detection of fraud and the possible
prosecution of the election boards. In
what way and to what extent this de-
struction OF the ballots will affect the
contest for the seat in congress will
tigation begins. The districts whose
ballot boxes were soaked and the bal
lots reduced 10 pulp are heavily DEM
ocratic. No doubt n determined effort
Will be made to ferret out the persons
guilty of this attempt to prevent an
investigation to ascertain the actual
result of the election for congressman,
deserve. The federal authorities will
doubtless take the matter in hand"
In this connection it may be we'll to
repeat some remarks made yesterday:
AS yet no attempt has been made to
explain how six boxes from districts
giving Howell remarkably big majorlties
wsfe water soaked, while two boxes from
other districts in which the vote was
about normal, and which We're stored
with the six water-soaked boxes, were
perfectly dry. Two things are morally
First, the six boxes from districts sus-
psated of having made fraudulent re-
turns We're tilled with water, the water
was allowed to remain in them until the
ballots and other papers Were reduced to
pup, ana was poured off only short
lime, before the boxes We're brought out
OF the cellar to be opened by the COM
missioners appointed by the court to col
iect ana preserve the contents.
Second, the only reasonable motive. for
tampering with the ballots is to hide a
fraud.
That there was ground for suspecting
fraud in some, at least, of these districts,
is shown by comparison of their returns
in the last and preceding elections. In
1900, Mr., Connell had as his opponents.
ME-. Conry. Democrat, who was natur-
ally strong in these particular districts.
and Frank NJ. Spencer. Independent Re
In the last election, Mr. connelPs oppon-