The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-05-15
DECISION OF THE BOARD
OF ELECTION SUPER
VISIONS.

city, says the Baltimore "San," not to
open the ballot boxes of the four pre-.
cincts which were not counted by the
judges of election, Mr.. McLane will
get the certificate of election to the
office of Mayor, as be probably would
have received it, even had the ballots
in those precincts been counted. One
Democratic Councilman will get bis
certificate who might not have gotten
i. if the votes had not been counted,
and one Republican Councilman, who,
it is believed, would have been de-
f. atcd by the count, will get his certi-
ficate. Therefore, it would seem that
there is no Councilmanic advantage in
the situation concerning the precincts
in question.
The decision Of the Supervisors
rests upon the opinion of their coun-
sci, Mr.. Bernard Garter, and in the
the opinion he has rendered he says
Mr.. Edgar H. Cans concurs. 1t IS,
of course, greatly to be regretted that
the citizens of four precincts in the
city should by the illegal conduct of
the judges of election be in effect dis
franchised. But it was manifestly the
duty Of the Supervisors to ascertain
to the best of their ability what the
law is, and having 80 ascertained it,
obey it. If the operation of the law
works a hardship, that cannot be
avoided by the board. In Mr.. Car
ter's opinion the Board of Supervisors,
acting as Returning or Canvassing
Board, has no power except 10 make a
statement of the number of votes Civ.
en- for each person, and the only docu-
ments which they can use in making
up their statement are the statements
of the number of votes given for each
person signed by the judges and
clerks of election contained in the
sealed envelopes which are transmit
ted to the Supervisors along with the
tally sheets signed ty the judges and
clerks of election. These statements
and tally sheets, Mr.. Carter holds.
must be signed by the judges and
clerks and placed in the sealed envel.
opes in the polling room in which the
election was held before the election
officials leave the room. All these
directions, he says, are contained in
the Election law and they leave the
Supervisors no discretion whatever.
He refers to the reasons for requiring
the election officials to make and sign
their returns before they have IAN op-
portunity to mingle with and be ex-
posed to pressure and influence in adj
vance of the ascertainment by them OF
the result of the election in their re-
spective precincts"
1t is unquesticnably a great griev-
ance to have portion of the people
disfranchieed by the misconduct of the
agencies for conducting the elections.
But it is often difficult, even with the
best intentions, and even when law
is drawn, as was the one under consid-
Grafton, by the friends of pure cleo.
tions to prevent abuses or to antici.
pate every contingency that may
arise. Time and experience are fire.
quently needed to perfect such meas
ures.
A dominating feature OF the present
Election law of this State is its Obi
partisan" execution. Under it the
two principal parties are made to off
set each other. In the conduct Of the
election Democrat judge can take nc
affirmative action without the consent
of Republican judge, and vice versa
At each polling booth there are two
Democratic judges and two Republi
cans, and not single vote can be re
ceiyed or counted without the consen,
of three of these four judges. And te
insure the appointment Of genuine
party men, each party selects Its Owl
judges.
The Board of Election Supervisors
on the other hand is a partisan board
two members belonging to one party
and one to the other. 1t seems to have
been the intent of the Legislature ii
carrying out the bipartisan idea, &C
cording to Mr.. Carriers opinion, te
limit this partisan board to purely
ministerial functions in declaring the
result of elections, reposing in them
no discretionary power.
1t must be remembered, however
that this refusal to count the ballots is
only by the Supervisors and does moi
necessarily affect the final result. sit
is unnecessary for me to say" says