The Saint Paul globe., 1904-03-16
County Auditor Falls to Furnish
Fifteen Precincts With a Suf-
ficient Number of Democratic
Ballots. but Takes Good Care
That the Republicans Are
Amply Provided-In Conse-
quence a Great Many Were
DELAYED Hours In Voting
Mistake Is Not Explained.

A peculiar and suspicious condition
developed yesterday relative to the dis
tribution of primary ballots, a duty
imposed by law on e. G. Krahmer, the
county auditor
BY what method Auditor Krahmer
figured the number of ballots that
would be used is enveloped in the deep
est mystery, but through some cir
cumstance, intended or otherwise. it SO
happened that fifteen precincts ran out
Of Democratic ballots.
The law clearly specifies that each
precinct in the city shall be furnished
primary ballots 25 per cent in excess
of the total vote at the last preceding
election, but the figures do not tndi-
cate that anything like that was done,
unless the county auditor should have
chosen the returns Of the vote for some
popular Republican and unpopular
Democrat.
The cry for extra ballots began early
In the morning, when the Eleventh pre-
cinct of the Second ward sent word
that more Democratic ballots were
needed. They were sent 150 more, and
this lot lasted. The peculiar nature of
the transaction, in which Democratic
judges and clerks were left without
sufficient ballots to poll the vote here
attracted little attention until other
complaints were made.
To this precinct the county auditor
had sent 100 Democratic ballots and
25O for the Republicans, whereas at the
last city election Smith polled 176 votes
and Doran 129. Even the Republican
Judge Of this precinct was puzzled as
to what kind Of judgment had been
used by which the Republicans were
sent such great number OF ballots
and the Democrats so few. But at the
time this was thought to be merely an
exception and that possibly the wrong
bundle of ballots had been marked for
the precinct. The day had not far ad-
vanced when this was proven to be in
correct.
An hour later the Eighth precinct OF
the Third ward sent in word that all
Democratic ballots had been used and
asking that more be forwarded at once.
A comparison Of the vote in this pre-
cinct showed a state of affairs almost
as bad as in the Second ward. AT the
last election Smith polled 145 votes, as
compared with So by .Doran, and yet
the Republican county auditor had sent
but 100 ballots to each Of the parties.
Either Blunder or Design.
From this time on the requests for
Democratic ballots came so thick and
fast that it was concluded by all fa-
miliar with the facts that either there
had been deplorable blunder, or that
there had been a peculiar course pur-
sued in the auditors Office. The blame
must be charged to this Office, as there
all the ballots were ordered printed,
the number allotted to each precinct
counted out, tied up and marked, after
which they were delivered to the
judges of election by the city clerk.
While the demands for extra ballots
came from nearly all sections Of the
city, the Third, Fourth and Eighth
wards were the hardest hit, and when
the polls closed in the Fourth ward
there was not a Democratic ballot held
in reserve. If there had been further
demands it would have been impossible
to supply them.
A feature that adds to the serious
aspects of the case is that but one
call came for additional Republican
ballots, this being from the Second
precinct of the Eleventh ward.
The following table, which shows the
number of ballots sent to each of the
afflicted precincts and compares the
vote received by the two candidates
for mayor two years ago, will doubtless
serve to show that the Democrats were
not complaining without some reason:
Figures Tell the Story.