The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-12-31

We think it a remarkable coincidence
that this one mistake should have beer
made SO generally. by supposedly intel-
ligent men, acting independently of eack
other, and that no other mistake should
have been made by them; and this. aft4~
many protests were made, to which
tney replied that they were running the
election, and did not propose to be in
terfered with by outsiders. These H.
spectors showed anything but desire
to be enlightened, but now. with one
accord, enter the plea of ignorance. For
instance, in the precincr in which r. z
Lockwood was chairman of inspectors.
where 2Io votes were cast with their
numbers on, he persisted in continuing
to do this although repeated protests
against his conduct were made to ALI
OF which he replied that he had his in
structlons and was taking no outside
advice or orders, and did not desist until
Secretary Atkinson appeared, after IL
O'Clock, and ordered him to tear off the
numbers
We find, however, that there is no way
under the present election laws to pre-
vent such acts of the inspectors. as the
laws seem to make them the sole Judge
OF their own acts. without appeal ex-
cept to the Supreme Court of the Ter
r1tory (Which is not in session on cleo
ton day..
We further find, in two instances at
least, there We're duplicate official bal
lots in existence. One was a complete
ballot, stub and all. without any MARK.
found the day after election. And tdIK
Ind number of a ballot corresponding
to this unmarked ballo,. to have been
voted IN the fourth precinct of the
fourth district The inspectors in that
precinct testified that they tore the bal
lots off the stub in every instance, re-
tanning the stubs.
HAD THE STUB ATTACHED.
But this ballot had the stub attached
| Unfortunately, when we called for the
! package containing the returns of this
precinct we found the bag containing
these returns i1nsealed, and the stubs of
the legislative tickets missing. Inspec~
tors Savage and Angus of this precinct
both said that they put the stubs in the
bag and delivered them to Mr. Buck
land, Secretary of the Board of Regis
tration, at one O'Clock a. M All the
other returns were found sealed, accord
ing to law; everything was there, but
the one thing needed, to-wit the stubs
of the legislative tickets. The other
/ case was in the sixth precinct of the
fifth district, where the witness testified
that he and two others received the first
three ballots given out at that precinct,
and that he was the first to vote, and
| saw the number torn off his ballot: that
when the two others voted he saw the
numbers torn off their ballots. He fur
Their stated that he was at and in the
| booth all the time, from the opening of
! the polls until the ballots were counted,
except about one-half an hour ait noon,
and saw the numbers torn off every bal
] lot while he was present. But TO his
surprise, and the surprise of the III
spectOrs, when they were counting the
ballots, one ballot was found in the bog.
/ with a number attached and he (th@.
! Witncss) retained the number when the
Inspector tore it off, and found it to be
the same number as the ballot of the
man that voted Just after him IN the
morning which he, himself, saw torn
off at the time the ballot was put into
the baliot-box.
As to other matters concerning the
election, having found several indict-
ments, we will make no further conn
ment, as the matter is now before the
court
| We would recommend that the cleo
ton laws be so amended that such gross
abuses may become impossible, and the
| inspectors held responsible for all in
fractions Of the law and suffer such
penalties as the Legislature shall pre-
scribe. And further, we recommend
| that some comprehensive provision be
made for recount of the ballots when
contests arise and recount demanded.
| Also that at least one inspector must
be appointed from the opposing party,
or parties, in each and every precinct
| these inspectors to be appointed from
persons whose names shall have been
sent in by the governing body of the po-
/ litical parry entitled 10 representation
| We believe the ballot-box to be the
cornerstone of our whole governmental
edifce, ard every safeguard should SUR
round it, 20 the end that the result OF
all elections shall be without suspicion.
The report is signed by seventecn
members the full Grand Jury (,