The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-02-23
ELECTION
CONTEST
Committee Hearing
On haWaii's
Case.
Continued from Yesterday

The Chairman. Is not this corner
here indicating with perforated edges
with the edges on it, which corner is
torn out, leaving a mutilated ballot, in
violation of this law?
Mr.. Atkinson. No sir. Every ballot
is similar and if the instructions are
| carried out, every one should be put
in similar
Mr.. Miller. They are mutilated?
Mr.. Atkinson. No, sir; they are all
| the same.
Mr.. weems. No distinguishing
| mark?
Mr.. Atkinson. No, sir.
Mr.. Currier. The Distinguishing
mark is torn off before the ballot is
| cast.
The Chairman. There is a dfstin-
gushing mark but that is torn off be-
fore it is cast?
Mr.. Atkinson. Torn off. You can
not tell who cast that ballot
Mr.. Chairman. Although it is torn
| off there, it is put on there in viola
| ton of the law.
| Mr.. Miller. By what authority are
| these names put on there?
| Mr.. Atkinson. l wanted to prevent
/ II 1Nt4, anu NotiIlGU To iueHtAIS the
ballots especially to prevent what you
call the endless chain. The previous
election, when the previous governor
was elected, they had this same thing
this way, but they put another Slip
down this side Gndicating). There was
trouble about that 1t was not salts
factory, because you will notice that
the perforaton is smaller on this cor
ah i
that that will tear off first. and this
will not tear at the same time indi-
cating).
Congress says:
A ballot shall bear no word, motto,
device, sign, or symbol other than al
printed.
The ballots are bound in what you
call a block" there?
Mr.. Atkinson. Yes, sir.
The Chairman. They are bounds to-
gether in a pad, and as the ballot is
handed to the voter, as he asks for it.
it does bear a number in the corner
there, which corner is surrounded by
perforated lines.
Mr.. Atkinson. Yes, sir. /
ne Ni1ciii itlEtil al liit tIllzS II Is
handed to him it does bear that2~
Mr.. Atkinson. That is so. -
The Chairman. Which seems to be
in violation of this act Of Congress?
Mr.. Atkinson. THAT'S so.
The Chairman /-But your contention
IS that that mark is removed before |
the ballot is put in the box. BY whom
is it remGved?
'Mr. atkinson. By the inspector of |
ELECTIONS under the instructions. What |
you say is perfectly true. The ballot |
is handed as it is with the number in
the corner but the ballot as deposited |
in the box has no mark, symbol, or
any means of identification.
The Chairman. AS deposited in the |
box?
Mr. Atkinson. Yes. sir.
The Chairman. But that is because
the election officer does something to |
it.
Mr.. Atkinson. The voter has mark |
ed it. Here it is on the instruction |
card:
Before leaving the compartment the |
voter is TO refold his ballot just as
he received it from the chairman, and |
thus folded deliver it to the inspector |
of election in charge of the ballot box. |
and announce his name. After his |
name is checked on the register, the |
inspector shall remove the perforated |
slip. so that the ballot shall have no |
mark of identification, and then de- |
post the ballot in the box.
That is on the instruction card
The Chairman. But so far as the
voter handles it and has anything TO |
lar mark and perforation which are |
allowed are in violation of the act of |
Congress?
Mr. Atkinson. Yes. sir.
The Chairman. And ii is only be |
cause after it has been used by the |
voter and passed from his control the |
inspector of elections does something |
to it, that you claim brings it back |
again within the term of the act, that
il is permissible?
Mr. Atkinson. Yes. sir.
Mr.. Miller The difficulty did not oc-
cur from this, did it?
Mr. Atkinson. l will explain that. |
Now, the duties of the election officer |
are the same in here, from a. |
m. to p. m. Every step that
an election officer takes is pro- |
vided for even to the providing of |
pencils and the sealing of envelopes.
If they follow these instructions. they
will be all right This instruction |
provides that the inspector shall re
move the perforated slip so that the !
ballot shall have no mark Ct Identui- |
ca ton. and then deposit the l.aIlou in |
the box.
Mr. Currier. What made the trouble
n