Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-05-10
THE VILLAGE ELECTION
Nominees of Citizens Ticket
Declared Elected BaIfffs
j. j. Eckels Also Had a Majority Of the
Votes But only Five Can serVe.-Aus-
trallan Ballot Rejected.

IFdUdN BdllOi FSJSSASu'
The Australian ballot system came neai
causing as much trouble in the annua
village meeting Tuesday as it did in the
town meeting in March. This time the
difficulty was that too many candidates
were legally elected instead of too few
After the votes had been counted it was
found that six of the seven candidates
for bailiff had been elected where only
five could serve. An hour and hall
was spent in fruitless discussion but al
the close common sense ruled instead OF
the entangling provisions of the Vermont
election laws and Moderator John Calvin
announced the election of the following
officers for the ensuing year:
Bailiffs. Henry r. Brown, w. ID. Gill
son, G. f. Gilman. a. f. Schwenk and
w. S Stearns; village clerk, w. Dorr
Perry; village treasurer w. Dor Perry
tax collector, w. a. SUBWAY chief en-
gineer, II. w. Sanders; auditor. c. A.
Harris John J. Ecllels received more
than a majority of the votes cast for
bailiff but as he received less than any of
the other five he was not elected. Dennis
Duggan, the seventh candidate for bailin,
fell well below the majority mark. The
only other contest was over village clerk
an treasurer, Ernest ]. Waterman APP
pearng as a candidate against w. Dorr
Perry.
The business meeting went through with
despatch with no discussion of any kind
on any of the articles in the warrant.
The only new item of business introduced
was on a motion made by George w.
Pierce that the board of bailiffs be re-
uuested to take steps toward repairing
and replacing signs at street corners Mr..
Pierce pointed out that the street signs
are much in need of repair and in many
places have disappeared altogether. The
motion was passed without dissenting
-9.,s,.. sg,l,
was expected to bring on a discussion was
the article to appropriate $500 for a series
of band concerts but it was passed without
n word. 1t was unanimously and heartily
voted that the use of the Australian bal
lot system be discontinued and that the
old form of election be used hereafter in
all annual and special meetings of the
village. The meeting voted to accept the
published report of the village officers.
Mr.. Calvin said that the estimated eX-
penses for the year were $4,000 and chat
the bailffs would recommend a tax of SO
cents on the grand list The meeting
voted to accept the recommendation. Sal
aries of officers were voted the same as
last year.
Voting was fairly brisk at times all day
and at 2 O'Clock when the polls closed
312 votes had been cast for bailiffs and
for the other officers in about the same
number. While the business was being
transacted the ballots were being counted
by the board of civil authority.
After the counters had finished the
voters began to argue as to who was
elected. The vote for baiiffs stood as fol-
lows: Brown 230, Duggan 1876, Eckels 165,
Gilman 230, ellison 1888, Schwenk 1877,
Stearns 225. AS 30S good ballots had been
cast for bailiffs 1856 constituted a majority
and six men received more than the ma
jority This was a dilemma which John
Calvin did not want to decide without adj
vice and as the lawyers present did not
agree a long discussion followed. Finally
Mr. Calvin sent word to Village Attorney
A. F. Schwenk, who gave his opinion that
the five men receiving the highest votes
were elected. This common sense
view of the case was shared by most of
those present and Mr.. Calvin so announced
it. There is still a possibility of a legal
tangle in it if anyone cares to take the
matter up. The five bailffs declared
elected were the nominees of the regular
citizens ticket.
Ernest Waterman made good showing
as a candidate for village clerk and treas
urer considering that his candidacy had
not been publicly announced and that his
name was not printed on the official bal
lot He received Sc votes for clerk to Mr.
Perry's 1876 and &C for treasurer to Mr..
Perry's 1877