Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-07


That the Lincoln Roosevelt league did
carry the primary election in Los An
geles beyond a doubt is the firm con-
viction of the leaders of that organiza-
ton. The belated returns from the in
formal primaries that were convassed
by the Republican county committeee
yesterday showed on their face that the
Lincoln Roosevelt league had elected
but forty-two delegates and that the
regulars or machine Republicans had
elected sixty-one.
The canvass of the returns was
watched by Marshall Stimson and Lee
C. Gates, particularly as to the Seven
' tieth and Seventy-fifth districts. In
those districts a change of forty votes
would have added twenty-five votes TO
the Lincoln Roosevelt column, making
their total number sixty-five. which was
not far from their returns Tuesday
night.
One delegate elected at Pasadena is
claimed by both elements of the Repub-
licans, and this makes a difference in
their claims on the face of the returns.
The Lincoln Roosevelt leaders con-
cede that on the face of the returns re-
ceived by the Republican county COM
mittee yesterday the regulars have
elected sixty delegates. The leaguers
claim forty-three.
Contest" was the talk among the
leaguers yesterday who declared that
they were positive the result in many
precincts had been perverted. Instances
were told of particular precincts which
had close returns by reason of the fact
that the tickets were read wrongly to
the tally clerks.
What Lissner Says
When asked last night If the league
would carry contests before the state
convention Meyer Lissner, chairman of
the executive committee, said:
THE question of contest has not been
discussed, but probably will be today.
l cannot say whether any districts will
be contested or not But l firmly be-
lieve that recount of the vote in the
Seventy fifth district would show a
clean victory for the league ticket. That
might also be the result If the Seven
tieth were recounted. We lost the
Seventy fifth by less than twenty votes
and the regular majority in the Seven
tieth was about the same. We have
not heard from the Catalina precinct.
but as we had no ticket there 1t will
probably be for the regulars.
"I do know this. The state con-
vention will be dominated by the league
and the slated candidates for delegates
Young. Knight, Otis and Gillett--will
not have a chance. There are many
delegates on the regular tickets yester-
day who will vote with the league.
There are enough In Los Angeles
county to give us control of the delega
tion, and they do not intend to send
Otis to the Chicago convention"
Cataline Precinct
The tabulation of the vote from the
Seventieth district became exciting
when the country districts were being
inserted. The closeness of the race was
remarkable, each precinct as 1t came
turning the majority from one to the
other. When all but the Catalina pre-
cinct were In the vote for each ticket
stood even-7S0 This was regarded as
"cinching' the regular ticket, as there
was no lincoln Roosevelt ticket in Cat
alma while there was a regular. Later
the report of the precinct was obtained
by wireless and gave the regulars %
votes.
The state convention may yet be
asked to pass on the validity of the
certificates that may be issued to the
regulars from the Seventieth and the
Seventy-fifth should the league find rea-
son to make contest.
The canya S of the returns was begun
by the suy .rvisors at o'clock yester-
day Afternoon. Twenty-Five men were
placed on the work and 1t is hoped to
have 1t all completed tomorrow. Tho
count is being verified and entered on
recapitulation sheets by districts, and
when completed will be footed and the
certificates issued accordingly. While
the law does not contemplate a canvass
until the Monday after the election the
fact that the certificates must be in the
hands of the delegates not later than
Tuesday caused immediate starting of
the count.
Irregular Returns
DurinA the first stages of the count
several IL portant questions arose which
the super r,isors must receive the advice
of the district attorney before reaching
a decision. They related to the regu.
larity of different returns under the
primary law. The most common ir-
regularity was the failure to identify
the tickets voted. In several precincts
the return as officially made does not
state whether the tickets were Repub-
lican or Democratic, and the district
attorney said he would not pass upon
the right of the election officers to cor.
rect the return until after carefui
examination of the law.
Other returns were irregular In the
fact that they were not duly attested.
There were other minor irregularities.
If the district attorney advises the SUI
pervisors that the corrections may be
made the election officers will be sub
poenaed and the record corrected. They
seem to have been sins OF omission
only. 80 far as found
Until the o.'.cial canvass is COM
pleted several results will be in doubt