Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-27
BALL0T|NG BY TURKS
Remarkable Unanimity Shown
at the Polls.
HOW VOTES ARE COUNTED
Graphic Description by Constan-
tinople Correspondent.
CANVASS OF THE RETURNS
List of Candidates Read Out to
Roomful Greeted With
Chorus of Approval.
CANVASS OF THE RETURNS

LONDON, December Ga correspond
ent at Constantinople. who witnessed the
counting of the votes in the district OF
Psamatfa, Stamboul, thus describes the
process:
1t was in room twenty feet long anu
half as wide, with four windows over
looking the sea. Thirty men were crowded
into it, some seated on chairs around the
walls, others squatting on their launches
on the floor Some were smoking Gig
arettes, all but one wore feZzes and most
of them had their eyes fixed upon sheets
Of paper they were holding. Standing up
in the middle Of the room was turbaned
old bearded Turk in long coat like
dressing gown. He was reading aloud in
q sonorous voice from sheet of paper,
and at the end of each sentence the men
sitting round made a chorus of assent like
schoolboys.
the familiar tin-clamped travelling trunks
which had been used as ballot BOXES.
The slit in the top had been closed py
sheet Of pasted paper, sealed at each cor
ner So it was quite clear. the chief OF,
fetal pointed out. that no votes could
have been introduced after the poll closed.
The seals to the lock had been broken by
him In that room in the presence OF all
the gentlemen present. And the gentlemen
present included, he explained, not or
the three gentlemen over there. who were
the official representatives OF the elections
board-the three gentlemen over there
rose at this and bOwed-but also tnose
two gentlemen at the end or the room.
who were the official inspectors represent
ing the Greek political committee. There
could not be any hocus-pocus there.
The whole roomful chorused approval of
that sentiment, except the two Greek
gentlemen, who did not seem eager u
commit themselves.
List Of Candidates Read.
The presiding officer lifted the lid of the
sacred box with great solemnity and TAX
ing from it a handful Of ballot papers
distributed twenty-four Of them among
the gentlemen sitting around on the
chairs and the floor. The three officials
and the two Greeks were not included in
this distribution. Taking himself another
paper. the project stood up in the middle
from it as he had been doing when l
entered He read from it a list Of forty
four names, most of them pashas ana
beys and effendis, indicating Turkish ma
tionality. The last five names he read
out ended in IAN the invariable Ar
menian name ending. l did not catch a
name with any Greek termination.
AS he called out each name the twenty
four sitting around checking their llStS
nodded their heads and said "tamam,
meaning 20. K" I never saw such per-
feet unanimity in voting, and have seen
some one-sided elections. All the twenty
five voters whose papers had been counted
in that operation had voted for the same
forty-four candidates, the same thirty
nine Turks and the same five Armenians.
THAT was quite simple and quite fair,
wasn't it?" the project remarked, and
agreed that 1t was most charming and de-
lightful.
So the twenty-five checked ballot papers
were thrown in a heap on the floor, the
Greek inspectors standing UP the better
to assure themselves that none of the
counted votes found their way back into
the travelling trunk. The operation was
repeated. Twenty-Five more papers were
taken out and distributed, and the chief
from his copy sang the same song again.
They were the same forty-four names in
the same perfect and beautiful una nimty.
Again and again and again the opera
ton was repeated. The old gentlemans
breath began to give way after a time
and his voice to grow husky. SO he ex-
changed duties with his chief assistant,
to whose recitation he joined in the gem
eral chorus Of "tamam." When the gen.
eral assistants voice began to wear an
other gentleman with the vocal facility
of a city auctioneer took up the lecture.
Still the same forty-fOur names, and still
.'tamam" Altogether l was told there
were 933 voters in the division. each being
entitled to vote for fourtyfcur candidates.
Free Choice Exercised.
I inquired how it was that such charm