Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1909-09-01
THE couKIER's COMMENT

viii be settled before our next issue.
Some points in the Committees
statement are i'm apparent conflict
with each other, and we viii respect
fully ask them 20 explain them to Us.
for publication. - that all the voters
Of the County may understand the
facts.
According To the Judges returns.
the vote stood 22l for Grisby; 2l7 for
Reardon. The Committee says. ION
the face of the returns Grigsby had
six majority" Chairman Lee in
forms IL that. according To his rec
! objection. the vote ON that calcula-
tion was 222 for GrigSby and PIG for
Reardon.
The Committees final count show
ed 2l5 for Reardon and PA for
Grigsby.
The statement above printed says
there were eleven contested ballots.
only five of which were thrown out.
Take the entire five from GrigSby.
and IT would leave GrigSby 2l7 and
Reardon PIG.
But one MUST have been taken
from Reardon. ~ the Committee
awarded him only 2l5. and it would
seem. ON that basis. that Grigsby
should have lost only four and have
"a total OF 2lS left
We frankly confess desire TO
have the Committee clearly explain
these apparent contradictions i'm the
figures.
The Committee further says it re
fused to throw out the entire vote of
the White Post precinct on the
motion of member Of the Com
mittcc. This motion was made on
the ground that the ballot box had
been taken from the voting place 10y
the judges, etc.
Speaking of the elimination of the
five ballots. the Committee says.
Having i'm mind therefore See. l22O
/ CPollard'S Code 1904. p. 49," ETC.,
and. just previous. THE Committee
had i'm mind the law tSec l22o. D..
7G, Pollard'> Code. 1901 which pro-
vide~ that all laws for the protection
and regulation of elections. shall
apply To primary elections whether
legalizcd or not. and such laws
obtained therefore inNhe primary of
July Il. 1909"
pollard's Code. "a we take il. l.
merely compilation of the laws of
the State. and il will Ice found also
20 contain the following, a. para
graph = OF section - of the Cou~titu-
tion of Virginia:
The ballot-boN shall bc kept i'm
public view during all elections,
and shall not Doe opened. nor the
ballots canva>>ed cor counted. i'm
secret"
We believe the Code of Virginia
will also Ice found To contain the
. following:
Section l25. THE Judge To whom
any ballot i delivered shall. upon
e the receipt thereof, pronounce in an
] audible voice the name of the person
T. from whom the ballot Is received
and if hiS name i found ON the reg
p istration book. and there Dee no OBJ
lection made" the ballot shall u,
D accepted.
5 The Committee admits that the
e ballot box was taken from the voting
b place 10 the residence of one of the
. White Post citizens. hut says tn,
e box was never out of the custody
5 or vision of the Judges"
The Constitution says nothing
D about the custody or vision of TN,
y Judges" but il does say The ballo
i box SHALL be kept in public view 81
n Section l25 of the Code provide,
for objection" To a vote.
e How could the public. or an,
d friend OF any candidate. have beer
: allowed the right Ia object To Ger
d tain vote if The ballot box was takel
i 10 a private residence? 1t is an an
p solutc certainty. we think, that ob
e lection would have been made if tn
II candidates had been permitted L
E. accompany the box ON its "trip. An,
certainly objection has been raised
l. since the election. for the COMMITTEE
p. mentions il.
= II the law of the general electio
d was 10 be followed i'm the markin
% of the ballots. i'm this informal pr
IT mary, would not the Same law an
N the Constitution hold good when tn
e ballot box was taken out OF publ
5 We've
W Understand. We are not criticism
Sc the Judges of Election, for we h,
es lieve they were of the highest chal
Il. acter, but, they MAY have mad
Sc mistakes i'm the law. The Con
5, mittee held that the Judges DT
n make mistakes i'm the count of Nh
II. vote, for it changed the Judge
ut figures.
al Chairman Lee informs Us that a
e, of the ballots. poll books, etc. haN
been sent To Richmond, and We hoy
he every ticket Will bc counted by al
es State Committee and a dctaile,
G. itcmized, report made.
IN Taking the vote a. 22l for GriSb
n and 2l7 for Reardou, and deductir
re the five ballots in any way. We cal
he not reach the Committees figures
to 9l5 To PA.
he Taking the vote aS 222 To PIG, "
e. have the same trouble i'm solving a
Il, problem.
re. But taking it either way, We ca