Evening journal., 1909-07-08
PARTISAN CONTESTS.

a NY political contest before partisan 'or
biased jury naturally is prejudged. The
history OF such partisan contests in this State
shows that IN nine cases out of ten decision
IS rendered in accordance with what the lead
ers PLAN A certain result is desired, and the
case is worked up to bring the answer wished.
Where the prosecution and the jury are pract-
cally one, there is little doubt OF the verdict
Political contests in such manner are sort Of
drum head court martial
Knowing that public sentiment views such
contests in this light, the Democrats are en-
deavoring TO PREJUDICE the Second ward contest
themselves They are trying TO prepare the
public in advance for the expected decision.
They wish to make it seem that the present con
test will be conducted in a manner different
from those of the past that the Democrats of
Council are holier and better than the represen-
tatives of the party Of old. Hence should they
render a decision ousting the Councilman re-
turned as elected from the ward. and putting
out City Treasurer Ross, such decision, they
intimate will be based on right and justice.
We have regretted this contest chiefly be
cause it points to going behind the returns in
the future. If one party again begins to con-
test elections the other party may be expected
to retaliate, and we shall have no end of at
tempts to Gust candidates supposed to have been
elected
Something has been said of the conduct Of
Republicans in such contests in the past and
cases of years ago have been dragged forth.
We should think the Democrats would want
their past hidden. But if not the attempt some
years ago of the Democrats to oust Mr. Ross when
he was chosen Councilman from the First ward
might be recalled. AT that time the Democrats
proposed to put Mr.. Willis in the place of Mr..
Ross and they endeavored to have the outgoing
Democratic Council sit as judges of the con-
test but the court baked them.
The Democratic record is such as to make
person believe that the party will not stop at
trifes in the present matter. Some Of the Dem
ocrats think that the people have forgotten the
record of the party in manipulating returns, in
the violent efforts TO upset the returns of cleo
tions The present contest is a barking back
to the old methods and there is no reason to
believe that in the coming partisan contest JUS
tice will be handled more evenly than it has
been, in the past when partisan questions were
at stake. In the present instance the grievances
complained of BY the Democrats could have
been aired before a court if names were improp-
erly on the registration lists
AS we have ntimated Mr. Ross does not in
tend to permit himself TO be put out of the OF
fee Of City Treasurer without a stiff fight in the
courts If he believes that he was legally
elected, and he evidently so believes, there IS
no course for him to pursue other than to take
the matter into the courts That is where all
political disputes should be tried and not before
a tribunal such as City Council. If we are to
have more contests of elections in this city, they
should be held before the courts Since the
courts have been passing upon election returns
there have been few complaints of their deci-
eions