The Alaska daily empire., 1917-02-02
f +**+* <

HOFs Js 2. A. DklOA5t ANAAANS' AAA Secretry C. E. Davidson and Collect. or of Customs J. F. Pugh, who con. stitute the board which has been canvassing the election returns. have not affixed their certificate to any of the tables that have been made they have not completed their work and will give all the time that is necessary to those who are prepar ing to take such legal steps as they believe necessary 10 protect the in- tcrests of candidates involved, who include Candidates Charles A. Sul' ger and James Wickersham for Dele gate 60 Congress, Candidates Philip Corrigan and Thomas M Reed for Representative in the Second Divis' ion and Candidates Thomas II. Hol' land and J. C. Murray for Represen. tatiye in the Third Division.
 Attorneys John A. Hellenthal and John R. Vim are prEparlng the necessary data properly to represent the interests Of Senator Sulzer.
 Result a Matter of Law
 The question as to whether or not Senator Sulzer or Delegate Wicker. sham was victorious in the election last November depends wholly upor the application of the law to the re turns that have been received by Gov. J. F. A. Strong from the various election precincts in Alaska.
 Accepting the official tabulatior as far as it has gone and the unof ficial returns from the Fourth Diyis ion precincts that have not yet been canyassed - Kantishna Discovery, Flat and Dikeman-and the vote is SuIzer 6.455: Wickcrsham 6,469. Wick. erSham'S lead 14. This eliminates Utica in the Second Division. which was passed on account of irregulari, ties, and Vault in the FOurtl Diyis ion. which Attorney.General Grigsby says can not legally be tabulated because the returns were not certi. fled to. Utica returns purpOrt tC give Sulzer and Wickersham 13, and Vault 10 give Sulzer and Wick ersham s.
 Violations Of Australian Ballot
 The returns from Utica and Deer ing in the Second Division, Chog, jung and Nushagak in the Third Di vision. and Oeadwood in the Fourth Division have been challenged by supporters of Sulzer on account of violations of the Australian ballot law. In none of these precincts were official ballots used, and ir none of them was a certificate set ting forth the reasons for the failure Co use official ballots, such as the law says must" accompany the re. turns, sent in. These precincts give Wickcrsham total of 72 votes and Sulzer a total of 25. Eliminating all of them but Utica. not included iD foregoing figures, from the totals would give an official result as follows:
 Sulzer 6.434; Wickersham 6,41O- Sulzer plurality of 2+.
 Violations of Registration Law
 The Alaska election law, which provides that a resident of any Di, vision can vote at any precinct with. in that Division, a provision that was uumerously followed in the Second 1 Division, provides also for a regis. l tration of ali who vote. and directs that the officers of election shall not receive the vote of any one who was not first registered. In the Second Division there was no reg istration in any. precinct This Di
 vision is tabulated as giving Wicker sham 2l3 plurality. Its elimination
 would leave Sulzer with a plurality of 199 even if the objections to the
 votes of the precincts in other Di visions were not sustained.
 Representatives Places at Stake The personnel of members of the House of Representatives in twC Divisions are at stake in the issues
 that are involved in the irregulari
 ties. If the violations of the Aus l tralian ballot provision of the law and other irregularities surrounding
 the returns of Utica are disregarded
 Philip Corrigan. Democrat, will bt included among the Representative
 in the Second Division If they art
 regarded and Utica is not counted l Thomas NJ. Reed. Republican. an,