Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-11-14
Poeit;c4 ;n
Pe~~eqeoanio
BY the Ex-Commitseeman


county appeal. Its action will pov-
ern not only in the strenuous hard
coal region, but in Philadelphia and
other alleged peaceful communities
Where contests are being made over
the results. 1t is said among attor-
neys who follow election cases that
the supreme Court will probably
make rulings which will not only
tend to simplify matters in regard to
the present laws, but plainly indicate
that something will have to be done
by the next Legislature toward CIV
ing the state a new code of statutes
governing everything from ambitions
to official counts.
The soldiers vote. on which COM
missioners have until November 23
to certify returns, will probably
cause additional complications owing
to close contests and their uncertain
ties.
The Supreme Court yesterday
ordered a ballotbox brought into the
election court of Lackawanna county
and impounded pending q decision
as to whether the box may be opened
by the election court upon the filing
of petition alleging palpable fraud
or mistake, without the submitting
of evidence to sustain such an aver
ment. One ballotbox was opened in
Philadelphia on last Saturday, but
only upon the affidavit of an election
overseer. The court took action on
an appeal from the Quarter Session
Court of Lackawanna county by
Thomas Thomas, of the First ward,
of Dickson city. Thomas was one
of four candidates for the office of
School Director and his three oppo-
nents were returned as elected. A
petition was filed with the court by
Thomas alleging palpable fraud or
mistake and averring his belief that
an honest count of the ballots cast
would show that he was elected and
that other candidates on the same
ticket with him were elected. The |
petition requested the court to send |
for the ballotbox and order a re-
count made. This was refused on |
the ground of lack of jurisdiction.
An appeal to the Supreme Court |
followed with a petition to have the |
appeal act as supersedeas and the |
case advanced on the list for argu-
ment Upon considering the petition,
the higher court granted a rule to
show cause why the prayer of the
petitioner should not be allowed. 1t |
was lIIlntI OIutItu lildI Illt DdIlOI-
box be brought into court and i'm
pounded pending a further dispo-
sition of the rule.
While Pittsburgh and other cities
are trying to forget the election |
Philadelphia is sizzling over the con-
tests and Scranton is buzzing be- !
cause of charges that commissioners
to soldiers camps played politics. |
After another legal battle yesterday, |
the Town Meeting party scored an
other victory in the election court, |
at Philadelphia, when the independ- |
ent attorneys were informed by the |
court that they were entitled to in |
spect the voters check list book in |
the Prothonotary's office. The inde- |
pendents desired access to these |
books, giving the full number of |
votes. cast in each division, in order |
to compare the figures with the Of |
fetal count being made by the cleo |
ton court. 1t is alleged by the Town |
Meeting party leaders that in some |
wards ballots that were discarded |
for various reasons were never ac- |
counted for or recorded with the |
Prothonotary.
John r. X. Scott Ware attor-
ney, put up his usual stubborn fight |
to prevent the check list from being |
used until after the official count had |
been completed" says the Inquirer. |
Had he been successful in this |
strategic move, the Ware candidates, |
elected over the Town Meeting party |
candidates by meager majorities, |
would be certified by the court and |
make any further attacks regarding |
the legality of the election be |
brought into Quarter Sessions court. |
So ardent was Mr.. Scott in his OBJ
jections that he brought down the |
wrath of the court when he char |
acterized the move of the independ- |
ents as a fishing expedition" and |
compared it to the previous opening |
of q ballotbox in an 'unorderly and |
Illegal proceeding" Judge Finletter
protested against the use of the term. |
The name of the Town Meeting
party was to-day pre-empted for the
Twenty Philadelphia legisla-
tive district for the 1918 elections. |
In addition to the pre-emption of the
name for the Bucks Montgomery
congressional and First and Second
Montgomery legislative districtsI the
name has also been taken for the
Montgomery county senatorial dis
trict.
State officials will make an eff
fort at once to secure results of vot-
ing by soldiers, commissioners to
whose camps failed to make any re-
turns of the votes, giving merely the
names of the men voting. There are
three such books in hand at the De-
partment of the Secretary of the
Commonwealth, the commissioners
declaring that they forwarded the
originals to the proper counties. 1t
will be some time before any eSti-
mate of the cost of the soldier voting
can be obtained as the printing and
postage must be added into the mile
age. superintendent of Public Print
ing Long, is. making up a statement
of the cost of printing. The expense
accounts of the commissioners Will
be certified by the Governors office
as the Governor made the appoint
ments.
The death of Senator McNichol
will leave a big place in the Repub-
lican state organization and it will
be hard to say who will fill 1t. The
Senator was a floor leader second to
none in the Legislature in a quarter
of a century and widely known be-
cause of his prominence in state al
fairs.
-Ex- Senator Webster Grim, of
Bucks, has been appointed a viewer
for that county.
The Ware bids for street cleaning
and similar work in Philadelphia,
are a million dollars higher than last
year, it is claimed.
FROM "ODE TO AUTUMN"
Where are the songs of spring? Ay