Year: 1879

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total of nearly 1000 votes in the city
only 1913 votes were pslled, and had il
not been for the partisan aspect Of the
election in the Fifth, Eighth and Ninth
Wards, probably not more than hal
that number would have been polled
The political cast Of the members stand
eight Democrats, four Republicans anc
one Independent, and Of the whole
twenty members, eleven are positively
Democrats, six positively Republicans
and three are Independent, with lean
ings toward the Republicans. From
the foregoing it will be seen that the
organization is entirely in the hands o.
the Democrats, but whether the latter
will make a partisan affair of the Board
remains to be seen. The merits and
chances Of Mr.. Eckel, DR.. Grimshaw
and Dr.. Shortlidge are freely canvassed
for election as President of the Board.
The former is the late President and
the two doctors have each filed the
Office at various times with credit to
themselves and acceptably to the
Board. A hitch may occur at the out
start before qualifying the new mem
bers on account Of the illegality Of the
election held in the Eighth Ward where
no tally list of those who voted was
kept, and where no respect whatever
was shown to the law governing such
elections.


1t does not seem right that the mem
bers returned with certificates of cleo
ton from that ward should even BE- al
lowed to participate in the election of
the officers of the Board, when if the
law is carried out they will so soon
have to vacate their seats, and either
they or some other persons will have to
be elected by the Board to fill the va
cancies. 1t does seem very strange
that men of brains sufficient to hold a
common school election when the law
is laid down so plainly cannot be cleo
ted in the Eighth ward.


Surely there are intelligent Demo
Gratis enough on that ward who knew
the election was being he'd illegally,
aud might have put the inspectors
straight. The election there was a
close one, there being only three votes
difference between the parties, and even
had, there! been a poll list kept, the seats
of those elected would in all probability
have been contested as there were
known to be quite large number of
i legal Democratic votes polled, by men
who are known to have paid no City
tax. Under these circumstances the
Board should throw out the Ward, even
before the election of officers aud learn
the Eighth Ward inspectors lesson
which they will not forget easily.


We have repeatedly alluded to the
miserable farce of requiring a candidate
for the Board of Edncatou to BE- a free
holder, as a glance over the names OF
both the old and new members will
reveal the fact that quite large NUN
Der Of the members, well nigh half Of
them, if they have any freehold at all,
hold it in the name of some other per
sons. We are not obiecting to these
gentlemen As members of the Board,
br they are amongst our best, but We
only mention the circumstance to show
what farce the law is that requires
freehold qualification for the members
Of the Board. Should the Board be in
cliusi to act in an impartial manner,
they will proIrp;ly settle the Eighth
ward affair by declaring that no cleo
ton was held such as the law requires,
and then elect one Democrat and one
Republican to represent the ward. Had
poll list been kept both the members
returned a. elected would have lost
their seats on contest, but as no list
was kept there is no evidence of how
many illegal votes were cast.