Year: 1877

more than speculations as to the result OF
the French elections but temporary
breakdown of the cable connections robs us
even of these. Consequently we know moth
ing to-day of the verdict rendered by the
French people yesterday. But what is tob be
greatly regretted is that, be the wires ever
so perfect, satisfactory information will not
be in our possession for some days to come.
Days or weeks may pass before the issue
will be known in its broadest terms save by
inference, while the list of persons actually
elected to the Assembly cannot certainly be
made up for months, and if the division
of the country has been close, or if
the official functionaries have been able to
cloud the issue in many cases SO as to pre-
sent the appearance Of close division, the
result can only be known when it is possi-
BILE to make up that list. There is but one
possible exception to this statement II the
country should 60 SO overwhelmingly with
the republicans that there was nc opposi-
ton that fact would become known but
such result is not likely. All this delay
in returns is a consequence Of tho paternal
spirit that fingers in all possible parts Of the
administrative machinery.


In this country it is recognized that to
permit the results of an election to linger in
the pigeon holes of official functionaries is
to directly tempt and aid those who would
tamper with the vote. Consequently it


must be counted Immediately and publicly
| declared. In the half dozen or dozen per-
,ho cki trfa fha VII
| that declaration is made one OF more
is reporter or other associate Of the
newsgathering organization Of the press Of
the country. Such an associate present in


every election district in State or in the
whole country telegraphs the result as de-
clared, or sends it by the most rapid means
Of communication to some central point OF
that neighborhood, and from similar central


points in every neighborhood the result is
sent to the great cities and published in the
newspapers at day that would be con-
sidered wonderfully early in any other
country but this, where people are so used
to it that they do not esteem it so note


worthy as it really is. But this is the
achievement of the newspaper press.


In France the newspaper press does not
exist in this sense, and if it did it would be
embarrassed and obstructed by the govern
ment, which would not regard with good
will any attempt of private enterprise to
deal with what is deemed an official prerog-
ative-the manipulation Of election returns
and declaration Of the result.


1t is to be regretted that in France there
is not greater rapidity in the publication Of
the results of elections. This is one of the
vital points of the political systems in
which the national sovereignty is exercised
by universal suffrage. In this country, it
is true, with all our rapidity there is
fraudulent manipulation OF the election re-
turns, and the result Of the voting is some
times falsified. This only proves, however,
that rapidity in this respect is not an abso-
lutte guarantee. But if scoundrels in Office
can cheat the people where rapid publica-
tion really supplies public supervision Of
their acts, what would they not do in that
way if they might labor at their will in con-
tinued obscurity-if they could delay their
count for the convenience Of party leaders
and repel all public curiosity and in
quiry as an impertinence? In such
system the decision by the will
Of the people ut the polls would be-
come farcical formality. 1t is our opinion,
moreover, that even here frauds are practised
in proportion as it is possible to prevent
early publicity. This was shown strikingly
in the Louisiana and Texas returns in the
last Presidential election and fraud and
delayed returns have been the common fea-
lures of all elections in the carpet-bagged
States for years. This scarcely agrees with
the views ofthose who believe that the Tam
many leaders have often falsitied the returns
in this city on n large scale; ; but if they
could have done that they would never
have resorted to the system of repeaters. 1t
will be recalled that when they wanted to
count in q man on famous occasion they
sent word to remote points to delay re-
turns there in order that fraud practised
at those points might make up what was
found to be wanting here-an admission in
its way of the difficulties of Justification
where speedy publicity is certain.


But this obscurity that favors fraud covers
TIE uClS VI lunCllOnarleS III VINO
have to do with the election returns. 1t
was shown few years ago in a, remarkable
inquiry set on foot by the National Assem-
bly, that singular kind Of Wholesale falsiti-
cation was habitually practised under the
Empire to the advantage of all official can
didates. The flnctionary who is equivalent
TO our inspector Of election sat at the polls
all day with the list before him of the voters
OF his district. AS each one voted his name
was checked of, but vixen night came it
was found that many--often the larger num-
ber--had not appeal,od at the polls at all.
Then the functionary rose to the dignity
of the occasion. He read the names of
those who had not voted. He recognized
that they were men whom he knew
to be rood citizens What is the