Forget Luck of the Irish! We Should All Have the Luck of the North Pelham Democrats (At Least in 1901).

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The election for officers of the Village of North Pelham was hard fought in 1901.  Democrat Michael J. Lynch, the incumbent President of the Village (i.e., Mayor), faced a stiff challenge from Republican William Edinger, a well-known volunteer fire fighter and village activist.  Likewise, the battle for Village Tax Collector was hotly disputed between Democrat incumbent John T. Logan and his Republican challenger, David Lyon (erroneously referenced in some accounts as William Lyon).  

North Pelham voters gathered on Tuesday, March 19, 1901 to cast their ballots.  Upon close of the polls, officials gathered to count the ballots.  As the count proceeded, officials identified four ballots that were "not properly marked."  Republicans Edinger and Lyon believed each of the four rejected ballots plainly indicated an intent to cast ballots for them rather than for the Democrat incumbents.

Once the count was complete, the results were announced to a hushed room.  Village President candidates Michael J. Lynch and William Edinger each received 77 votes.  Village Tax Collector candidates John T. Logan and David Lyon each received 78 votes.  The four candidates were tied for the two positions they respectively sought!

The Republican candidates were furious, alleging that the rejected ballots supported them and should have been counted.  They immediately threatened suit, saying they would ask the courts to consider the matter.  One account suggests the Democrats countered with a claim that the rejected ballots actually supported them.  That account stated:  "Both sides claim that when defective ballots are counted the result will be declared in their favor."  (See below.)

Soon cooler heads prevailed.  All four candidates parleyed and agreed that the two contests should be decided by drawing lots rather than battling over the results in a court proceeding.  Thus, the following morning (Wednesday, March 20, 1901), the Board of Trustees of the Village of North Pelham convened a meeting attended by the four candidates.  

The trustees placed a ballot marked for Village President candidate Lynch and a ballot marked for his challenger, Edinger, in a ballot box.  One of the Village Trustees, a Republican, then reached blindly into the ballot box and chose the ballot reflecting Democrat Michael J. Lynch who immediately was declared the winner.  A similar process was followed for the two candidates for Village Tax Collector.  The Trustee blindly chose the ballot reflecting Democrat John T. Logan who, again, immediately was declared the winner.

The Village of North Pelham elections for 1901 were over.  As luck would have it, the Democrats won. . . . . . . . 

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Below is the text of various articles dealing with the subject of today's posting.  Each is followed by a citation and link to its source.

"County News.

The elections in the villages of this county were held Tuesday, and villages where partisan tickets were in the field the Republicans were over-whelmingly successful.  An unusual state of affairs has resulted from the election in North Pelham.  William Edinger, the Republican candidate for president of the village is tied with Michael J. Lynch, a Democrat, who has held the office for several years.  The candidates received 77 votes each.  David Lyon, the Republican candidate for collector of taxes, and John T. Logan, the Democratic incumbent, are also tied with 78 votes each.  The Republican candidates are claiming the election and will begin a contest in the courts at once.  They allege that four ballots not properly marked, but nevertheless intended for them, were thrown out. . . ."

Source:  County News, Dobbs Ferry Register [Dobbs Ferry, NY], Mar. 22, 1901, Vol. XVI, No. 12, p. 4, col. 3.  See also COUNTY ITEMS, Eastern State Journal, Mar. 23, 1901, LVII, No. 1, p. 3, col. 5 (essentially same text).  

"At the village election held in North Pelham Tuesday M. J. Lynch, Democrat, and William Edinger, Republican, received the same number of votes -- seventy-seven -- for the office of president; Mr. Lynch has held the office for several years.  What is equally strange, John T. Logan, Democrat, and David Lyon, Republican, each received the same number of votes -- seventy-eight -- for the office of Collector of Taxes.  Both sides claim that when defective ballots are counted the result will be declared in their favor."

Source:  [Untitled], New Rochelle Press, Mar. 23, 1901, p. 5, col. 2.

"Candidates Draw Lots for Office in North Pelham.

By Exclusive Wire from The Associated Press.

New York, March 20. -- The charter elections held in North Pelham, Westchester county, yesterday, resulted in the unusual occurrence of a tie vote on the office[s] of president and tax collector.  Michael J. Lynch, the present incumbent of the office of village president, who was the Democratic nominee for re-election, received 77 votes, as did William Edinger, his Republican opponent.  John T. Logan, the Democratic nominee for collector, and William Lyon, Republican, also tied with 77 votes each.  When the result of the election was learned the four candidates got together and agreed to settle the matter by lot.

Accordingly, today the village board convened and a ballot bearing the name of Edinger and another bearing the name of Lynch were placed in a ballot box and Trustee Barker, a Republican, drew out one of the ballots.  This ballot bore the name of Michael J. Lynch, the Democratic nominee, and his re-election as village president was at once declared.  The same procedure was followed in the tie on tax collector, and again luck favored the Democrat, John T. Logan beinug declared elected."

Source:  Candidates Draw Lots for Office in North Pelham, The Scranton Tribune [Scranton, PA], Mar. 21, 1901, p. 1, col. 6 (NOTE:  Paid subscription required to access via this link.).

"VOTES WERE A TIE.
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UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE IN AN ELECTION AT NORTH PELHAM, N.Y.
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New York, March 20. -- The charter election held in North Pelham, West Chester, yesterday resulted in the unusual occurrence of a tie vote on the office of president and tax collector, Michael J. Lynch, the present incumbent of the office of village president, who was the Democratic nominee for re-election, received 77 votes, as did William Edinger, his Republican opponent.  John T. Logan, the Democratic nominee for collector, and William Lyon, Republicans, also tied with 77 votes each.  When the result of the election was learned the four candidates got together and agreed to settle the matter by lot.  Accordingly the village board convened and a ballot bearing the name of Lynch were placed in a ballot box and trustee Barker, a Republican, drew out one of the ballots.  This ballot bore the name of Michael J. Lynch, the Democratic nominee, and his re-election as village president ws at once declared.  The same procedure was followed in the tie for tax collector; again luck favored the Democrat.  John T. Logan being declared elected."

Source:  VOTES WERE A TIE -- UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE IN AN ELECTION AT NORTH PELHAM, N.Y., The Wilkes-Barre Recorder [Wilkes-Barre, PA], Mar. 21, 1901, p. 1, col. 6 (NOTE:  Paid subscription required to access via this link.).  

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