The Russellville Democrat., 1879-01-02
AN INTERESTING DOCUMENT.
WHICH REMINDS US OF THE
 DAYS OF RADICALISM,
When the Voice of the People Was Stihed by the Mercst
 Legal Technicalities.
Two Hundred and Twelve Tax Payers to be Deprived of
 Their Vote.
Read and See if You arc One of
 tiie Disfranchised.

As matter of interest to all our readers we publish below the notice of contest given by W. B. Young, John F. Halle, John c. Rye, ct ais, and served upon J. L. Shinn. T. J. Russell, ct als, notifying them of the fact and grounds upon which the recent election on the County Seat question is contested. We deem it right and proper that the voters of our county should know all the facts in this matter; and especially that they should know the grounds upon which few men seek to set aside the plainly expressed will of the people and rule as THEY wish, regard less of the vote of the taxpayers of the county.
 Ten years ago we might have ex pected the interruptions radical ru- lers who were foisted upon us to take advantage of the merest legal techni- calities to thwart the will of the peo pie and perpetuate their power, but we hardly looked for anything of this kind at this time. We thought the time had come when the voice of the majorities would be gracefully yielded to by all men, and when no further. disiraDchisement would be attempted.
 We call the attention of our fellow citizens to few facts in this con nection. At the recent election on the county seat question there were less than 1900 votes cast, all told. OF this number l240 voted For Change" that being not only large majority of all the votes cast, but a clear majority of all the votes in the county, as shown by the Assessors Hist of taxpayers. This it seems should have satisfied any one that the will of the people is for remov- al from the present site, But, con vincing as this is, there are little coterie of politicians at Dover who seem determined to thwart the will of the people; and to do so they pray the Courts so dis franchise PIP voters in cur County.
 And now another thought; how did these complainants ascertain that all those 2l2 men voted "For Change" and are included in the l2. 40 votes certified by the County clerk to have been SO cast? They might have procured the names from the poll books, but in only one way, to wit: by comparing the bal lots with the poll books, could it have been asccrtained how each man voted. Now, the election law provides that the ballots shall be de posted in the County Clerks office securely sealed up and remain un disturbed, excep. in case oF con tested election, when they shall ne opened only in the course of the trI al of such contested election; or, m case that there are such informali ties in the returns as to prevent the canvassing officers from arriving at the true intentions of the voter, in which case .he judges and clerks may be brought up and a recount of the ballots had. This is the provis ion made by the law for the secrecy of the ballot, aad to secure to all men the inestimable privilege of casting his ballot just as he pleases, without fear, favor or danger of fu. ture prescription for the way he maS vote upon any question submitted to the people at the polls. In Illinois, in Gum Log, in MOreland, in Wilson, in Holly Bepd, in Martin, In Calla Rock and in the township of Dover there were no such irregularities and no recount of the vote by the judges and clerks of said townships; and yet in each of these townships men are named and alleged to he among the number who voted For Change. Have the ballots been opened, and the secrecy of the ballot guaranteed by law, been violated? If not, how has the way each of these PIP men voted been ascertained?
 These are questions which the law may not compel the signers Of the notice of contest to answer, but which certainly are of considerable interest to each voter.
 Other questions arise upon a pc rusal of the motion. but we reserve comment on them for future occa. sion, and submit the notice itself, that all may raad and ba postad