Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-01-14
THEoURTIN. YooUM CONTEST

THE CURTIN. YOCUM CONTEST
This case was uppcrmost in Con
gressional circles at Washington ior
several days last week. Mcssrs Krcbs
and Murray, Of this connty, made the
chief arguments in the case. The Cd.
itor OF the Philadelphia Times, who
was present, thus states the case IN a
Washington special to that Journal on
the 6th inst;
The argument of the contested elec.
tion case Of ex- Governor Curtin against
Mr. Yocum began last evening, was
continued tonight and will be conclud.
cd tomorrow night; Mr.. Krebs, a
prominent member Of the Clearfield
bar, opened the case last evening Tor
the contestant, and devoted himself 10
an exhaustive discussion of the legal
questions arising in and applicable TO
the contest. He demonstrated that
under the undisputed evidence, the dis
.ricts Of Woodward township and
Houtzdale borough in Clearfeld, and
the township Of White Deer in Union,
must be rejected according to the de-
cisions of the courts, and the ruling of
the House in the Covode- Foster, the
Meyers Moffitt and numerous other
cases. His argument was strictly con.
fined 10 a presentation Of the law and
precedents, as established in like cases,
both by judicial and legislative tribu.
mails, and it was done with great clear
ness and ability. Mr.. Furst, mem.
Der of the Belloionte bar, was indis-
posed last evening and he did little
more than deliver the Introductory of
bis argument in behalf of Yocum. To.
night he concluded, and was followed
on the same side by MIR. Murray, of
the Clearfeld bar. Both presented the
cause Of the sitting member as strong
" as the facts and the law allowed
and exhibited careful preparation and
credtable ability The argument will
be concluded tomorrow evening by
Mr.. Blair, Of Bellefonte, who will sum
up for Curtin. Besides being an able
and painstaking lawyer, be is devot.
ed personal friend of the Ex-Governor
although not in political accord with
him, and he has made the most thor.
ough examination of the whole com.
plicated facts and law of the case and
has the fullest faith in the Justice of
his clients claim to the disputed seat
NOVEL CLASSIFICATION OF ILLEGAL
VOTES.
The counsel for Curtin claim, and
assume to show conclusively by a fair
restatement OF the disputed votes as
established by tho evidence, that he
was elected by majority thrice that
returned for Yocum. They claim, also,
that, independent of the proven elec.
tion of Curtin without resort to any
technical exclusion Of polls, the three
districts for fatal violence to law on
part OF the election officers, whereby
his majority would be increased to FIVE
or six hundred. As these points are
vital to the issue they are earnestly
disputed by the counsel for Yocum,
and the desperation of their cause is
manifest when II is noted that they
attempt to classify illegal votes by the
statement OF somepartisan who visited
the Illegal voters, and who testified
that they told him they had voted for
Curtin. In other cases, like partisans
testified that illegal voters had declar.
ed TO them, before the election, their
intention TO vote for Curtin, and in
other instances the still more far.fetch.
cd and desperate expedient was re-
sorted to of proving that the illegal
voters were Democrats and then as.
suming that they must have voted for
Curtin. As no evidence as to bow q
disputed vote has been cast but that
of the voter himself can be accepted
before any tribunal, either judicial or
legislative, the entire fabric of the tes-
timony in behalf Of Yocum TO classify
the illegal votes, falls to the ground as
utterly unworthy Of consideration or
credit. No court has ever entertained
such an evasion of the easily attaina-
BILE and only satisfactory evidence as
to how votes have been cast, and reck-
less as have been partisan legislative
committees, l cannot recall an instance
in which decision was based on such
a legal or equitable absurdity.
YocUM's CASE FATAL TO HIMSELF.
The Curtin Yocum contest has pc.
culiar and important feature that is
undisputed by tho briefs and argu.
ments on either side. 1t is admitted
by the tabulated statements Of the
vote as presented by the opposing
counsel, that the illegal votes proven
by the record, with their qualifications
as electors and for whom they voted
unexplained by the evidence, numbers
ten or twenty times the majority re-
turned for the sitting member. The
council for Yocum show some two
thousand illegal votes which are not
proven to be qualified electors in the
fed for either Candidate hv Wv ,ha utaos, ;nr"a
tigation. The counsel for Curtin show
whilo ,be moioT;,v ior yocrn, vuVm WV aot,S w.,
sovan,vn;na ~ i ,ho n nna;.e5 Mas eus
law, and as generally just as it is gen.
orally accepted, that the proof of
majority ., ,bo cor,;sSJ ro,VI moDaho snAn ,b ,he