Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-08-12
A Card from, Maj. Webb.

Mr. EDITOR:-The CHRONICLE'S
article Of this morning upon the
counting of the votes by Sheriff
Reeder, yesterday, does not give the
true facts. Believing that you do not
desire 10 do Injustice to any one, ask |
the use of your columns to make a
statement OF the facts in relation 10
said counting.
Your article is evidently intended to
make the impression that, as soon as
the vote of any ward or district was
counted, the claims of the two claim
ants for the Office of sheriff were pre-
sented by their representatives., and
that Mr.. Reeder then and there ruled
and decided how the vote of that ward
or district stood. And after thus going
through with the count and decision
of the several wards and districts your
article says the meeting then broke up.
This clearly implies that Mr.. Reeder
gave his ruling upon each ward and
district before the meeting broke up,
and in the presence of those persons
who were present at the count. The
fact is that Mr.. Reeder made no ruling
or decision upon any ward or district.
until after the meeting broke up and
after all of US had left the court room,
except himself and his counsel. On
the contrary, when the counting of the
lst ward votes was completed [ de-
mandad and insisted that MIR. Reeder
should decide then and there upon the
, vote of that ward. Mr.. Reeder replied
~ that he would not rule upon any ward
J or district until all the wards and dis
:. tricts had been counted through, and
L then be wanted the counsel for Mr.
e Anderson and for Mr.. Gossett to fur
s nish him a brief, and be would then
y decide who was elec;ed.
, AT this stage of the proceedings Col.
Gibson, as counsel for Mr.. Reeder, an.
/ nounced that no argument would be
@ heard upon any question. l then
g asked Col. Gibson, If he admitted that
f Mr.. Reeder was bound by the face of
the returns, and must give the certifi-
L cate OF election to that candidate who
IS appeared upon the face of the returns
t. be elected. He replied that he did;
that such was the law. Msj. Camp
also assented to this proposition. We
tnen proceeded with the count.
shall not go into the particulars of
- any OF the wards or districts, excep;
o the lat, 9Th, 9Th and 8th wards, be-
cause the face of the returns was not
u changed ia any other wards or dis
IS tricts by Mr.. Reeder; and, indeed, was
= not changed in the 6.h ward. tut thai
# ward will be noticed, in order to refute
"a a charge Of Inconsistency made against
me in your article.
i The facts in relation to the 1st ware
II are as follows:
Only one tally eheet was filed with
the returns. On this sheet the tally
marks plainly counted out 139 votes foI
Anderson. This tally sheet was en-
closed in the poll book filed with th'
county court clerk. Accompanying
~ the poll book filed with the eircui
"a court clerk was a statement withou
=. any tallies. evidently taken from tn
tally sheet, showing that the vote fo
Anderson was 1888. [ have learned to
day that the tally sheet that was ex
pected to be with the Ias:-lamed pol
book has been found in the hands o
one OF the judges Of elections, and
shows 139 votes for Anderson. w
n claimed that the figures '13S' in th
r. statement were arrived at by counting
A0 up the taiiies, and these tallies cOuntet
ne up 139 and not 1873; and that the IS
a. was mere arithmeticai mistake
Ie patent upon the face of the returns
os and that the tally was the best evi
p dence. In addition to this, l39 adde
~ to II, GOssett's vote, made 1875, just tn
ld number of votes cast in that ward, q
ID. shown by the poll books,
of The tally sheet in this ward we
a "ceriifiedn Just as a number of other
were certified; that is, it was returne
ne folded up in the poll book and Tia
US certificate of the officers was made o
ut. the back of the poll book. and apple
ty to all the returns enclosed. Further
on more, these tally sheets are not re
quired by law to be certified. Onl
me copies Of the poll-books that 81
on fled with the clerks Of the two court
S. are required to be certified. Thes
or tally sheets are not even required to /
~ fled with the clerks. They are, j
- contem platioD of law, in the hands
LII the sheriff, who holds the election
lp- through his deputies and appointe
v agents.
,rs The facts in relation to the 5th war
+o are as follows: Both tally shee
W showed 1S9 for Gossett and l01 II
lal Anderson. These tally sheets We
les made up and certified August 5th. IL
Ia day of the election. Mr.. Reedt
produced from his pocket ceTti1ca
dated August 6tb, the day after II
election, IN the handwriting of 20
Iv- Gibson, purporting to be a supplemel
tai return of the election from til
ward. The certificate had attached
ac- ~ it ballot as followa:
,ed For Sheriff,
lot c. B. GOssETT.
h@ ,as For Trustee,
So SWAN.
ted For School Com missioner,
he JULIUS MAYER.
~, For Constable,
ne JOSH MCGUIRE, SULLIVAN, JOHN
REEDER.
ng This certificate submits to the sher
Us, The question, whether this ballot C;
n be counted, but does not cay that
ing has not already been counted for M
red Gossett, and d es not say that it "
oga not already Included in the 1S9 vot
returned on he tally sheets. Y
claimed tina. this certificate was
part of the returns and could not
MIA looked to. Msj Camp claimed that
could be looked to, and that this ball