Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-08-10

Gossett Elected by One Msiorit
And Sheriff Reeder Gives Hin
the Certificate

SSStOAN0Js 4A0 SuSIlh COAA p0iSo VIZ
returns o. last Thursdays: election Ia
the chancery court room at the court
house, according to law. He invited
the candidates to be present Ia person
and by attorney, and also the clerk Of
the circuit court and the clerk OF the |
county court. Neither OF the candi.
dates appeared in peeson, but Maj. E.
c. Camp appeared on behalf of Mr.. |
c. B. Gossett, republican candidate,
and Major T. s. Webb, on behalf Of Mr..
w. A. Anderson, democratic candidate.
II. B. Branner acted as teller for Mr..
Anderson, and 81. G. Squire for Mr..
Gossett. Judge Lewis was present In
his official capacity, but Mr.. Adkins
being unwell did not attend. Henry
R. Gibson, Esq., was also present as
the counsel of Alex. Reeder, he having
acted in that capacity for the last two
years. ...-....
Sheriff Reeder, with the assistance
of the others, opened and carefully
compared the returns, noting the OBJ
jections made by the contending par
| ties. The first contest was oyer the
vote in the first ward, Major Webb in
sisting that Anderson had 139 votes
according to the marks on the tally
sheet. The certificate of the judges
and clerks Of the election, however,
stated in plain and explicit language
that Anderson's vote was 1888; and as
the tally sheet was not certified, and
as the marks were irregular and some
of them indefinite and doubtful, Mr..
Reeder held that the judges and
clerks who held the election were the
proper parties to decide the number
of votes cast for Anderson. He accor-
dinghy refused to go behind their for
NAL certificate; and gave Anderson the
1873 votes their certificate gave him.
Major Camp objected to counting
the vote of the Sd ward, because not
properly certified; but Mr.. Reeder held,
that while not properly certified yet
he was satisfied it was the true vote
and allowed it as reported below, CIV
ing Anderson IS majority ip that
ward.
When the 5th ward was reached the
sheriff produced certificates signed by
all the judges and clerks, and by the
officer holding the election, showing
that Gossett had received 100 votes in
that ward. These certificates were
the only ones on file
and were perfectly formal
and regular in every particular, but
were objected to by Major Webb be-
cause one of them was not signed I'M
til the day after the election. Mr..
Reeder decided that there was no law
requiring the poll books and certifi-
Gates to be made out and signed on the
day of election, and that Gossett was
entitled to the 100 votes. In this, il
seems 10 US, he was clearly correct; al d
we are informed that there were other
certificates signed after election day,
and they were passed without any OBJ
lection from either side.
When the sixth ward returns
were examined it was discovered
that there were two tallies
of sic, thus giving Gossett 81 votes by
the tally marks instead of SO as added
up by the judges. But Mr.. Reedel
having decided in the 1st ward cass
not to allow the tally marks to over
ride the certificates of the officers
holding the election, applied the sam,
rule here. We are told that Mr.. An
, derson's attorney after claiming tn
tally marks in the first ward as til,
, true rule of the sheriff's action, OBJ
lected to this rule being applied to tn
9th ward. This looks to US as extra
ordinarily inconsistent. We think TIA
sheriff's ruling was undoubtedly cor
rect, although Mr.. Gossett. lost one NOR
. vote by it than did Mr.. Anderson.
A supplemental return from the 6tl
was also filed by the sheriff, showing
that in counting the vote of that ware
two Anderson tickets were foun'
f.. folded together, and that one of then
was counted. But the supplements
return not having been signed by al
!. the judges and clerks was excluded b,
the sheriff. This ruling was very ia
vorable to Mr.. Anderson as the Law
g expressly says that when two ticket
i, are found in the ballot box, folded up
q both shall be thrown out.
Maj. Camp objected to the vote G
the 7th ward because the tai
ly sheets were not cert
fed, but Mr.. Reeder ruled il
F., favor of the returns, Notwithstanding
y the certificates were not formal. Thi
admitted the vote of the 7th ward
which gave Anderson SO majority.
O There was a difference of opinion
o between counsel in reference to tn
: Gossett vote of the 8th ward, Msjo
Camp claiming it was IS, and Msjo
Webb Claiming it was 81. On in
spection the certificate showe'
that it. was first written 81. an
. that was afterwards written owe
the 4 in the same hand writing an
ink. Col. Gibson proposed to allo,
r the judges of the 9Th ward to say, o
oath, whether the vote was 81 or 81
10 this Major Wehh nhiectad a