The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-25
THE BRADwELI-M,NALLY CASE.

the facts in the case, we reproduce III
following from the pen of Hon. John Il
Oberly, chairman of the Democrat
State Central Committee, and pnblIshe,
in his paper. the Bloomington Bul1etfa,
Sunday morning
Mr.. Oberly says:
L. The contest grew out of the elect
ion of members of the house of represent
atives of the present general assembly il
| the Third or Palmer house senatorial dis
trict. This election occurred in Novem-
Der, 1882.
.. In the Third senatorial district. OF
that election day, there were 10 pollins
| places.
3. At each Of the IS polling places Of
the district. two republican judges Of
election, appointed by the republican
county board of republican Cook county,
/ and United States supervisors of election
superintendent the registratiod of electors
and placed upon the registration lists the
the names of the legal voters of the pre-
| cinct
f. On election day. the polls of the
district weIe opened by the republican
election officials.
5. On election day, at every polling
place in this district from ten to fifteen
United States deputy marshals, appoint
ed by Long Jones, chairman of the re
publican state central &C mmittee, nDon
the nomination OF the republican cam
paign committee of Cook county, stood
outside of the polls, intimidating demo
cratic voters, and permitting every man
WAC desired to do so, TO vote the repnbli-
can ticket.
&. Every democrat who voted at any of
the polling places Of the district was
compelled 10 run the gauntlet of Chairman
Jones's deputy marshal bummers and
deposit his ballot with republican judges
of election who were under the super
. vision of United States officials
Z. Every ballot cast on that day, in
that district, was received by republican
election officials and was placed in the
ballot box by republican election officials,
was taken out of the ballot box by
republican election officials, was counted
by republican election officials, and the
return of it To the proper officer was
made by republican election officials
s. The republican election officials,
who had received deposited, and counted
the ballots cast at the election, officially
certified that McNally had received sixty
five more votes in the district for repres-
cntative than Bradwel had received
Upon these returns a certificate of elect
ion was issned by republican officials 10
McNally.
9. Some time after the election, Brad
well gave notice to Abrams, who had
been elected on the democratic tcKet
with MeNally, that he. Bradwell, proposed
to contest the election and desired In re
count the ballots
10 Three days after the recounting of
the ballots had commenced, Abrams
being present under the notice given
him, Bradweil announced that the recount
was proceeding against McNally
II. Bradwell, having handled and re |
the ballots, certain af1idavts |
were made. none attested by the seal of a |
notary, and according to these aff1davits. |
Bradwell had been elected by forty |
IL. The contest was carried to the |
house of representatives and referred to
he committee on elections. The COM
nittee ordered the ballots. which had
been manipulated by Judge Bradwell and
lis friends, to be taken to the capital for
he use of the committee The order was
'beyed by the county clerk of Cook
county, and the ballots were locked in
n the safe of the secretary of the state
ID. The democratic members of The
then said to the republican
nembers OF the committee. Let us
cunt these ballots. IT there is one ballot
lOrc for Bradwell than for McNsllv, we
ill join you in reporting that McNallg is
ot EMIL ed to the seat in question and
nat Judge Bradwell is. -"
The republican members of the com
littee replied; The contest must be
ecided on the affidavits taken by judge
radwell at The recount, We viii not
punt the ballots. We fear they have
cen tempered with
The democrats replied: we will join
on in an Investigation 10 ascertain if
icy have been tempered with Your
leakcr may appoint the Investigating com
ittee. n on may direct the investigation
to your own judgment If the
Ivestigation shows that any democrat |
As tempered with the ballots we will ut
nee concede the election of Bradwell."
The republicans retorted: We reject
our proposition. We will determine {
lis election upon the affidavits. We viii
ot count the ballots.
To which the democrats replied: Very I
ell. If you will not count the ballots '
e will compel you to seat your fraudu- I
Mt member by your own votes. We will t
u Dc Il party 10 the crime OF counting IN | J
] unelected republican. We will not /
: part of the quorum that will do so |
shonest an act. Whenever this quest $
n comes up, and you attempt to seat I
,ur man on these eXparte affidavits, we 1
i'll ne absent from the house G
IA. The republican members of the Il
acted on their determination, a
I'd prepared report declaring Judge I
radwell elected on the affidavits. This t
port the chairman of the committee car II
I'd in his pocket three or four weeks.
I'd one morning, while an appropri; ton |.
u was being considered. presented it
ID asked its immediate adoption. The !
again requested determinat =
n OF the contest by the counting of the :
llots. Again the republicans refused q
count, and the democrats, retaliating, -
fused to vote on the adoption of the .
report. The result was that
venty five votes were cast, one less than :
quorum and the business of the hou-e l.
lud not proceed. =
10. Several republican members de !,
ed tbs ballots counted, but were in q
Undated by the republican bosses-all u
t one, the Young man, Rock, who has
en- denounced by republicans eve where
refused to vote with the II ,)rblican
lJority and finally another republican
,mber, Mr. Wendell joined him in his w
1t against the dictation of the unscrup. as
JUS ballot box perverting leaders of the Is
publican party. Several other republic &C
members were ready to act as Rock pr