Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1885-04-08
END OF THE FARCE.

END OF THE FARCE.
Last Thursday the official canvass of
votes cast at the recent election took
place. The resu 1t was found to be as
stated last week-a tie-157 votes for and
a like number against division. An at
torney representing Mr.. H. F. Douglas
was in town, and claimed to have two
affidavits of parties who reside near Will
Transport, stating that they were absent
from home during the winter. These
aftidavits the attorney desired County
Clerk Parks to incorporate in his report
to the Governor of the result of the cleo
ton. This action that gentleman, of
course, refused to take, asserting that his
duties were of clerical and not a judicial
nature. We have learned the names of
the two alleged illegal voters, and can as
sure our readers that they were fully en-
titled to vote here, both being claim
holders and residents of the county, Both
have complied with the homestead laws
in every respect; they were compelled to
be temporarily absent in order to earn a
living; they have voted nowhere else,
and, if any attempt should be made
through the courts to impeach their rights
as citizens at the recent election, we can
assure Mr.. Douglas that when the case
is closed there will be many less than 1854
legal votes shown as having been cast at
the Winona poll.
The people of this county have not
neglected needed precautions. Days be.
fore election the necessary steps were
taken to have trustworthy citizens on
hand at Winona who understood the stu
alton and knew the men. II was well
known that Douglas was working heaven
and EARTH to gain his point; that every
body whom he and his partners could get
to the polls would be on hand, and that,
in the event of defeat, he would be rem
dered desperate and ready for new
scheme, however unpromising its out
look. He has been defeated On a fair
and legal vote division would have been
swamped by halt a hundred majority.
Mr.. Douglas knows this and, let it not
escape his memory, HE is NOT ALONE in
the possession of such knowledge.
The procurement of af11davits amounts
to nothing. There is but one way. No
power save a court can change the result.
And we assure Mr.. Douglas that he can
| not 'sstart the music" too soon If the
matter were ventilated, it Is possible that
the new heads Of the War and Interior
Departments might find way to contine
the attention of their employees to the
work for which the Government pays,
and cause them to cross the river less
frequently in the interest of townsite
company. Fort Yates interference in
Emmons-county affairs is becoming nui-
sance which requires abatement. Nor
must the redoubtahle Henry console him
self with a belief that he may win by de-
fault because people fear the power of
his wealth. The men who travelled miles,
some of them on foot, to vote against di.
vision. of their county, stand ready
to contribute financially to protect and
affirm their expressed will. And il
wouldn't cost great deal, elther-not a
tenth as much as is frequently spent by
a schemer who risks term in the peni-
Tertiary by the bribery of voters.
Since the above was put in type We
hear that the affidavit business" has
simmered down to a sworn statement by
one Keefe, or Keif, that Assessor Bum
stead had paid him TWO DOLLARS
to go TO WINONA to vote AGAINST
DIVISION. Keif is known in Emmons
Comfy as the party who was a prisoner
in Sheriff Wade's custody several weeks
| last fall, charged with larceny. The idea
that Mr. Bumstead would pay Kief 81 for
his vote, and then trust to the payee' s
"honor'' to fulfill the provisions of the
purchase, and this, too, with the payer alb
sent on that day at another poll, forty
! odd miles distant should be dismissed as
unworthy of serious consideration. Mr..
Bumstead is not fool by any means.
He knew that Douglas was in the market
to secure votes at any price; he had rea-
son to suppose, from Kief's reputation,
that an advance of five cents, or a total
of $2.05, would have thrown his purchase
for division. And it is, therefore, little
wonder that this latest and dirtiest move
of the Fort Yates annex to Emmons
County provokes nothing but ridicule and
disgust from both the pro and con sides
to the division controversy. That Doug
las is at bay is shown by this proftless
and most absurd action.