St. Paul daily globe., 1886-05-06
\ POSSIBLE CONTEST.
Alleged Reasons Why Aid. Long May
Contest the Seventh Ward AL
dermanic Election.
The Law to Govern the Case if Students
Voted Laid Down by Con-
stitution.
Statements of Two of the Election
Judges that They Knew of
No Fraud.
Mr.. Long VIII Secure Legal Advice
Before Asking for an In
vestfgation.
The EIection-Day story.

There is possibility of contest over the
Seventh ward election. Aid. Long, who
lost the election by fortytwO votes, charges
the judges at Hamline and Merriam Park
with conspiring against him, and claims
that the students of ST. Thomas college at
Merriam Park were allowed to vote, when
it was well known that they had no right
to do so. The number of students who
cast their ballots IS fixed at thirty,
and half as many voted at Ham
lme These students, it is claimed,
went in body against Long, who,
had it not been for their votes, claims
that he would have been elected by small
majority. AT the Minnesota Transfer stock
yards Daniel Sullivan, who it was ex-
pected would lend his influence to Long,
turned on him and worked for Robbins,
taking the stock yard votes with him.
Up to yesterday morning the charges of
fraud in the Seventh ward, and rumors of
the probability that Long would contest
Robbins seat in the council, had come
from Long men, To corroborate the
rumors, GLOBE representative called on
Mr.. Long yesterday at his office, and in
terrogated him regarding the illegality of
the election in his ward. He said:
MIR. LONGS STATEMENT.
They worked against me at Hamline, st. An
thony Park and Merriam Park. At st. An
thony Park the Republican notaries refused
to swear in Democratic votes, and a strong
effort was made to keep Long men from cast
ing their ballots. AT Hamline, Hamline stu
dents were allowed to vote, were students
OF st. Thomas at Merriam Park. l under
stand that this is illegal. I was told that q
sick man drove up at Merriam Park after the
polls closed, and one of the judges went to
the wagon, got his vote unlocked the ballot
box and dropped the ballot in. l also heard
that Robbins men were allowed
to enter the room where the judges
were and vote, without being sworn in. 1
don't think the election was straight. don't
think have been treated right. In the first
place understood when [ was elected last
spring that my term was for two years, but
City Attorney Murray decided against it, L
was pushed into the field without being able
to make preparations for the fight that l
should have made, had l known that l was
elected for only one year. L got a cold deal
all around. My friends now want me to con-
test the election Whether l shall or not
haven't yet decided. l shall think the matter
over couple of days and get legal advice
before | make any move.''
Thus far it seems anything but certain
that Mr.. Long will make the contest. but
the feeling outside among his friends is
| strongly In favor Of his making the contest
on the ground that the votes cast by the
| students at both Hamline and Merriam
Park were illegal.
THE LAW IN TIE CASE.
| Gen. John B. SanbOrn was interviewed
regarding the law concerning the right of
| students to VOTE
The law" he said. ''cannot be mis-
understood on the point of student voters.
In the constitution of the state there is the
! following provisions:
| NopersOn shall be deemed to have lost q
residence while employed in the service Of the
United States, nor while employed upon the
waters of this state, nor while student at
any seminary of learning.
''This settles the question, for the relation
| is a reciprocal one. If student cannot
lose residence he cannot gain one, for if
he could he would have two residences at
the same time, which is not possible under
the law. AS to the case at Merriam Park,
it is simply one of fact. If students voted
there who are living there simply as
students, then there was an illegality. An
Investigation into the facts in the case
would easily show the exact grounds for a
cODteSto