The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1890-12-04
Mr.. Stcbbins WithdraWS

l. me non. ,. T.. SCchDlnS has
finally withdrawn his contest suit
against the Hon. II. n. Ink. 1t is
true that most of Mr.. Stebbins'
party friends disapproved of the
contest, notwithstanding there were
Irregularities in the election, which
the struggling Republican faction,
which seems to be i'm the lead i'm the
coming legislature, might have con-
sdered sufficient to nullify Mr..
Inks election certificate.
In the case of West End, for in
stance, the election clerks had to-
tailed Mr.. Stebbins with three more
votes than appeared on the tally
sheet. which the commissioners took
the liberty to correct, setting Mr..
Ink two ahead. an act scarcely
allowed by law governing this sort
of thing, although the commissions
ers were practically correct in the
ACT, there being no provisi ion, either,
for them to go back and recount the
ballots--which they did not dc. And
then in Dwight some one voted two
straight Republican ballots folded
together, and instead of the clerks
throwing both out as provided by
law in such cases, they counted one
Of them, destroying the other. And
then in Christinewsome one wrote
Mr.. Stebbins' nana on a ballot, bu,
negIecting to SC ratch Ink, was
counted for the latter, the
intention evidently having been to
vote for Stebbins. And Snen 6,erc
were II number of legal votes for
want of citizenship which Mr.
Stebbins expected to show up /; and
although we believe Mr.. Stebbins
would have been seated by the pres
ent Republican legislature, we are
glad, indeed, he has withdrawn the
contest, since Mr.. Ink had the ma
ority on the face OF the returns.
In fact SO far us this matter OF
illegal votes for want of citizenship
goes, no doubt such could be found
having been cast for the Dem ocratic
ticket, the difference being, simply in
the idea that at best Mr.. INKS cleo
tion barely left margin while the
Democratic candidates for the most
part, had comparatively large
majorities.
And then there is a bad feature
to this contest process: while the
Democrats might gain Mr.. Stebbins
the same process which seated him
might unseat the Hon. j M. Patch
OF Eddy county, Democrat and F
M. kinter of LaMoure county
Democrat, both being among the
very best men of the state and elec
ted by. large majorities, us contests
have been filed against them, also
1t is better for the Democracy OF
the state to clear it's skirts of any
semblance Of the contest process
and abide by the decision of the
ma jority--if it is but majority OF
one. That is Democratic and work
all the harder next time at the polls
to pull everybody through.
Leave the process of contest and
the stealing of seats to the Republi.
cans, led by such political scoun
drels us Tom Reed, speaker of the
popular branch Of the present con
gress, who unseated seventeen
Democrats in the first session of the
present congress and who, blythe.
way now suffers from the effects OF
the whirlwlnd, the cyclone, the tor
nado which overlook the Republic
can party, November 4th, last.
Nor should a Democrat even mix
to any extent with the North Da
kota Republicans who would enter
upon general contest process, sucl
us seems to be their purpose al
present. The time for men to work
and to contest" certainly, as q
general proposition is, leading up tt
and at the polls. In fact Mr.. Steb
bins knows of five Democratic
voters in his town whom he might
have gotten out, and whom he did
send boy after, which would have
saved him had he seen to 1T thai
they were actually secured.
And then the surrender now un.
doubtedly leaves Mr.. Stebbins in
l L. Cat