The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1891-05-13
WEDNESDAY, May 6

The contest for the seats from s"wan-
nee county came up on the Speclal oroef f
w. "uom and engaged the attention OF
- a.. bopse shortly thereafter. y MOTION
~,s made that the majority report, wn'ch
-..ots the present members, be adopted.
W. Dougherty of Voluria moved to
and bv adopting the report of the MI
.-;+r Of the committee. Upon this mo-
.;on 10 amend the issue was joined and
.So dehate made Mr.. Clark of Polk
80 .orad that the reading Of the evidence
md exhibits by the clerk be omitted, and
.st this occupies about two hundred pages
.h.re was a general feeling of relief when
il was carried.
n, Sapler of Hamilton, chairman OF
,Ao commi,tee on privileges, rose and
.,ked tba, he be not interrupted. He de-
V ..resd that the election in precinct No. 2
!, suvannee county, was one of the fair
etof which be had ever heard. There
~ssuo scinti.la ol evidence 10 show fraud,
was fair, open, "a voice "too open')
.,d above board. There were IA precincts
i the county, and the result in l3 OF these
was undispuel Therefore the contest
hinged on the result in precinct 3 and that
vond be discussed The sworn stale
meuts of The inspectors at that precinct
chow that N~wlan received "a votes.
High S5. Ivey 90, and Howell 102, ard
these results We're certified 3tO by all the
officials. But the evidence proved that
brped and fraudulent return had been
made, giving Newlan GA, High 30. The
gidence showing forgery is indisputable,
nd the whole case OF the contes,ees hangs
On this fraudulent return. When the
county canvassing board met, the evidence
showed by the oath Of the inspectors that
! the canvass was made on the forged and
not The true return, or if the position is
taken that the election was illegal, why
forge return for the canvassing board?
Why not let the cOnestees make the con.
test or that point? Appeals to the preju-
dice The speaker said, mad been made out
side the chamber, but he was satisfied the
house would decide according 10 the Law
and the testimony, and these appeals
would not be considered or given weight
by this body
Mr. Hollnger o. Leon stated that he was
amember Of the committee on privileges
and elections, and was on;y prevented by
slckneas from signing his name TO the mi
nonty report. He wished ii distinctly un-
derstood that he endorsed entirely that
document. He did pot think there had
oeen any attempt TO prejudice anybody
SINCE The published statements had only
oeen made ID answer TO statements prev.
oasly made by the contestants But it is
unoBputed that the result hangs on the
vshdIiy OF the election held in preciDct
Z. NOW 10 any careful reader OF the testi-
aUuy IL would plainly appear that all the
yuiclaiS oi INA, precinct are partisaps OF
meSe so'ca led Independents Their sworn
TTasumony 81 'ws this a> well AS their acts.
Inese men swear that all who voc had
pdio tne poll tax except Il few jusl come of
age 'm the registration list does not bear
item out in tbs.
., II Is not d MED that Clayton violated
we fundamental principles of the law
"hen he opened. rca and directed the
IAclhe OF the tickets. The speaker held
=, wa. ms TACT alone would invalidate the
s'eI''oh and make any re.ult reached in
'ecn ', mallner absolutely void. The face
" 'ne clalm iIic shows that 90 illiterate
TTseroes correctly placed their ballots !!
sn's .aS not been done in any other pre-
M, r.n1. III The state 1t is well nigh an i'm
p'Scs,oilty. and III the absence of proof as
*Ni"!toh actions it would furnish such
niore nU1e SUSPICION of fraud as to throw
r,.a. %Uaa Oh the whole return. How accum-
~s SiSaive then is this mass of testimony
eioua a''' are many items equally suspi-
h.aIe me speaker complained of feeble
a.. .I an ana consequent inability to dis.
49, al 'ne rottenness. but claimed that
asn.s sie lttie shown tainted the whole
sqt q.alr ~ ana declared the election illegal"
ont ~ Io'e practices had prevailed through
bss. He state most of us would not be
y asnt..; am very certain Leon's repre-
v,s 'sslves .s would not. The election law
troI even ; US that intelligence might con-
a.. Snorance; as chairman of Leon's
ita.c r. executive committee believed
on. y auty to do all in my power to carry
f-eIactiy the provisions of the law. and
tfDe< Al 1~Hy CdTclul III every pre-"
NJ ana M county in the state"
ea%r.;1 m hutchinson of Putnam. one of the
rsao,t rssi'Vee who had signed the. majority
sa,on. vs. wished to hear some reason why
h 90 da, objected to the majority report.
nclared not one statement of the
n, report was true.
aem.., ~. cnlne Of Orange-"Doss the gen.
nIno,;,.aA a aom Putnam mean to cay that the
N, N@y Y, mas submittd false reportp".
zplain y'- o'A-May interrupt 70
Poit Polk, ,hs salne-"Is the gentlemap from
sen,Ism sns guardian or mo1thpiece of the
H. N',rsh 1s from Putnam ?"
sep,l.aS Sark-"I shall maintain that each
speak kiah aia on this floor has the right to
ibs,i,aa',' a'' o.. o~' mind, aud will maintain
Mr. Ms $40. olanother AS | would my own"
snaa irosa ou,ne- n All right, but The gentle.3
opu opinidaa d ralnam is responsible for his
nairs ,uh,aa.,sIIiinson--'ST ,ha. know T fAin. but !
NJ ~. S.i De not interrupted. ~ s#
Putnam mrpssasKer-"The rsa. gentleman from
'ouses to be interrupted. and the;