Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1891-04-24

~
goes on to make q statement which
ID far more erroneous than the n
he attempts to correct. If this were
the whole Of the matter, no com.
ment need be made. But the arti-
Gle goes on further, and after max
ing several assertions, none Of which
are entirely correct, and nearly all
being without any foundation what
ever in fact, he adds as q sort Of 10.
quel, "The ring then hunted up
Emory Morris. clerk Of election"
Now 80 far as the "ring h%unted,"1
am not prepared tosay; but I know
very we'll that l was at my owae 9
idence, which is quite we'll known
to nearly all the residents Of this
city, most all of the time on the day
In question, and it need have re-
quired no great amount Of hunting
to locate me on that day. All the
hunting I know Of was that Mr.. A..
Hasson, a member Of the beard Of
aldermen for the year 1880, came to
my house about four o'clock, p. M,
and informed me that there appear
ed to he an error in the election re-
turns. asked him what it was,
and he told me how the return read.
I at once told him that if the return
read az he stated, that it was simply
a clerical error. My mind was per.
fectly clear, and I did not stop to
stink the matter over" as the
Leader asserts. But l did refer to
the tally sheet, which l had pre-.
served, and found it precisely a. I
supposed. The language used by
the author Of the article in the
Leader would lead one to suppose
that there was but one clerk Of cleo
ton. The fact is there were two,
and he (the other clerk) also had
the tally sheet made by himself,and
upon examination it was found to
be exactly like mine. The Leader
article then further adds, "Mr. Nor
ris then went to the city clerk, called
for the statement, aud erased 1O1
and inserted ILL.," The actual facts
are that after being assured that the
chairman of the board of election
Zone Of the judges as q matter of
course) had declared that the return
was an error in the case of John
McGrath, and in the presence of the
other clerk of election and the city
clerk, no question being raised and
no doubt expressed rs to what was
right in the matter, the correction
was made. As to the illegal right"
it is principle recognized in all
proceedings, that a recording clerk
or secretary il empowered TO correct
. self.evident srsor 81 the pen and
not Of the mind, in his own work.
That prerogative is exercised every
day all over the land, and without
such practice there is not . BRANCH
Of the government in the United
States that could run twenty-four
hours. I could cite you to prece-
dents from the President of the
United States, from a judge of Unit
ed States court, and many other in
stances where abuses likely to occur
we're prevented by this discretionary
power, without any defined legal
right. 1t must be borne in mind
that myself, and each other member
Of the board Of election, was sworn
to prevent fraud, deceit and abuse
in conducting said election. Now
in this case where it came to the
knowledge OF said clerks Of election
that through a mistake Of their own
the wrong man was about to be in.
stalled in Office. can there be any
law found that would compel them
to violate their sacred oath referred
10 above2 To assume that any in.
telligent body of men would enact
such laws ~ that, would seem to
the writer to be an amazing defiance
Of tho assumption that maa is . ra-
tional being.
Again I beg leave to inform Mr..
Knapp that most politicians with
whom I have bean long acquainted
have learned that ! am not = profit.
able instrument whore any ring
work is to be performed. 1.-THE
opinion prevails'', tho Leader de-
clares. An opinion based upon .
misapprshsnsion Of facts, i vsrv
seldom Of much value. Now ]
trust Mr.. Knapp will give me credit
lpr generosity in these few hastily
penped remarks, and In tho future
before venturing TO stimulate m
opinion detrimental to tho reputa-
ton Of 4 fellow citisen, that he will
obtain the best evidence Of facts
when II 10 20 easily obtainable - II
was in this case, before publishingit.
=. MoRRIa,
For nearly half = century Ayert
Nl.. n>>A~->l laa hAAa Ahn -0ni