The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-01
THE LULING-AYREs CONTEST.
The Red-Nosed Tricksters Act in Court Like
They Were i'm Bum Ward Meeting-A
Wedding TO Result From the
Position "Not Promised.

/ The Luling-Ayres contest election court
convened at II o'clock yesterday morning
The day before Bob Coates bad ordered a
new clothes and gave the word he had
been given the tip that it was coming his
way and the expenditure means that Bob
! is going TO get married within very few
! days
On the strength of the fact that the po-
sition of assistant clerk not having been
! promised him by Ayres or any of his
! tricksters, he proposed TO celebrate royalty
| in due time. Quite a number of the red
nOsed election boboes of the Democratic
! catch-a-dollar-as catch can persuasion
were out TO hear the courts decision. They
| had come to break into the dignity of the
occasion with yell forced out by a strong
breath which they wanted to count for a
cheer at a certain point, and they carried
out the program. They acted very much
like they do in the ward pOw-wows and
seemed to make no distinction whatever
The decision of the court given complete
is as follows:
In the matter of the contest of election
for the office of clerk Of the district court
of Sedgwick county, Kansas. Charles II.
Luling confession, VS.. w. w. Ayres, CON
testee.
In passing on this cause Of contest, the
court deems it necessary to consider speci-
flcally but two general causes. as the de-
murrer of contestee has been sustained to
portion of the eighty-siX causes set forth
in the statement filed by the confession and
the confession waived or submitted evil
dence in support of only two general
causes, viz:
First-The reception and counting of
by the various and numerous boards of
election.
Second Bribery of electors by contestee.
Upon the evidence introduced, we make
the following findings of facts:
First-That there wasa general state and
county election held in Sedgwick county,
Kansas, Nov. 1, 1890.
Second-That there were five regular
tickets in the field at said election, to-wit:
Republican, Democratic, Republican-Re-
submissionist Peoples Party and Prohi-
bition: the Republican Resubmission be-
ing blank as to the county.
Third-The nominee for clerk Of the
district court of this county as named by
the regular county conventions of the
respective political parties were as fol-
lows: Charles II. Luling, Republican; r.
+. Coates, Democratic; Blank on Repub
lican- Resubmisson; w. W. Ayres, Peoples
Party: William Ayres, Prohibition.
Fourth-That the county Democratic
convention caused TO be appointed a coun-
ty Democratic central committee, cons St
ing OF nine members named as follows
Erred w. Bentley. NJ. c. Cook, w. i. w.
Miller. II. Ossweiler, Thomas q. Fitch, W.
l. Osborne, " b. Smith, j. r. Brown, b.
X. Brown, of which Fred Bentley was
chairman and NJ. c. Cook was secretary.
Fifth-That on the 3rd day of November,
1890, being the day before the election, X.
f. Coates handed in his resignation To the
Democratic central committee as nominee
for clerk of the district court on the Demo
cratic ticket, with the request that the
name of w. w. Ayres, the candidate on
the Peoples ticket. be substituted; upon
which five members of the Democratic
central committee acted, accepted the
resignation and declared W. w. Ayres to
be the candidate for clerk of the district
court on the Democratic ticket, vice r. 4.
Coates, resigned.
Sixth-That the Democratic party has
had political organization IN this county
since 1875 mas, by custom and usage APP
pointed a county central committee from
time 10 time, consisting Of from five to
nine members; We further find from the
evidence that it has been the
custom and usage of said party To dele
gate TO said central committee the power
and authority 10 make assessments
on the candidates, get out the tickets, fill
vacancies on the tickets act upon resigna-
tons, take charge of and generally con-
duct the campaign.
Seventh-That the Democratic county
tickets containing the name of K. +.
Coates wera printed and largely distrib-
uted in the country precincts prior 20
Monday, the day before the election.
Eighth-That on Monday, the day be
fore the election, the county central COM
mittee caused the name OF w. w. Ayres
TO be printed in the Democratic tickets in
stead of IL. K. Coates as nominee for clerk
of the district court and distributed the
changed tickets by special cOuriers accom- (
with circulars explaining the change and
suppressed those tickets containing the I
name Of r. +. Coates As far as possible: /
and that said committee caused no Demo |
cratic tickets containing the name of r. !
+, Coates 10 be distributed IN the said pre-
cincts
Ninth-That the evidence shows that /
the chairman Of the Republican Central /
caused circulars dated Nov 3 I
1880, 10 be distributed Throughout the I
county making reference 10 the change
and denominating the said change or sub 1
to be a fraud and warning and 4
the voters against the same.
Thenth-That the Democratic tickets /
voted at the said election As shown by the 4
ballots and returns were those containing l
the name Of ". W. Ayres for the clerk
OF the district court. only a few contain I
ing the name Of Il. +. Coates being used. I
and those mostly in Attica township where 4
tie evidence shows the first or Coates 4
ticket contained the township ticket and 1
u was deemed more convenient 10 erase I
Coates and insert Ayres than 10 write out 4
The full township ticket.
Eleventh-ThAt the vote in Sedgwick 4
county as shown by careful recount aud 4
personal inspection Of the ballots, accept /