Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-12-09
Or Did He Mean to Characterize the
Action of the Canvassing Board
as FraudP
If the Latter Then the Talented
Editor Lies and Lies Know
ingly.
An Answer From One Of tbs Emmon.
County c~anvassing Board to
Streeter,s Letter.
The Election in Sell Precinct Clearly
Irregular and Conducted by
Illegal Officials.
A Review of the Facts.

A Review of the Facts.
EDITOR TRIBUNE: On the Odd inst. you
published a letter from D. r. Streeter
regarding the Emmons county
ing board. AS a member of that board
I respectfully ask the TRIBUNE to give
the same publicity to our side of the
question as you gave to MI. Streeter's
charges.
I will quote his own words first. In
his letter to you he says: "The basis
for the action taken we're afidavits by
three persons, that there we're technical
Irregularities IN the manner of conduct
ing the election in SELF township" In
his editorial on same subject in the
Record of 26th inst, he says: "The
atlantis alleged that a stick with a GER
tain notch cut in it was used by certain
voters to enable them to measure the
distance from the top of the ticket to
the name of D. R. Streeter, republican
candidate for clerk of the district court;
that T. P. Lee, a candidate for treasurer
read off the names of candidates from
the ballots, when the votes were being
canvassed; that John F. Cell and VIM.
Lowe (the latter being one of the afida-
vit-makers) did the writing for the
clerks" When it is further known that
Cell also was a candidate and Lowe de-
clared under oath that he was not a
voter in the state, even this statement
of Mr.. Streeter's would cause many to
think that the technical Irregularities
might be called gross breaches of the
election laws of North Dakota, which
state plainly that no candidate can act
as a member of the board of election.
The county board of %canvassers had
evidence presented to them, which had
been sworn to, and which they had to
consider to tie effect that T. P. Lee, a
candidate for treasurer, and whose cleo
ton hinged on this precinct, acted as
judge and was the judge who opened
and read off the ballots; that John F.
OOAAS q OGAu4AduCs dAu VII. AOW0, WIZ
was not a voter acted as clerks; also that
three notched sticks we're used, one in
each Of the two polling booths, and one
in the hands Of MI. Cell, who explained
to the Russian voters how to use those
placed in the booths with the aid of
stickers so as to vote the democratic
ticket and include D. r. Streeter for
district clerk and Jacob Kraft, indie
pendent candidate for assessor.
According to evidence, corroborated
by the returns, this arrangement worked
all right until a republican voter present
broke the sticks and threw them aside,
after which stickers were placed pro-
miscuously over the ticket, giving Mr..
Streeter votes for various offices such as
coroner, etc., and Jacob Kraft one vote
for member of congress.
Before the county canvassing board
Mr.. Streeter exonerated Mr.. Cell from
being the originator of the notched stick
idea, and said it was he who had advised
Mr.. Cell of it's uses. The idea was bril-
liant and worth copying under certain
circumstances, only it happens that our
legislators foresaw that there would be
voters unable to read and provided for
such a contingency by allowing them to
call to their assistance the two judges
not MI. Streeter's two notched sticks.
The members of the canvassing board
know Mr.. Lee personally and know him
to be q man of honor, but they were
aware that he because a candidate) was
acting illegally in calling off the ballots,
and that Cell and Lowe were also acting
illegally in keeping tally and making out
the official returns.
If the voters of SELF township who
had been appointed judges and clerks
could read and write English-even
slowly, as Mr.. Streeter states in the
Record-then there was no necessity tc
call in outsiders. If they could not
read, then there was 10 check on the
outsiders whom they called in, and who
were not only able but ready and willing
to act. That they knew they we're tax.
ing an official part in an election is
shown by the fact that the written oath
of John T. Cell "a candidate) made be.
fore T. P. Lee "a candidate) to act faith.
fully as "writer,'' was attached by mis-.
take to the poll book made out by VIM
Lowe, which book was presented to the
canvassing board as the returns from
SELF township.
Those three men must have known
when swearing in each other and max
ing Offices and officers not provided for
by statute that they were acting beyond
their sphere, and we're for the time being
"a law unto themselves The county