Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1892-12-09

name OF ID. Il. Streeter, republican candi
date 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; thnt
John F. Cell and VIM. Lowe (the latter be-
irg one of the affidavit~makers) did the
writing for the clerks. When it is further
known that Cell also was candidate and
Lowe declared 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 net as q 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 70 con
sider to the effect that r. p Lee, candi-
date for treasurer, and whose election
hinged on this precinct, acted as Judge, and
was the judge who opened and read off the
ballots that John F. Cell, q candidate, and
VIM. Lowe, who was not q voter, acted as
clerks also, that three notched sticks were
used, one in each of the two polling booths
and one in the hands OF Mr. Cell who ex-
planned to the Russian voters how to use
those placed in the booths with the aid of
stickers, SO as to vote the democratic ticket
tsAo AACAuNAO ~ L. ollSCtCl 1ol tllSII C1Clk
and Jakob Kraft, Independent candidate for
assessor.
According to evidence, corroborated by
the returns. this arrangement worked all
right until q republican voter present broke
the sticks and threw them aside, after which
stickers were placed promiscuously over the
ticket, giving Mr.. Streeter votes for various
oInces. such as coroner, etc., and Jakob
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
its uses. The idea was brilliant 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
jndges--not Mr.. Streeters two notched
sticks.
The members of the canvassing board
know Mr.. Lee personally, and know him 10
be man of honor, but they were aware that
he (because 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 Selz 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 to call in outsiders If
they could not read, then there was no check
on the outsiders whom they called in and
who were not only able but ready and will
ing to act That they knew they were talk
ing an official part in an election is shown
by the fact that the written oath of John T :.
Cell "a candidate) made before T. p. Lee "a
candidate), to act faithfully as "writer,'
was attached by mistake to the poll book
made out by VIM. Lowe, which book was
presented to the canvassing board as the
returns from Selz township.
Those three men must have known, when
swearing in each other and making Offices
and officers not provided for by statute,
that they were acting beyond their sphere,
and were for the time being "a law unto
Themselves The county board did not
take the law into their hands, but interpret
ing its provisions as best they could, and
aided by reason, they took action which
will insure court Of law passing Judgment
on the question at issue. If they had ac-
cepted these returns as legal, then in 1891 q
candidate who might not be honest could
act rs judge in Selz township, and two can-
didates who might perchance also be dis
honest could act rs clerks. and, making re-
turns to suit themselves, insist on getting
them counted.
Again, two years hence these voters might
still be unable to read English and require
assistance, and Mr.. Streeter might then be
anxious for the success of the republican
party. If his belief happened to be that
| "all is fair in love and war, he could, with
and the notched sticks, get our Russian dem
ocratic brethren to vote the straight republi-
can ticket and until it was too late they
would not know what they had done.
Mr.. Streeter gives you the opinion of ev-
cry honest republican rs we'll as democrat in
| the county. 1 cannot do so but I have
heard many republicans whom would call
honest say that if Mr.. Streeter had been rs
anxious for the good of the republican
party in November as he was in August, and
if he had used little more Of his time and
republican talents for its advancement, the
party of which he has long been IL prominent
member would have had larger majority in
Emmons county.
Thanking you in advance for the space
you have accorded to me, beg to state that
I will not believe the headlines to Mr..
Streeter's letter were Of the Tribunes orig
mating. If, when Mr.. Streeter headed his
letter 'sEmmons Co. Frauds" and signed it
| ~. ". Otreetef, ue IeAeiieu ~ ulAAioeA anu
the Selz township returns, have no COM
plant to make: but. if he meant to charac.
terize the action Of the returning board as
fraud, then say he lies and lies knowingly.
Respectfully, DUaALD CAMPBELL.
Armstrong, N. D., Nov. %, 1892.
w
The allegations in Commissioner Camp
BELLS letter do not differ materially from
the statement of the conditions prevailing
| In Selz precinat on election day, as print.
[ - 8. .,.o,,4 ;,,,,o of THO noper Rut