Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1892-09-01

cOiuHiitlee.
After the arguments the commit
tee again carefully went over the
ground and, finding that the face Of
the returns were unquestionably foi
Clark and that he would still have a
majority OF four in Montgomery
with the seven contested votes not
counted, they decided without dis.
senting vote that certificates should
be awarded to the Clark delegates.
The announcement of the result
was received without any demon
stration by the Clark men, but their
anxious faces were soon wreathed
with smiles. Mr.. Clark was at the
supper table when the news was
brought to him by 50 friend. His
answer was: "Please 60 and tele-
graph my wife that the committee
has decided in our favor" Imme-
diately after supper he and ex-Sen-
ator Ball hurried to the Union
Depot to catch the first train home.
Mr.. Norton's friends gracefully
bowed to the result and said they
would 60 home and work as hard
for the election of Mr.. Clark as they
had for Mr.. Norton. Disinterested
Democrats thought the committee
had done a noble days work and
acted so fairly and impartially in
arriving at their decision that the
Democrats of the Ninth District
would cheerfully abide by their rul-
ing.
A reporter of the Republic saw
Congressman Norton, and the fol-
lowing conversation ensued:
''Mr. Norton, what have you to
say concerning the action of the
State Central Committee rs to the
contest for the nomination in the
Ninth DISTRICT"
81 am never asked that question
that my mind does not go back to
the original cause of the trouble, the
vote of Crawford county. l carried
that county as fairly as any county
was ever carried in this State, and
was entitled to the vote of Crawford,
which would have given me the
nomination at Montgomery City
On the resubmission | carried Craw-
ford again, and by larger MAORI
ty than has been awarded me, for
the reason that while, by the report,
Clark is given "a votes at Davisville
and none for me, yet, as a matter of
fact, | received IS votes at that pre-
cinet."
''After the convention at Mont
gomery City my opponent and 1
submitted the whole matter to the
State Central Committee. On my
part it was insisted that as no ques-
tions had arisen as to the votes of
any other county than Crawford it
should be left to the voters of that
county to determine whom they en-
dorsed for the nomination. The
committee, however, determined that
another convention should be called,
to be composed Of delegates to be
elected by each of the various coun-
ties of the district, and in the call it
was declared that all Democrats who
will be legal voters at the general
election November s, 1892, shall be
entitled to vote; and it was further
provided that each voters name
shall be entered in poll book pro-
vided for such purpose, and the bal
lots SO received shall, after having
been counted, be carefully sealed
and transmitted to the committee.
By the face of the returns it was
shown that Clark had carried Mont
gomery county by a majority of IL
votes. ! went before the committee
and insisted that l was prepared to
show that more than SO votes were
cast for Clark in Montgomery coun-
ty by persons who are nonresidents
of that county, Republicans and
paupers confined at the poor house.
l had the names Of these persons
forthe committee, and was prepared
to show the facts | have stated as
well as the further fact that still
other illegal votes were cast for Mr..
Clark, if l were permitted to examine
the poll books. On the part of Mr..
Clark it was intended that the COM
mittee could not go behind the re-
turns, and the committee so ruled.
ssUnder the order of the State
Central Committee the poll books,
tally sheets and the ballots them
selves had to be returned from the
various precincts to that body. /
am of the opinion that, as under the
order of the committee, it became
its duty to issue the credentials to
the delegations from the various
counties, it became necessary for the
committee, when dispute arose, to
pass upon the question of the legali-
ty of any vote. When / submitted
this question to the State Central
Committee did it with the expeeta-
ton and understanding that it would
decide finally and absolutely who are
entitled to sit as delegates in the