The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-12-13
THE MACHINE
STILL At WORK.
The STATE Ckh4LssEG BCkRD ACT
lHG ON THE ERRCR5
MADE BY THE COUETY CANyAsSING
BOAEUS.

What are the Powers OF the Board of state
Conference.-The Law il Infamous or the
Actions of That Body Eudcfen-ibie--Ber-
uard and seaweII Robbed Of Their OF
CC-.
RALEmH, \. G., Dee. -, 81
Ed. CAUCASIAN:
The Board Of State Canvassers
consisting of the Governor of the
State, Secretary OF the Stacy AT
torney General, and Senators a
Cooke Of Warren and ". j. Adams
of Moore, have been session here
since the 18th canvassing the vote
Of the State. y great many irreg
ularitieS have turned up III the re
turns sent by the County Canvass
ing Board. Some counties refused
to send up any vote at all for Mr..
W. II. Worth for State Treasurer
because his tickets were printed ''for
State Treasurer" instead Of ''for
Treasurer" Both OF these forms
are legal, and the Attorney General
Of the State has so ruled, yet the
State CanYasaing Board refused to
count votes east for Worth for State
Treasurer simply because the County
Canvassing Board had refused to
count them. The State Canvassing
Board claims that it has no power
to do more than to foot up returns
sent IL by County Canvassing Boards.
There is Il difference of opinion on
this question among some of the
abIest LAWYERS Of the State, but the
| majority of the returning Board
have ruled that this is their duty and
their only power, and therefore they
have refused to correct any errors
whatever, no matter how glaring
they have been made, purpOsely or
carelcssly, by the various County
Canvassing Boards. Two members,
however, of the State Canvassing
Board dissent from this ruling and
the vote on nearly every question be
fore that body stands three to two. If
the ma jority Of the Board is right
IN It's ruling, 1t simply serves to show
how UNANIMOUSLY unjust and absurd
the Election law is. There were not
enough errors, however, Of this kind
to defraud Mr.. Worth of his office.
In the returns of the vote from
the Supreme Court and the Superior
Court Judges the middle name or in
ltials of the Judges Of the Co-opera-
tive ticket were wrong; for instance,
some counties sent up the vote for
Walter l.. Montgomery instead of
Walter A. Montgomery. Errors Of
this kind were so frequent that ii
seems to be almost certain that If
was a plot to try to defeat our cand-
idate5 by making errors Of this kind
with the understanding tnaL the
State Cahvassing Board would re-
fuse to count votes where such er-
rOrs were made. The majOrities fol
the cooperative ticket, however
were 50 large that none of these er
rOrs coald reverse the vote and de,
feat our candidates, but in the case
of the Solicitors errors of this kline
are more serious.
In the case of the 3rd Judicial Dis
trict the vote was sent up from some
counties for Claude n. Bernardo
instead of-"Claude NJ. Berdard'. An
other county sent up a vote for ber
nard for 4th District instead Of 3rC
District. Judge Whitaker represent
ing Mr.. Bernard went before tn,
Board with evidence to show that al
of the votes were cast for Claude NJ
7 Bernard for the 3rd judicial Distric
and that fraudulent returns wer,
made out as indicated above, bu
the State Canvassing Board refuse,
to act on this evidence and decide,
to give the certificate to Mr.. JnO. E
WoOdard the defeated candidate fo
Solicitor, whereupon Judge Whita
ker acting as Counsel for Bernard
got out an injunction against tn
= State Board of Canvassers restrain
| ing them from adjourning and thel
e had a Mandamus served on them
| appear before Judge Bynum on Dec
14th when Bernard through hi
Counsel. will ask the Court to OF
der the State Canvassing Board t
hear the evidence of fraud and to &C
cept the true return of vote cast fo
U Bernard.
4 In the votes sent up for Solicito
/ in the 7th District, there were sim
s lar errors. For instance, the Boar
e of County Canvassers of Anson cou1
ty sent up vote for "RObt. S. Sew
. ell' instead Of "Herbert F. Seawell.
The returns from Cumberland cou1
ty were for "Herbert L. Sewell.
i Mr.. Sewell, through his Attorney
S Col. Jno. W. Hinsdale of Raleigh
IS and Col. Thos. H. Sutton of Fay
l. etteville, appeared before the Boar
e of State Canvassers with the follow
Il ing al1idavits from Mr.. Seawell an
p from Mr.. D. B. Gillis who was Chai
:. man of the poll of County Canvas
>, ers of Cumberland county.
/, MIR. SEAWELL'S AFFIDAVIT.
Il NORTH CAROLINA,
L WAKE COUNTY, IS.
= Herbert T. Seawell being dul
sworn says that the only two person
# who were voted for for Solicitor
E. the Seventh Judicial District at Il
a recent election held on the 9th ult
10 mo were Neill 4. Mclean and He
=, bert F. Seawell. That there wei
no candidates for this office in sa
= District other than himself and sa
'e Mclean. That as he Is informt
es and believes, all of the ballots ca
+ in the county of Arson for this Q
lie flee were either for Herbert f. Sc;
u we'll or Neill A. Mclean, as Il
N tickets will show. That the origin
10 precinct returns of Arson Coun
w which were made and certified by Il
~ Judges of election and filed in Il
Is office of the Clerk of the Superi
Il Court in Wadesboro, with the e
ce ception of Ansonville Townshl
t. show that the votes were cast f
ed Herbert F. Seawell and Neill A. M
ue Lean for Solicitor, and for no 9th
e pprSoOc Tbat tho ho1IotC ooct