Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1894-01-17
A Strained Contest.

plalnS lLSelI:
Chester l. Long this morning filed in
the supreme court petition In quo
wartanto i'll behalf of .. G.. BOYD. ask
ing that writ of custer be granted
against y. Mills. sheriff of Barber coun-
ty. Boyd and Mills were candidates Tor
the office before the people last fall, the
former as republican and the latter as
a populist. On the face of the returns
Boyd had sos votes and Mills SIG and
the county board gave Mills the Office.
But Boyd claims that Mills was unfair
~ elected for the following reasons:
mat forty-two men who voted for Mills
nad not been residents of the state for
q period or six months preceding the
elecll0n as required by the constitution:
that twelve men who voted for him
served in the Confederate army and
had not had their political disabilities
removed by legislative enactment: that
In Deerhead township, the Judges suf-
Tered the voters to use the unofficial OF
colored ballots. instead of the official or
white ballots. fourteen of the number
cast IN the township being cast for Mills
ana nve for Boyd; and that there was
irreguiarity in Elm Mills township
The people of the county have been
expecting contest. but the unexpected
occurs in the reasons set forth in the
petition. The first condemns itself for
II the confession has any faith IN the al
legation he would need to go no farther.
III he or his distinguished ATTORNEYS
thought such an absurd statement could
be proven, they would have Mills beat
en- by 81 without going into anything
else. That part is merely an exaggera
ton Instituted to make a case. So far
as the Deerhead vote is concerned we
nave before given authorities on that
which must certainly govern such
things. They expect to make nothing
out OF 1t, and, it is SAID, have admitted
as much. That too is merely a SUPER
fetal foundation erected to create An
appearance.
But here is an allegation setting forth
that twelve men who voted for Mills
were Confederate soldiers thirty years
ago and have not had their disabilities
removed. There is the secret hone
the confession expects to have
the rightful occupant of the sheriff's Of
flee removed and himself placed therein
as a usurper overriding the will of the
people. Divested of all that is thrown
in for appearance sake, the fact ap-
pears that the contest is based on the
votes of dozen ex- confederate soldiers
in Barber county, by taking advantage
Of which MIR. Boyd hopes to gain posses
sion of that long planned for office
which the people of this county said he
should not have. An exceedingly COM
nendable proceeding isnt't it?
There are those in Barber county
who haye thought that the war was
over some years ago, but they find after
Ill this time that such conclusion was
delusion and snare. There ale ex
Confederate soldiers who are today the
pest citizens of whom this county can
BOAST, men who probably pay more
axes every year than Mr.. BOYD has
paid in his life; yet his petition says
hey are not qualified to have a voice in
selecting our officers aud that their
7otes shall be thrown out in order to
give him an office. The honest senti
nents Of three-fourths the ex-Union
soldiers revolts at such action. 1t is
)nly political heelers who use such
Methods, and it savors of the same
spirit that would show no quarters TO
/ prisoner of war.
Take for instance VIM. Brown, of
Sharon township. There is not a man
n the county more respected than he. |
,r a better citizen. But few paw more
axes than he IN Barber county; yet the |
contest action seeks to insult and dis
franchise him because he fought for |
What he thought to be right thirty years
lgo. The law itself is a standing dis |
trace to the state and he must be |
strained indeed who would take advan-
age of it TO climb over the will of the |
people into an office. Others of large |
interests here might be mentioned. |
lmong whom are c. j. SKeen of Nippa-
valla and F. I. Patton of Moore. They |
largely to the support of the
county, yet for the sake of an office |
hey are to be classed below the red |
nan and the negro, or what is even |
more humiliating, below the reeling in
'briate who staggers to the polling place
It the instance of ward heelers to vote
Is they dictate. Those who are famll- |
ar with the past political history of |
5arber county are aware of what ticket |
las been voted by such men. Which |
If the two classes is the more compe-
ent or entitled to have a voice in the |
election of officers that govern them?
AS to the other allegations in the pc
ltion the time for discussion by US is |
lot at present, but they are undoubted- |
y overdrawn statements. We have
heretofore gwen many supreme court |
decisions regarding instances parallel |
With the Deerhead matter, and to de- |
;ide that point tor the contestant would |
'e direct reversal OF former opinions.
The AZ fraudulent votes Is ridiculous
,harge, which the contestants attor-
leys do not believe themselves. What |
he outcome Will be remains to be seen,
,ut the majority of Barber county peo-
Die sincerely believe Mr. Mills entitled |
% the office, elected by a majority of |
he legal voters. His local attorneys
ire Martin & McNeal, and he is repre-
'ented at Topeka by Judge Frank Dos
er, one of the ablest lawyers in the
state.
Rev. Hahn returned yesterday from
. visit to his daughter in Missouri.
The record of precipitation IF
moisture at the Medicine Lodge station
or the year 1898 shows the the total to
De 1872 inches, distributed by months
Is follows commencing with January,
90 90 90. IN IL 81 "A . On An