Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-10-23
A ROARING FARCE.
THE REPUBLICANS TRYING HARD TO
SCORE A POINT.
The Name of The Petition Candidate For
Congress Shut on The Ballot In Ds-
yiess-George Dabney One or the
Signers.
Tuesdays Messenger had this:

as Peoples party candidate for con-
gress in the Second district has failed
TO pan out. Realizing the hopeless
case of E. T. Franks to sit in the
next congress, in view of the COM
p!c.c f;:e;ca between the Democrats
and Populists, A. G. Briggs and other
Republicans Matched up a scheme to
put the name of Southall on the bal
lot as the Peoples party candidate,
and thus divide the popuiist vote
with DR.. Clardy.
A. G. Briggs, printer of the Franks
organ, yesterday presented a petition
signed by over 400 voters of the Sec
Dad district to ]. T. Griffith, the coun-
ty clerk, requesting him to put South
all's name on the official ballot as the
Peoples party candidate for congress.
There was not dozen of the signers
who belonged to the Peoples party,
but large majority of them, and es-
pecially those who signed from this
county, were Republicans, some of
the more prominent ones being Ben
Driver, W. W. Chambers, DIR. j.
Claim, H. H. Mccain, Buck Morton,
E. Steitler, Geo. M. Purrucker, F. A.
Ames, G.. W. Cruther, j. X. Hunter,
Chas. j. Werner, Lawson Reno, Q. E.
Van Rensselaer,, Harry Green, E. A.
Watts, (col.) J, Dr.. J. M. Peters, (col.),
and numerous other Republicans
both white and colored.
The petition which was presented
to put the name of John W. Lockett
on the ballot as the National Demo-
cratic candidate for congress contain
ed the names of numerous persons.
who signed the. Southall petition.
On the Southall petition it appears
in several places that numbers of
names had been signed by the same
person. In one place over fifty names
appeared in the same handwriting.
Clerk Griffith, considering all the
circumstances, and under legal adj
vice, refused to file the petition.
This being the last day on which the
petition could be filed in time to get
the candidates name on the ballot.
Judge L. P. Little was employed and
late yesterday afternoon he filed a
petition in the circuit court, asking
that Mr.. Griffith by mandamus, be
compelled to file the petition of South
all, and that his name be placed on
the official ballot in the Peoples par
ty column.
The case was heard by Judge
Owen on demurrer to Mr.. Grifith's
answer last night. Judge Little APP
peared for Southall and G.. S. Walk
er, E. Ell. Brown, La Vega Clements
and }. S. Stirman presented the de-
Tense of Mr.. Griffith.
The court overruled the general de-
murrer to the answer, but reserved
his ruling on the special demurrer.
He held that Griffith had a legal
right to refuse to file the petition,
and on denial of the allegations of
Southall's petition proof would be re-
quired. This virtually settled the case
and Mr.. Southall's name will not
grace the ballot this time, for before
the case can be called for trial and
proof taken by Southall and his Re-
publican allies, DR.. Clardy will have
already begun his term of congress,
to which he will be elected in No
vember
This is only one of the many
schemes that are being devised by
the Republicans to destroy Democrat
ic and Populist fusion, but in this
case clear exposition of the trick
has been made, and it will only &C.
ment the Populists and Democrats
to DR.. Clardy.
The petition of Southall says: eve
the undersigned, desiring to vote for
him., petition that this name be placed
upon the ballot so that we may do So"
There is no person who would believe
that single one of the gentlemen
named above desire to vote for any
one but "Broncho" Franks. This of
itself is enough to convince any fair
person that the whole thing
is trumped up scheme to confuse
the Populists of the Second district.
Capt. Sam James, chairman Of the
Peoples party for Daviess county, de-
nounces the whole deal as Republi-
can scheme, and says the Populists
are entirely satisfied with the fusion
between them and the Bryan Demo
Gratis, and want no middle-of-the road
for congress in this district.
Hon. Ben t. Birkhead, member of
the county committee of the Peoples
party, was present at the hearing of
the cause, and was heartily in sympa-
thy with Mr., Griffith, and expressed I.
himself highly pleased with his refus-
al to let the scheme be carried out by
refusing to file the petition. Mr.. Birk-
head is devoting all his time to the
cause of Bryan and fusion electors,
and reports that the Populists and
silver Democrats are working togeth-
or to the end that the cause Of silver
may triumph Z
Continued on Eth Pss.l