Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-06-15
DOWN IN DESHA. The Democrats Are In a Political Muddle. JUDGE ELLIOTT GRANTS A TEMPORARY INJUNCTION WHICH BRINGS CEN.
 SURE UPON HIS
 HEAD.
A Review of the Trouble by Mir Blount c. Trice, Editor of the Arkansas City
 Journal.

Journal.
 
 Mir. Blount c. Trice, the young and able editor of the Arkansas City Journal, was in the city yesterdays For some weeks past the Journal has been vigorously roasting Judge Elliott, of this Judicial District for his alleged interference in the political affairs of Desha county. Mir. Trice was seen by a GRAPHIC reporter, who inquired as to the cause of the Journals criticisms of the judge of this Judicial District. Nr. Triee readily consented to an interview, and sets forth the cause of the difference between Judge Elliott and the Democracy of Desha county, or rather the cause of the controversy in the race for the office of County Clerk, as follows:
 '.On the session of the Democratic Central Committee at Arkansas City in the afternoon of April 29th, last said Mr. Trice, "when the re- turns from Silver Lake township was reached, the committee, acting in the capacity of a canyassing board, found sufficient errors in the returns to discard tham from the county poll on ground of fraud.
 "Protests were entered against the committees action, and five members bolted, while nine sus- tained it's action.
 "The only office affected by this decision was that of County Clerk The leading candidates for the office were Mir. Howard Robb, of Arkansas City, and Mr. Jno. M. Kiteley, the present incumbent. of Dumas. Kiteley was the defeated candidate and Robb his successful opponent, if the action of the committee is to be sustained.
 "Mr. Kiteley, backed by the five bolting members of the committee, championed by Judge K. J. Pindan. a relative by marriage, sought pro- | lection from the courts. The first step was to appeal to the Honorable Chancellor James F. Robinson, of the Second District, who ruled that he had no jurisdiction in the case, but gave his private opinion from the bench that the committee erred in not counting Silver Lake and re- ferred cause to Il court of law.
 "The evidence presented before Robinson's court was an affidavit by the judges of the Silver Lake precinct stating that no election was held with which affidavit was filed duplicate poll book and tally sheets of the poll book and tally sheets so-called, claimed to be in- cluded with the returns sent to Arkansas City. This evidence was against the committee. No evidence was presented in it's behalf
 "tThe facts are that no poll book reached the committee, speaking in n true sense of the word, and no tally sheets were included, in fact, however, this evidence was not pre- sented to the court, and l am of the opinion that the court did what is considered it's official and private duty; at the same time the opinion is current in my county that the court should have simply rendered an opinion that 1t had no jurisdic- ton, in so far as it is concerned, and then let the matter drop without further comment from the court.
 "It is a question of public com ment, with some of the best legal talent of Desha and elsewhere, whether or not either court of eon;ty or Il court of law has jnris- dietion in this case, but that, how ever. is neither here nor there. In dne course of time the case was drought before Judge Jno. M. Elliott with but one side represented as in the Chancery court, and Judge Elliott ruled that he had jurisdiction.