The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1896-11-20
Col. Patterson van Contest

1t is now settled that Hon. K. w.
Carmack will receive from Gov.
Turney the certificate of election to
congress from this (the Tenth Ten
nessee) district, the certificate being
based upon the face of the returns
as certified by the sheriffs of the
several counties composing this con-
gressional district.
The figures now before the Gov
ernor give Carmack 500 majority in
Fayette and 462 in Hardeman, Civ
inc him total maiorities in the dis
trict of 1861. The returns give
Patterson 1913 majority in Shelby
and GOO in Upton, making his total
majorities 993, all giving majority Of
500 in favor of Carmack in the dis
trict. Upon these figures the lat
ter will be declared elected.
So certain as the result predicted
in the foregoing takes place, so GER
tain will Col. Patterson, who claims
to have been defrauded out of hun
dreds of votes, make a contest for
the seat in the house of representa-
tives, Upon this point Col. Patter-
son said yesterday afternoon to a
Commercial Appeal reporter:
81 now concede that Mr.. Carmack
will receive the certificate, but /
shall certainly contest the seat in
congress and have absolute conf
dence in my ability to win. In making
the contest l shall not be actuated
chiefly by my personal ambition to
remain in congress for the single
fact of being there, but | will use
every possible energy to secure the
seat in order that majority of the
qualified voters who cast votes legal
ly in the recent election may have
the result properly declared and the
man representing their views on the
great question of finance be placed
in congress to represent them.
HThis is not personal fight. 1t
shall be fight of two principles.
The first will be that of finance. The
question was perhaps more fully dis
cussed in this district than any 9th
er in America. The people were
alive to the merits and dement's of
the representative sides, and it was
finally thought that fair election
would be held and the majority al
lowed to prevail. There is every
evidence that such was not the case;
that at the last moment the MAORI
ty was robbed of It's voice, and cleo
ton robbery, instead of honest bal
loting and counting, was the parent
of the result sent from this district
to the world"
''The second principle is one of
honest elections. In this instance
there could not be discovered the
slightest excuse suppressing the
voic of voters. Not a semblance
of cause for the outrageous frauds
can be produced. They were dlcta-
ted by over-zealous partisans, hur-
RED on by personal ambition and
personal hatred. For years the peo-
pie have been fighting Federal inter
ference and insisting upon the ma
tional government trusting them to
conduct honest elections. was a
leader in the fight, and am happy at
the result, but it is remarkable
fact that the first and chief sufferer
from robbery and dishonesty in a
Federal election should be one of the
chiefs in the battle for nOn-inter-
ference, and that, too, when a great
issue was to be decided and the men
representing the opposing views
were both citizens and democrats of
character and intelligence"
''In making my contest l will rep
resent, secondly, myself and, first,
those loyal friends and majority
of the citizens of this district who
cast their votes in the recent cleo
ton and who have a right to receive
true announcement of the result
and be represented in congress by
the man whom they want and who
represents their ideas on public
questions. This is one of the inner
ent rights of the citizens of our
country under the very constitution
itself, and the fight that will be
made against Mr.. Carmack will af-
feet a. most vital feature of our
system"
Notice of contest will be served
upon Mr.. Carmack soon after he re-
ceives his certificate. Attorneys of
the contestants will soon thereafter
fix upon a time for taking testi-
mony. That being concluded, the
testimony, with briefs, will be filed
with the secretary of the committee
on contested election cases of the in
Contingencies, and at the first ses-
sion of that body, either ordinary
or extraordinary, the committee
will consider the case, attorneys
will be heard and a report will later
be submitted to the Eouse. The house
will act upon it finally within a
short time thereafter and the con-
test will be ded.-Commercial
Appeal.
Medon Mention.