The Van Buren press., 1896-11-28
THERE WAS FRAUD.
Democrats VIII Contest the Election
OF Twelve Republican Electors
i'm Kentucky.

in Kentucky.
LOUISVILLE, Nov. 23.-Gus w.
Richardson, secretary of the Demo
cratic campaign committee gives out
| the following statement as to the vote
in Kentucky:
This committee has collected
sufficient evidence of fraud and
irregularity in the election to change
the result on the face of the returns and
to elect twelve of the thirteen Demo
cratic candidates for electors. A notice
of contest will be filed at once by the
Democratic candidates for electors on
their Republican opponents and the
matter will be brought before the state
contest board If this board refuse TO
correct the palpable irregularities in
the election returns the matter will be
taken to the courts for final settlement.
The face of the returns show that
Kash. the first Republican elector, has
n majority of 244 over Smith, the first
Democratic eleetor; that the other
Republican electors ran about 5000
votes behind Smith. A change of 1872
from the Republicans to the Democrats
would elect twelve Democratic electors.
In many precincts in different parts
of that state where the Democrats
secured a majority of the votes where
only the first named elector, W. B.
Smith, on the Democratic ticket. was
voted, the votes were only counted for
Smith and not for the other Democratic
electors. On the other hand in
precincts where the Republicans
received majority, all ballots that
were voted for Kash only were counted
for all of the Republican electors.
IF it was right to count ballots for
the whole electoral ticket where the
voter put his cross opposite the name of
the first Republican eleetor then it was
wrong not to count all such ballots
where the first Democratic elector was
voted for in favor of all the other
Democratic electors.
IF il was wrong to count such votes
except for the first elector in one case IT
was wrong in all cases.
The contest board will be called
upon to decide this question and no
matter which way it is decided 1t will
elect twelve Democratic electors.
This committee has certified returns
from twenty one precincts In the state
where votes were cast only for the first
eleetor ON each ticket and were counted
for the whole ticket, which. if counted
only as cast. would decrease the vote of
twelve Republican electors 13l votes.
more than enough to elect the Demo
cratic electors.
1T also has returns from sixteen
precincts in the state where sufficient
votes were cast only for the first elector
to have increased the vote of twelve
Democratic electors 537 votes had they
been counted for the entire electoral
ticket.
I'm addition TO this in four precincts
in Campbell county the ballot books and
all the stubs and returns were burned
and yet these four precincts were
counted as giving about 800 Republican
majority.
I'm one precinct in Breckenridge
county ferty-tw votes more We're
counted than the stubs show We're cast
and the precinct gave ninety five
Republican majority.
lin two Republican precincts in
Magoffin county the same discrepancy
exists 10 the extent of forty two votes.
lin number Of precincts where
large Republican maiorities are
recorded the certificates Of election
were not signed by the officers As the
law requires.
In number Of precincts in Louis
Vile only one officer of the election was
sworn, as the ballot books show.
In one precinct in Louisville which
gave IA large Republican majority over
100 registered voters who did not vote
were counted and the votes divided In
proportion to the ballots cast for Nc
kinley and Bryan.
lin one precinct in Lincoln county
the certificate returned to the county
clerk does not show that any elector of
any ticket received vote. while on a
blank line under the name of the last
prohibition elector appears the figures
l49 and on the blank line under the
name of the last sound money elector
appears the figures g.. The county
board counted 149 for the
electors and 81 votes for the
Democratic electors.
In one precinct in Knox county
similar return was made and was
the same way. The figures
were 2ls and 80 and were counted for
the Republican and Democratic electors
In one precinct in Butler county
the returns 10 the county board show
ls2 votes for kssh only and none for
the Democratic electors and yet these
l22 votes are counted for each of the
electors.
There are many other reports Of
similar nature. but these are sufficient
TO show that on a proper count twelve,
If not the entire thirteen Democratic
electors received plurality of the votes
cast over the Republican electors and
this upon any rule adopted that will
apply 10 both parties alike.