Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-10-02
SCHEME TO STEAL FIRST PLACE ON
OFFICIAL BALLOT.
REPUBLICANS WATCHING OUT
ATTORNEY GENERAL BOYLE GIVES
AN OPINION.
Says Pop Scheme to Count All Votes
Cast for Bryan as the Votes of
One Party Is WrOnE-Sec-
rotary Frank Brown
Talks.

Topeka, Kas., Oct. 1.-(Special) Word
has reached the Republican state campaign
committee that the Populist officials in sew
eral counties intend to violate the letter
and intent of the new election law in order
to get their tickets on the first column OF
the official ballot. 1t is reported that they
propose to count the vote cast by the al
lied forces last year as the Populst vote,
in order to get first place on the ballot. The
Republicans will resist any attempt made
to cheat them out of their rights. About
twenty-five counties will be affected.
Attorney General Boyle recognizes that
the Populists have no ground for their
claim that the entire vote cast for Bryan
electors should be considered the vote of
one party, and has SO notified the Popu-
list clerk of Harper county. This clerk,
being in doubt about the matter. wrote TO
the attorney general for an opinion, and
received, in reply, letter stating that the
Republicans, because they cast more votes
for Mckinley electors than either of the
other parties cast for Bryan electors, We're
entitled to first place on the ticket. The
Republican committee will see to 1t that
this opinion comes to the notice of every
county clerk in the state.
In speaking of the matter to-day, Sec
retary Frank Brown. of the Republican
state committee, in charge of headquarters,
said:
..Section IA, chapter 129, session laws of
1897, being the new Australian ballot law
passed at the last session of the legisla-
ture, provides that the party casting the
largest number of votes for the highest
office voted for in the county at such cleo
ton shall have the first place on the tick
ct; the party casting the next largest num-
Der shall have second place on the ticket,
and so on, arranging the tickets on the
ballot in the order of the number of votes
received by each party
1.-The law also provides tickets nominated
by petition shall follow tickets nominated
by convention, etc, the ticket having the
| largest number of petitioners to come first,
and so on The square in which the voter
marks the cross is placed at the right of the
name of the candidate, instead of the left,
as heretofore. The Republican ticket has,
as a rule, occupied the first column on the
Australian ballot in this state. Should the
Populists insist that the silver forces con-
stituted party, and that therefore the
Populist ticket should have first place on
the ballot in the majority of the counties
a voter, if careless. might, as usual. vote
for tho first ticket on the ballot, although
he be Republican. If he discovers that
the Republican ticket occupies the second
column, being accustomed to make the
mark ct the left of the name, he might still
vote the Populist ticket in that way, for
in order to vote the Republican ticket. he
must mark in the square at the right OF
| the name instead of the left. 1t is a mat
| ter of much Importance to the Republican
party that their rights be preserved in the
| arrangement of the ballots in the several
counties. There is no reason in the copten,
| ton of the Populists that the Bryan vote
| last year constituted a party. because hi
received the votes Of three different par
| ties; and Governor Leedy, in the appaint
| ment of non-partisan boards. has -reeog
| nized the Democratic and free silver Repub
| licans, each as a distinct party, and il
| would be exceedingly inconsistent for {
| Populist to claim otherwise for the pur
| pose of securing an advantage in the ar
| rangement OF the ballot; but as is wei
| known, inconsistency is a Populist virtue.
1.-THE state committee and the variou:
| county committees will certainly insist up
| on their rights in this matter"