The news & observer., 1897-02-24

the following persons were permitted 90
vote at said election, Notwithstanding
they were disqualified to vote by reason
OF the fact that they had each of them
been convicted or plead guilty OF
felony, or some other Infamous crinae,
in due course of law, an the courts Of the
State, and had not been restored to the
rights of citizenship, and these convicts
voted for said ames II. Young, and the
votes were included in the count by the
clerk. Wilson Faucet, Richard Reavis,
Calvin Rogers, Reuben Price, Teemar
Lasster, Robt. Lawrence. Willie Palmer,
Robert Bugg.
That in co@nting the vote cast
at Franklin precinct, in Swift Greek
township, the precinct judges refused TO
count two separate ballots cast in the
proper box, and on which the name of
Broughton was printed as q candidate for
the House of Representatives, because
there was Also printed on the ballot the
names of certain candidates for justices
of the peace for other townships, one bal
lot containing the names of the justices
for Cary township and the other the
names of the justices for Raleigh town
ship.
1t has been decided by this committee
in the Granville county contest that these
ballots should be counted, Notwithstanding
that they did not contain the names of
the proper persons for the office of Justice
of the peace,
That the name of Junius Thompson, a
qualified voter in Barton's Greek town
ship, Rogers Store precinct, was Inn
properly stricken from the registration
books for that precinct, upon the alleged
groInd that he was a convict, when in
truth he was never convicted or plead gull
ty of any offence, as appears from the evi-
dence And it was the desire and pur-
pose Of said Junius Thompson to vote for
y. b. Broughton, and he would have so
voted if his name had not been unjustly
stricken from the registration books.
This, also, was decided in the Meek
ienourg case and the votes must be count
ed.
That in counting the votes cast at Apex
precinct, i'm White Oak township, two bal
lots were thrown out and not counted
because they contained, by inadvertence,
the names sof two candidates for consta-
ble These ballots were, in all other re-
spects regular, and contained the name
OF n. b. Broughton for the House of Rep
resentatives, and Broughton is entitled to
have said ballots counted for him.
The counsel of Young admitted the
charge for -four of these Richard Reavis,
Calvin Rogers, Reuben Price and Willie
Palmer; but said that ia the case of
Wilson Faucet and Robert Bugg judg-
ment was suspended. Robert Lawrence,
Mr.. Harris said was convicted before
1879, in Halifax county, and did not
therefore. come under the statute.
Touching the charge OF Young that sew
eral students at Wake Forest College
illegally voted for Broughton, Mr.. Peele
reai the opinion of Judge Furches in the
Cleveland county case OF Quinn VS.. Lat
timore. recently handed down and print
ed in this paper. In this, the court holds
that it doesn't make any difference in
what township a man registers, so
that he votes :there and nowhere else.
This, he thought, applied to the Wake
Forest students, the purpose of the law
simply being to prevent double voting.
He held that students ought TO be allow
ed 10 vote without going home.
Furthermore, said Mr.. Peele, it is the
duty of the committee to construe this
election law as literally as possible. Give
the ignorant man a chance to cast his
vote and know that it wall be counted.
1t would he good politics, Mr.. Peele
thought, for the committee to literally
construe the law, as the Republicans
would be hurt worse than amy other party
by strict rule-that party having more
illiterate voters in it than any other party.