Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-10-06
COUNTY CLERK GADDIE AND THE AUS
TRALIAN BALLOT.

Whenever the INDEX can not COIN
eide with all the opinions expressed and
all the actions taken by Populist officers
the Cresset at once gives out the state
ment that we are feminist them. Last
week was no exception to the rule We
stated that we thought MIR. Gaddie had
made mistake in giving the republl
cans first place on the ballot and the
Cresset Immediately began to tell the
public that we were going to do Mr.
Gaddie up" The Cresset's statement
is not only false, but it is mean and
contemplate. The INDEX will support
MIR. Gaddie as earnestly aud cheerfully
now as it ever supported any candI-
date, but that does not preclude us
from saying that in our opinion he
made mistake. We repeat that, I'M
der the circumstances, the middle place
on the ticket this year IS one which may
yield great disadvantage to the Popu-
list party and we also assert that from
the advices we have had, personally we
believe that the Populists are entitled
to first place. under the law. The Cres-
set says we can give no reason why the
republicans should not have first place,
except that the PopuIlst central COM
mittee and the Populist candidates had
demanded it. The Cresset, as usual,
knows not whereof it speaks. AT the time
Mr.. Gaddie rendered the decision we
held the following letter from the at
Iorney general. We submitted this let
ter to Mr.. Gaddie before he announced
how he had arranged the tickets. We
did not seek advice from the attorney
general on our own responsibility; we
did it berause r. V. Cant, chairman of
The Peoples party central committee,
and County Clerk Gadd:e, himself, re-
queSted us so to do. We wrote las secre-
tary of the central committee, on Tues
day, September 2lst, received the fol-
lowing reply on Saturday, Sept. 25th:
CLAYTON HERR, Esq,
Sec, Medicine Lodge, Kansas.
DEAR SIR: Your letter of Sept. q, 1897 rel
alive to arrangement of party tickets on Aus
tralian ballot is received and have carefully
noted what you say i'll regard to vote cast last
year and in prior years. From your statement
it does not seem doubtful that the Populists
cast the largest number of votes on the county
and perhaps on the state ticket. The law pro-
vides that the party which cast the largest
number of votes for the highest office voted
for in the county at the last election shall
have first place on the ballot. The matter is
question of fact in this case and all the cyl
dence Is in the Office of the county clerk. 1t is
question which am not in position to de-
eide, although may say that from the state
ments contained in your letter and relying
upon said statements the Populists appear to
have cast the largest number of votes in Bar
Der county. l.. c. BOYLE.
Attorney General.
by j. HERRICK. Chief Clerk.
Notice the clause. from the state
ments contained in your letter the Pop.
ulists appear 10 have cast the largest
number of votes in Barber county"
Our statements reciLed these facts: That
there is no way of determining from
the records at the county clerks office
how many votes were cast on the state
and national ticket by the Populists
last fall, but that on the county ticket
there IS no doubt; tkat the last year the
democrats had a ticket in the field the
Populist vote was the highest; that
the vote for presidential electors on the
Populist and democratic tickets was
polIed on the tally sheets collectively,
in several instances, and there were ir-
Irregularities in other instances.
We publish this letter partially to
meet the Cresset's defy and partially be-
cause County Clerk Gaddie requests it,
and we claim that If it decides any
thing it decides that the Popullsts are
entitled to first place on the ballot this
fall. However, the attorney general
opinion IS by no means final. We have
consulted several lawyers in regard to
the meaning OF the law and they say
the votes polled for the respective can.
didates on the county tickets must nee.
essarlly determine the matter.