The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-10-29
The Names of Both Sheldon and
Stephenson Must Be Printed
On the Ballots.
sHELDEN THE WINNER.
In Most of the POpulOus Counties
His Name Will Be on the
Regular Ticket.

The Supreme court Tuesday de-
cided the Twelfth congressional dis
trict case. In substance the court
decided that both Sheldon and
Stephenson are entitled to have
their names on the Republican tick
ct as candidates for congress, it be-
ing left to the several counties to
determine which name shall go up
the regular Republican ticket. The
decision of the court in the case was
written by Justice Hooker. 1t is
very voluminous and goes over the
facts quite thoroughly. The court
says that to decide between the two
factions as to who were the law
fully elected delegates to the con-
gressional convention it might be
necessary to investigate every ward
or township caucus and county con-
vention, and no attempt is made to
do so. The assembly or convention,
it is held, is the Judge of the quail
fcations OF its members, and back
of its decision the court cannot go.
The decision, in part, follows:
When considerable faction of
a convention leaves its meeting
and nominates o ticket, claiming
to represent the party which
called the convention, says the
opinion, it is not the province
of the courts to determine on
: technical grounds that it is not,
and that its action is void, and
deny it place upon the ballot,
thereby defeating the purifica-
tion of methods within the party,
or to say which faction was
right or wrong. 1t is the right
of the voter to repudiate wrong
and corruption, and he should
not be hampered by technical
rules. If in this case this con-
vention was unable to conclude
its business in harmony and the
delegates divided and made two
nominations, they should not be
denied the privilege of going to
the polls with both. Each nom
inee is here contending that he
represents the only pure Re-
publicanism of the district and
is the lawful nominee of the true
party. The electors must de-
eide between them.
In such case we know of no
| way OF determining which of
their names ought of right to go
upon the Republican ticket. If
it were left to the voters there
would doubtless be an honest
difference Of opinion upon the
merits OF the question. The
same may be true of the boards.
| They may not know what
they should do, and we cannot
tell them further than to say
that under the admitted facts
and the precedents, both are en-
titled to places upon the ballot.
1t has been held in this state
that where rival factions of
regularly called convention of
party nominate and certify diff
ferent tickets, the election COM
missioners have no authority to
accept one to the exclusion of
the other, and it was held fur
ther that under such circum-
| stances both tickets should be
printed upon the ballots. 1t was
said in that connection that the
name of the party as certified
should be placed above the tick
ct without further addition or
distinctive designation than such
as was contained in the certifi-
cate furnished.
The court quotes extensively from
Shulds VS.. Jacob, '8S Michigan 164
which established the force OF thu
preceding remarks. 1t is added, af
ter copious quotations from Michi
gan cases, that Judicial methods arr
too slow and inadequate to effective
ly and Justly settle the questions
which arise from political contests
Among the dangers that an unwar
ranted assumption of power undel
the false impression that they, an(
they only, can right all the wrong
which arise from the conduct o
public affairs. The court also draw
distinction between a respectable
minority which is entitled to hav
it's candidates name placed on tn,
ticket, and a mere refractory mi
nority, but the general trend Of tn
decision is that any respectabl
number OF citizens should be entities