Semi=weekly graphic., 1898-06-25
PINE BLUFF. ARK. JUNE 25, lss
The True Situation.

The Sunday morning after the primary election on May 2, Mir. Ed gar Brewster had plurality on the face of the returns of 100 votes over H. A. Mccoy, who came out second in the race. The four city wards and ten townships had been heard from, leaving only ten townships with small Democratic population 10 secd in their returns. 1t was evident that Mir. Brewster's lead
 was small, but it was not thought the unheard from precincts could change the result.
 But as soon as it became evident that Mir. Rrewster's lead was only 100 votes, the Mccoy forces set themselves 10 work to overcome his plurality.
 Melton township was one of the unreturned precincts. The vote at that box went largely for Phillips, with Brewster and Mccoy each poll ing small vote. which was about a stand.off. But the box was not counted until Monday, and in the meantime the Phillips vote had been changed to Mccoy, There is no doubt on this point. It cannot be denied. The voters in that town ship have testified as to the way they voted, and their dispositions show that they voted for Phillips. Nevertheless the ballot box was brought in as being 39 fer Mccoy, 6 for Brewster and II for Phillips.
 In the meantime Bolivar township was brought in and that box re- turned 5l votes for Mccoy,
 About two weeks after the pri- mary, the Press Eagle published a list of the votes showing McCoy's| nomination by Q plurality of 40. In this estimate was included 2l votes for Mccoy from Kearney, which had been previously counted for him in the total of 93 votes from Barraque township, and the 39 votes not cast but counted for Mccoy from Melton township. This maEes total of 50 votes, and it will be seen that Me- Coy's alleged plurality of 40 votes melt away like the dew drop in the summer sun.
 To prevent the counting of these illegal and fraudulent ballots for Mccoy, MT. Brewster filed 9 peti- ton of contest before the Demo cratic County Central Committee at it's meeting on May II. A desper- ate effort was made by the par tisans of Mccoy at that committee meeting to defeat an investigation and to declare Mccoy the nominee on the face of the returns. It was contended at the time that the com mittee Lad no power to institute an investigation, and act;pg upon the assumption that the primary was a legalized election, the partisans of Mccoy contended that Mr. Brew ster could only file contest in the courts. But by a small vote, the committee decided to the con trary, and authorized Mr. Brewster to take dispositions to show the frauds in Melton and other townships per petrated in the interest of Mccoy, and set another meeting for June l, to hear the contest. It was well that the committee took this action, for 1t afterwards developed that no certificate had been filed with the county clerk to lega,ize the primary of May 2, aud had the committee not authorized Mir. Brewster to pro- ceed with his investigation, he would have been without remedy.
 Mr. Brewster took dispositions in support of his petition, and when the Central Committee met on June l, was ready to establish his claim to the nomination and to show that he had received a plurality of 2 votes of the true and legal votes cast in said primary. But the at torneys for Mccoy plead for more time, which at Mir. Brewster's re- quest was granted, and Mccoy was given until June the 24th to bring