The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-12-04

tors for the Brown party forced their way
into the polling booths and usurped the
function of officers of election.
The republicans will claim before the
commissioners that the claims of intimida-
ton by the militia and of officious interfer-
ence by the United States marshals are
wholly inadmissibe for the reason that the
militia was held in the armory until fully
three hours after the close of the polls, and
that they were at no time until long after
the polls had closed present at or near a
polling booth.
AS to the marshas, 1t is asserted by the
republicans that not only were they too
few in number. there being but fourteen IN
Kentucky all told to be capable of any in
reference, but that they actually did not
in any manner interfere with the casting of
any vote either in the city of Louisville OF
elsewhere throughout the state They visit
ed the polls as private citizens only
The Republican Claim
To offset the claim of intrusion by tine
inspectors for the Brown party, the repub-
licans claim that IL the democrats are cor
rect, and no positive denial is ohered py
the republicans. the fault lies with the DEM
ocratic officials who admitted them. M
they did not want them in they should have
kept them out. They claim that the demo-
Gratis cannot allege their own negligence
OF duty as a reason for throwing out re-
publican votes
1t is admitted by both sides that the dem
ocrats have stronger case in Jefferson
county than anywhere else in the state
If they win there the other contests may
he nd if how in
all the other contests will not make Goe-
bel governor of Kentucky.
Next to the Jefferson county contest in
Importance comes that in Knox county,
which returned a plurality for Taylor of
1885. The contest there is based upon the
allegations that the republicans used tissue
paper ballots, by which the secrecy of the
ballot was destroyed.
In Johnson county, which returned
plurality for Taylor of 1856, a similar claim
is made; also, in Lewis county, which gave
81 more votes for Taylor than for Goebel.
The republicans assert that similar bal
lots were used by the democrats in the
counties of Graves Ballard and Bath, in
which the aggregate plurality for Goebel
was far in excess of the total Taylor plur-
ality in the counties of Knox, Johnson and
Lewis
At one time the democrats announced
their intention of contesting the votes of
Nelson county, which gave a plurality of
1,l9S for Taylor. In making the returns the
county election commissioners certified the
vote for w. P. Taylor There was no such
candidate, and the democratic contest was
generally considered weak. The matter has
been adjusted, the vote of Nelson county
counted for W. S.. Taylor, and this contest
has been abandoned by the democrats.
In Pulaski, Mercer, Robertson and one or
two other counties claims of general irreg-
ularities are made by the democrats, but
the aggregate number of votes involved in
these contests is small and cannot affect
the general result when the vote of Jeffer-
son county has been counted for either Goe-
bel or Taylor.
All of this however, is merely conjecture
Neither democrats nor republicans know
what the board will do and all of them
decline to discuss the matter in advance
of the meeting of the board.
Mr. Goebel declined to say anything at all
and General Taylor contented himself with
the assertion: I'm confident the board will
do its duty" and that ended his prelimi-
nary survey of the situation. Governor
Bradley would express no opinion regarding
the probable outcome of the work of the
board. 81 don't think there will be any
trouble" he said. 1T really expect none
There is no need of looking ahead for trou-
BILE, we will cross bridges when we come
to them"
Quite a number of republicans arrived
from Clay and Laurel counties today and
reported there would be others in the city
in the morning. Both parties are very
quiet and there has practically been no
bluster or loud talking. 1t is said that
there will be a large crowd in Frankfort
tomorrow in any event, as it is county
court day, which means an accession of
about 1,500 to the usual population.