The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-01-12
isPKcrAL TO THE PREss.J

Augusta, January li.-Representative
Hopkins, McF adden, G. on don of Readtield,
lay lor Of Hope, Sargent Of Sedgwick,
o. 'Brien of Thomaston and Belleaux OF
Lewiston are the committee on elections
In the House and on them devolses the
duty OF giving the first hearing In the
legislative session. They will sit tomor-
row to hear the evidence and arguments
in the case of Francis Keefe. contestant
for the seat now occupied by Represen
tatiye Staples Of Eliot. The case Is at
traoting SO much attention that 1t Is
likely the hearing will be hsld In the
Representatives hall. 1t will begin at
$50 in the afternoon and may last
through the evening. The unusual inter
est in the hearing as has been stated In
this correspondence Is due to the part
which the use and abuse Of the Austral.
Ian vallot will play in the proceedings.
Messrs. Keefe and Staples had been on
opposite sides of the local political fence
for some time when they both appeared
as candidates for the nomination for
representative in the Republican caucus.
A
Gus fight but Mr.. Staples did not quiet
Iy step aside and let Mr.. keefe win hands
down. Instesd Of that Mr.. Staples ran
as an independent candidate. securing
names enough to have his name inserted
on the official ballot. When the votes
were counted, the face Of the returns
showed that Staples was elected by
vwa the
Keefe party which declined TO quietly
step aside and let the Staples mon rejoice
as the victors MIR. keefe appealed to
the courts and an order was secured
directing a recount Of the ballots. This
recount revealed irregularities on
which each side relies. The keefe men
claim that enough defective votes were
found TO give their candidate majority
of over so. Many OF the ballots had
stiokers pasted over the name instead of
under 1t.
The Staples men say that there were
Staples ballots thrown out as defective
which should have been counted and
which would have increased that maiori-
ty of two on the face of tue returns.
More than that, say the Staples men,
there wers "a keefe s,ickers used which
under rigid construction OF the law
were illegal because they did not give
tie candidates. residence. These were
counted for Keefe. One of MIR. Stapies's
friends WAS asked tonight who OF the
two candidates would lead II under n
strict construction OF the law all the de-
iective ballots had been excluded. He
replied that in his opinion Mr.. keefe
would have won in that event but, he
added, II all the technicalities were to
be invoked, the whole vote of Eliot
might be thrown out according TO the
claims of the Staples men. They aver
that the ballot clerks in Eliot did not
sign the sealed package of ballots as the
law requires. We're the vote of Eliot
thrown out. the vote Of Kittery, which is
also In the GLASS, would elect MIR. Staples.
An interesting feature OF tomorrow S
proceedings will be the introduction OF
the ballot boxes and the ballots before
the court-so to speak. This may help TO
settle another disputed point. 1t has
been claimed by Mr.. Ksefe's supporters
that when the recount was made. a
number of stiokers were floating around
loose in q sen of ballots. In reply to this
the Staples men say that they can show
that these stickers we're originally firm
ly fastened to the ballots. but that in the
various counts and reconnts they were