Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1899-11-24
L II Mu0NS GOy NTY RE G OR D.
BY u. Il. STREETEk.
Linton, North Dakota.
Pioneer journal of the County.
The Record is entered at the Linton Pos
office as second-class matter.
Contests, Elections. Etc.
PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY.

| Yesterday being the date set by the
question as to who should be commits
sioner OF the Second district for the
next three years, in the afternoon the
drawing took place, in the presence Of
a good many pcoole. The method was
as follows: Twelve sheets Of writ
ing paper were procured, On one OF
Which was written "For Commissioner
of the Second District of Emmons
County," The eleven other sheets were
blank. The twelve sheets were put in
plain white envelopes. Edith and Cur
tiS Seeley, aged respectively ten and
nine years. were selected to do the draw
ing. The little girl was chosen to rep
resent hr. Baxter and the little boy
Mr. Sjerslee. The twelve envelopes
were put in q box and the box vigor-
ously shaken. A dollar was tossed to
find ont WHO should Graw first. Chance
selected the boy. Each OF the children
1altcrnately Grew an envelope from the
box until all were out and there were
two piles of six envelopes each. Then
each Child alternately toollan envelope
from the respective piles and opened
it. There were seven blanks drawn,
and then Edith drew the eighth en-
velope. 1t proved to be the lucky pa
per, and Mr.. Baxter was the winner.
When the drawing took place Mr..
Sjerslce was the only one Of the two
candidates who were present. ilr.
Baxter had gone to Bismarck and en-
ployed IMessrs. Stevens and Allen to
prepare contest against Mr.. Sjcrslce.
Mr.. Baxter. was in town Wednesday
} and served acopy Of his complaint on
Auditor Braddock. He also served,
! himself, u copy ON Mr.. Sjerslee, al
, though the law states thata complaint
must be served by disinterested
party, The complaint alleges illegal
votes at Dlkem and at Linton (Higbee
I precinct). Another paragraph OF the
! document complains that Auditor
Braddo:.l acted as irspectorat Dakem.
Now, as a matter OF fact, the auditor
was appointed as such inspector by Mr..
Baxter. When the auditor was ap-
pointed he stated tllathe did not want
, to act, but Commissioner Baxter in
? sisted that he act, and it WAS at Ba1-
ter's request that he acted.
!. Another paragraph asserts that a
number voted in Dakcm who were not
citizens. This charge is in line with
: the claim that no one but full citizens
must vote. Ever since the adjourn
ment Of court this contention has been
mysteriously whispered about, with
. snndry knowing winlls and blinks, by
: the leaders Of the opposition to the
keeping Of the county seat at the
|, place where Il large majority of the
9 people located it. There is nothing
= in the contention Of MIR. Armstrong
0 and his friends, if the opinion of the
3 best lawyers in the state, as given in
. many Of the newspapers at the time
0 the matter was before the legislature
/ I last winter, amounts to anything.
s The facts connected with the c;ti-
: zensliip question are these: The con-
stitutiOn Of the state Of North Da1o-
: ia, in providing the method of submit
/ ting constitutional amendments, says
'' that "If two or more amendments
t shall be submitted at the same time,
j. they shall be submitted in such man.
ner that the electors shall vote for or
. against each of such amendments sep.
. arately."
: At the election a year ago propo.
sition was submitted making full citi.
b zenship a prerequisite for suffrage.
There was small vote on the propo.
sition, and it carried. The ticket pre-.
pared for the electors was in the fol.
lowing form:
Proposed Amendment to the Constitu.
tiOn of the State OF North Dakota.
7 That section III OF the constitution
!, y be amended to read as follows:
Ii Every male person of the age Of
g tWenty-one years or upward, belong.
y ing to either one OF the following
classes, who shall have resided in the
state one year and in the county six
d months and in the precinct ninety
days next preceding any election
shall be u qualified elector at suct
e election.
+ First-Citizens Of the United States
SecOnd-Civilized persons Of Indiar
descent who Shall have severed theil
tribal relations two years next preced
ing such election.
That section l27 be amended as fol
: lows:
E Section 127. No person who is unde
)" guardianship, non compos mentis o
y y insane shalt be qualified to vote Il
(; any electiOn; nor Shall any person
IS convicted or treason or felony, unles
s. restored to civil rights; and the legis
Z. lature shall by law establish an educa
N tional test as a qualification, and ma,
prescribe penalties for falling, neg
lecting or refusing to vote at any gen
eral election.
= : YES