The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1899-11-03
To the Voters of the Fourteenth
Judicial District.

nv time has been devoted to the performance of
the duties devolving upon me as district judge.
1 did not deem it proper TO neglect my offlclai
duties for the purpose of campaigning In my
own interests. A recent letter, however, written
by Mr.. Wheeler, editor of the Beaver City Times,
has been given such a wide circulation that [
believe an answer from me would not be out OF
place.
l should have paid no attention to this letter
had it been published in the Beaver City Times
alone, as that paper circulates in the neighbor-
hood where l have lived for the last fifteen
years and where the people know that I would
not be guilty of the crime which he strongly in
Inmates / committed; but since the same has
been copied in nearly all of the papers in this
district which are opposed to me, / have de-
cided to request the people of the district to
give consideration to the other side of the ques-
ton.
Mr.. Wheeler, in his letter, does not make any
direct charges; he knows that he dares not put
this in print, but he strongly intimate that a
crime was committed by me in changing the
vote in Union precinct in Furnas county, in
1895, by making a six out of a cipher and giving
myself 46 votes in that precinct.
1 think a careful consideration of the letter
lISelI Is SuIlClenG TO ueInOuSlTdtc It's ldlSlbS. IL
his statement is true 1 went into the clerks
Office when the Office vas open, when the Off
GERS were there performing their duties and
others were present, and took the canvass books
from the vault and carried them into the COM
missioners' room and did not even close the
door between the two rooms, but sat there and
in this public place where any person coming III
and going out could see me, made the changes
he claims were made in this book. He does not
even say that 1 had these books in my possess
sion-although if his statement is true he must
have been within two or three feet of me at the
time he was looking on-but by intimation
leaves the impression that these were the books
that l had.
Does any sane person believe that [ or any
other person intending to commit a crime of
this kind would select such an opportunity and
such an occasion to do it?
1t is well also for US to consider the fact that
even though these changes were made it was an
immater!al one and did me no good. 1t is a
fact which is shown by the records that the
Furnas county vote was re-canvassed before my
certificate of election was issued, and that in
the re-canvass 1 was given but IL votes in this
precinct it is also true that I never claimed 46
votes in Union precinct, but have always adj
mitted that the first canvass gave me five more
votes in Union precinct than l was honestly en-
titled to.
Judge Welty, who III that controversy per-
haps Investigated the matter as closely as any
one did from his side, is free to admit, that this
change of the vote in Union precinct did not in
jure him and that he was not damaged by it.
An examination of the canvass book shows
clearly that a cipher was changed into a six: no
one has ever denied this. and | never made any
attempt to evade the fact and have always adj
mitted that giving me 46 votes in Union precinct
was an error and that [ should have had but IL
votes, which as a matter of fact was the correct
vote for me in that precinct and which was all
that / claimed and which was all that was given
me when the second canvass was made, the same
being the canvass upon which my certificate of
election was based. Mr.. Wheeler has known
this all the time; he knows that the imputation
of any crime, or any fraud to me in connection
with this matter is absolutely groundless and
without any foundation and his charge can only
be made with malicious intent and with the idea
of deceiving the voters in the coming election.
If what he states in his letter be true, why has
he Kept silent for four long years, If he was In
terested, as he claims he was, in assisting Judge
Welty? VIII did he not tell ELL hin nm the facts fi four
Welty says in his letter that Wheeler told an
entirely different tale at that time.
That part of Mr.. Wheeler's letter in which he
says he asked for my influence to keep the can
vassing board of FurnaS county from sending
i'll the returns to the secretary of state until
Judge Welty could come is absolutely untrue
and false; it is also foolish when we consider
that the county clerk in whose custody this GER
tificate of election was until it was sent to the
secretary OF state; was not OF my political faith
Wheeler himself and Il man over whom l had no
influence whatever.
At the time that he says he had this interview
with me this certificate had been mailed and
Mr.. Wheeler knew it was beyond the control of
even the county clerk. He never made the
statements to me he claims or anything like
them but the same are entirely false and without
foundation, but while this change in Union
precinct was an immaterial one and did not
hurt anybody it is well for the people of this
district to know how that change took place.
There was no fraud III connection with 1t, no IN
tention to wrong or injure anybody and the
same instead of being a crime was simply an
error made by the canvaSSlng board which the
attached atiidavitS will show to any unbiased
mind.
Attached to this letter will be found the aff-
dayitS of two MEMBERS of that canvassing board
in which they explain fully how these changes
occurred and why they occurred and show clear
ly that no one In connection with the Union
precinct matter has been guilty of any fraud.
any crime or any intention to wrong or lnjure.
Quoted on an honorable and manly basis, and it
seems to me that this attempt on the part of
Mr.. Wheeler who is editing a paper that is alb
~Solutely controlled. if not entirely owned by my
opponent, is uncalled for under the circum-
stances. My official record for the past four
years Is an open book; to Its examination and
consideration l invite the attention of the peo-
pie of this district. 1t is but fair that 1 should
stand or fall by the record l have made and
upon this record / invite the judgment of the
voters of this district.
l do not know what additional or new means
may be decided upon on the eve of the election by
those who seem determined to injure my stand
ing with false and malicious reports and insinu-
ations, but l trust that the voters of this district
will truly and honestly, without political pref
udlce OF. partisan excitement ~analyze the ques-
lions fairly and honorably and render Judgment
accordingly. G. W. NORRIS.
State of Nebraska, Furnas county, SIS,
ID. Z. McClelland, being first duly sworn. de-
poses and says: that he was a member of the
Furnas county election canvassing board in the
year 1885, and as such assisted in canvassing the
votes cast at the general election held on No
vember 5. 1895; that in making said canvass this
atfiant did the writing in one of the canvass
books of said county. and the writing in the
other of said canvass books was done by T. H.
Francis, another member of said canvassing
board that the county clerk did not do any of
the writing in either one of said books, but that