The Norfolk weekly news. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1888-1900, 1899-10-26

tho story of the Infamous CCOun deal
which was engineered during the leg
~islative session OF 1897. The attempt
was made by n crowd made mp of state
officials and d~isrcputnhlc politicians to
so change the ballots cast by the poo
pie that two additional Judges Of the
supreme court could be counted in.
The details OF the plan were arranged
mt the house of Silns 4. HolComh. on
"a" street in the city of Lincoln. The
purpose WINS To place on the supreme
bench William Neville, who Is now
the fusion candidate for congress In
the sixth district. and j. $. kirkHnt-
rick. the relative and law Sartncr of
Governor HolComb.
According to sworn evidence that
ia too we'll fortified and corroboratcd
to be questioned, the plan to dcllbcr-
atcly change the ballots was carefully
arranged. Members of the legislature
must have been taken into every So
Cret of the scheme, ns the most high
handed proceedings took place in tho
legislative halls to further the ends
of tho consoirators.
RECORD Is OPEN.
The record in this matter can be in
spected by everybody. The house and
senate Journals of 1897 will show the
date of the introduction Of the first
recount bill; they will show how this
was railroaded through in order that
the conspirators might get at their
work: they will show how the seats
OF the republican members from Doug
las county were stolen in order to in
.-. "a. ...l.. - tEa n,tx, tI,,,
was behind the scheme: they will show
how the courts were dcfcd, and how
tho work OF changing the ballots was
begun in star chamber sessions. part
Of tho time at the dead of night, and
part of the time in daylight. but behind
locked doors in the Office of II state Of
fetal.
When the recount OF the ballots was
first publicly proposed Il delegation
composed of G. NJ. Lambcrtson. George
w. Post and Others called upon the
governor and urged that the ballots
be publicly counted, and that none but
the most reputable citizens of the state
be selected to do the work. They
pledged the moral support OF all good
citizens in case the business was thus
transacted.
But Silas A. Holcomb paid no at
tention to their suggestions. He had
other plans, and the proof is now plain
that the men who were to perform the
work were selected long before the
recount law was passed.
BAD CHARACTER OF THE MEN.
1t is we'll that the attention of the
people be again called to the class of
e., Ill, .,-l l, .la
A. Holcomb. One was n man who had
a case he wanted reversed by the SUI
preme court, and who had openly
threatened to kill one OF the judges If
the right kind of n decision was not
rendered. One was II roustabout, who
had a son serving time In the state
penitentiary. One was II political
mountebank who was later kicked ont
of the service OF the exposition com
mission because of questionable deal.
ings. All of the men We're men who
placed political success before honesty,
and who, as future events proved, We're
promised good places or substantial re-
wards at the expense of the state treas
ury. 1t was n force of men we'll equip
ped to perform secretly by night and
by day.
The men in the legislature who were
assisting in the deal did their part well.
They stole seats to gain the necessary
majority, and they passed II recount
bill which contained 10 penalty for
fraudulent counting. All this is down
in black and white in the public rec
ords. and is an open page in the minds
Of the people of Nebraska.
When the public Indignation became
so strong that the conspirators were
com9ellsd to do the balance of the
work in the light of day the plan to
count in the judges failed, and an at
tempt was made to destroy the proof
of the fraud. The secretary OF state,
the ink upon whose certificate and oath
of Office was hardly dry, made way
with the original tally sheets, and has
never since dared to make them public.
All this was done to protect Silas \,
liolComb and his law partner and his
political partner and the chairman OF
his state committee.
OF the men who participated in tho
recount fraud, all received future re-
wards except one, and he turned states
evidence on the others. lie first con
fessed TO his attorney, who was Il man
high up in the counsels OF the populist
party, and then to a populist ews
paper man, who gave the story to the
public. Chairman Edmisten of the
state committee at once confessed his
own guilt by making an attempt tC
kidnap the informer and hustle him
out of the country before he could tes-
tify to a grand jury.
THE INFORMER CORROBORATED.
The man Simons. who gave away the
story, was not a reputable man, and
he was known to be absolutely withou,
character when Holcomb appointed
him to handle the peoples ballots. In,
der ordinary circumstances his testi.
mony would be viewed with much sus,
piCion. But he has told a straight
story, both to the newspapers OF
the witness stand, and step by steI
his story has been c~orroborated by 9th
ers, until it must be accepted as tn,
truth. Every opportunity has beer
given for the conspirators to deny o
refute the story, and none of them hay.
had the hardihood to appear.
Last July, when the legislative inves