The Topeka state journal., 1900-10-15

Ine worst precincts are or course IIt
first precinct Of the Second ward and iUs
second precinct of the First ward. ard
these are precisely the precincts Whicl
gave Mr.. Nichols his great majority. Iu
these two precincts the vote two years
ago at the Republican primary aggrc-
gated 53I; this year the vote in these
two precincts aggregated Il4S. In tha
first precinct Of the Second ward, tie
majority OF Nichols over Spencer is 2l2.
and in the second precinct OF the H'irat
ward his majority is III
1t is a common experience that the RE-
publican vote on election day Is 80 per
cent. larger than the vote that gets out
to the primaries. Thus In the First
ward the primary vote two years ago
for county attorney was Al, and the vote
cast for the Republican nominee at tha
election following was 661: but the vote
at the Republican primary In 1900 as for
as these two wards are concerned. is iuef
the reverse, and il is about onc-third
larger than the normal Republican Nut.
on general election day. II all the Re-
publican voters in the two wards attends
ed the primaries. then there are only
absurd to suppose that this Is the case.
An excess Of $50 votes over the normal
Republican vote of the wards would
seem to point at least to 600 illegal votes
In the two wards.
We were thus forced. by the comnari-
son above instituted. to conclude that
wholesale fraud had been perpcfratcu.
and we could have but little doubt iu
wrought, when we remembered that Mr..
Nichols friends. plentifuly supplied
with beer. were in control Of the polls in
these particular precincts. that fhry
strenuously resisted investigation Of the
election, and that the central commit-
tee refused to even recount the ballots.
although requested TO do so by lare9
number OF as good men and corScien-
tiOus Republicans as there are in shaw
nee county Thereupon we instituted am
investigation Of the names that appeared
q III
mary in the first precinct or the Second
ward and the second precinct OF the
First ward.
INVESTIGATION OF THE NAMES
RECORDED AS VOTERS
It will be remembered that in these
two precincts the judges did not follow
the instructions OF the central COMMITTEES
to take the name and residence OF each
voter. They took the name only Hence
the only means OF testing the Identity uf
each voter was by examining the city
directory and by the personal xnowledre
of men who were well acquainted with
the voters in the precincts Employing
these tests, we have ascertained that in
the doubtful precinct of the Second ward
"a persons voted that day who We're
Well-known Populists and Democrats.
and that over 250 names appear on the
tally sheets as having voted that do not
appear in the city directory. nor were
they known at all to half dozen men
who were residents Of and well ac-
sheets of the doubtful precinct of the
First ward appear the names of 80 Pop
ulists and Democrats and 1877 others who
were unknown to well-known citizens
and voters Of the precinct. and whose
names do not appear in the city direc-
tory.
In Kaw precinct. Dover township the
total vote cast was so; of these 20 were
Democrats and Populists. Mr.. Nichols
vote in this precinct was A.. Mr. Spen-
GERS 5, and Mr. Doran's 10 For whom
was kaW's illegal vote casty
Mr.. Nichols plurality over Mr. SDcn-
Ger in the county was 152. The process OF
investigating names which appear upon
the tally sheets as voters at this election
is still going on. but the above facts.
coupled with the strange coincidence
that the precincts mentioned are those
at which the brewers supplied the most
beer are the precincts where the great
est preponderance Of Illegal and Off
party voters were cast, and are those
where Mr.. Nichols received his heaviest
vote, convince every sensible man that
Mr.. Nichols is not the rightfuiiy de-
clared nominee Of the Republican party
for the office Of county attorney. We are
rot alone ia this conclusion. The rep
utable Republican press Of the county la
with us in this contest. The Capital the
State Journal and the Mail and Breeze.
Immediately after the primaries cOu-
demned the illegality and fraud resorted
to in urmeasured terms. and the two
great dailies first named are still united
be defeated i'm order to rightly subsefve
good government and the best interests
OF thet Republican party in Shawnee
county.
OUR DUTY AS REPUBLICANS.
The principles OF the Republican party
have been assailed and the viii or The
majority Of the Republican voters of
Shawnee county defeated by corrupt
minority with the assistance OF the cor
rupt element of other parties when
redress Is asked FOR, we are told Thar
none can be given; that We must SUBJ
init and vote for a man nominated by
fraud with the help Of money aud
liquors. furnished by men Of a neighbor-
ing state whose only business ga this
state is to carry away its money, dety
its laws and corrupt its citizens.
Republicans Of Shawnee county. will
you permit this violation OF your riphtsy
If you do, you bid farewell 10 that prin-
ciple Of the Republican party which has
been insisted upon with great earnest
ness and without shadow Of turning fur
nearly half a century, namely. "a fair
election and an honest count. a principle
which is fundamental and essential to
our very existence as representative
government In opposing Mr.. Nichols.
we champion Republican principles. You
viii never have better chance 10 rg bulke
fraud within our own party, and at the
same time give little comfort to the
opposition. You are not opposing. and
we are not opposing the Republican
ticket by go doing. We are only oppos-
tAE N4dt ltAAibA DA II WHICH is NdANIHA
with fraud. We ask you 20 do the same.
and while party obligations bind you 20
vote for every name in the Republican
column fairly nominated. this does uot
apply to the county attorney There you
should vote for George w. Clark, on the
Citizens ticket Our fight ar come
mittee extends to no other name on the
ticket. and by refusing to support AIR
Nichols we believe we are more nearly
in harmony with Republican principles
than many Of those who will vote Tor
him.
Do not be deceived by the speCiOus ar
gument that il is your duty 70 vote Tor
Mr.. Nichols because you voted at the
nrLmarles. II The Urinary had .--- =