Omaha daily bee., 1901-01-05
Telephones 61S. Goa

shown Oh the reGio,-,, as to place and
length CT residence. nativity, etc.
1T is further established by the evil
dence that a systematic effort was made
In these and other districts to count out
the republican legislative candidates. The
method pursued was that whenever the
clerks keeping the tally list did not agree,
II 1t was democrat the clerk who had
the less number of talies would mark up
enough to make an agreement with the
other. II 1t was republican, the one who
had the greater number would not tally
until the other had caught up.
There is indisputable evidence in the
record that in the same, II not all the
voting precincts of South Omaha. the end
less chain system was used. This system
was devised for the purpose Of evadlng
the Australian ballot law and facilitating
the purchase OF votes and securing evil
dence that the vote paid for had been cast
at is also In evidence that Hugh H. Nc
Intcsh one OF the fusion candidates for
the legislature, acted as clerk and kept
the oiflcial tally sheet in the Fourth ward
when the ballots were counted. This alone
Is sufficient evidence to warrant the re-
lection OF this ward
Chaos DeGcs Argument.
at Is impossible to bring any kind Of
order out of this chaos of fictitious regis
tration, reckless disregard Of the registra-
tion laws, illegal swearing In OF voters.
illegal voting and fraudulent counting OF
ballots. on account of the impossibility of
separating the legal from the Illegal votes.
I'VE con/end that the conteStants were
duly elected and are entitled to their seats
and would have received certificates OF
election but for the gigantic frauds in South
Omaha. 1t lies with this honorable body
to rebuke the perpetrators OF these frauds
and by the same act insure the integrity
OF It's own membership We, therefore, pre-
sent these cases upon their merits alone.
We appeal to no party prejudice, we seek
10 arouse no spirit of revenge. we speak
not to your passions. but to your judgment.
We ask no favor, but that of your careful
consideration OF the facts as we present
them then we viii rest content, abun-
dainty assured of the wisdom and justice
of the decision you pronounce"
Ed u. Smith of Omaha made the open
ing statement OF the case for the contestees
He insisted on arguing the various points
and Questions involved and was several
times reminded by the chairman of the
committees that he was allowed to conint
himself to facts only. He began by insist
ing that the percentage OF gain in the vote
cast in South Omaha was not marvelously
large He argued that IL that gain was
indicative OF fraud in South Omaha
similar percentage of gain in Omaha was
indicative Of fraud in that city also
Smiths Naive Disclaimer.
AS to the registration, he said "If tn,
registration in South Omaha was padded
the waddng was not done by our fellows
I am not here to say that the books wer,
padded, but If they were the fusionists are
not responsible"
He disputed the evidence concerning tn,
endless Chain sys en- q voting, whi,h wa
employed In the South Omaha voting dis
trlcts and contended that he could pro
duce evidence which would show that sucl
system had never been used. Again re
ferring to the condition OF the registration
books he said that the registrars wer
not scholarly men, which probably accounted
for the numerous errors that had beef
found.
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Smiths remark
the large trunk containing the ballots cas-
was opened and in the presence OF the twt
committees, the contestants and the con
testees, the recount was begun. Each ballo
was unfoded and the names were read OF
by the attorneys for the opposing sides eacl
one checking the other as he read off tn
vote. The ballots cast In the Second dis