The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1902-10-23
THE NEWS SllUFFLING

The News continues to shuttle
aud eyadr our challenge for il 10
point ont even two or three bad
features ot the Nrshit law. aud
hurps upon our statement that
many of the leading Republicans Of
81 Louis endorsed 1t after certain
amendments for which they asked
were made 10 it. Il wanted us 10
name one leading Republican who
had endorsed IT. We named Judge
Hawthorne. Now. the News SAYS
the Judge is resident uf Kansas
City aud not of ST Louis. Well,
We are not an animated walking
dirr"t'ay, aud we didn't inquire
where be- lived. but supposed that
be- lived IN st. Louis because we
had hecn rrcdibly informed that he
bad said on the floor of the House
Of Representatives that 1t was a
good law. for hc was elected under
il Possibly he bud reference to
the Kansas City election law. which
Is similar to that OF the st. Louis
election law Now it comes with
10 denial from Judge Hawthorne
that Er had never endorsed the ~.
Louis tor Nrsbit) law, branding il
n~ vicious" measure. etc. We
said you couldn't depend on these
leading Republicans to stand by
their record; vet We have II from
one State Senator that the expires.
sion attributed to Judge Hawthorne
was common talk ahuut the State
Capital nj the time, aui from an
other reputable lawyer who was in
the House and told us he heard the
Judge use the words or their sub.
stance. This lawyer would make
affadiyit Ia that fact.
But that is not the point at is.
sue. We have asked the News to
name Il single tcat1re or provision
Of that law that counives nj fraud,
or under which fraud or unfair.
nrsss could be prarticcd without
collusiou between the Judges and
clerks of election, hnlf of whom
are Republicans aud half Demo
crats, just rs IN the general State
election law. II has not vcnturcd
to do So, nor has its Koran, the
Globe Democrat. They charge
that II is q vicious law, unfair.
promoting fraud, ballot box stuff.
ing and all that sort of thing, and
yet they always funk when asked
Tor bill of particulars. Since the
law has been 80 deridcd We have
made some inquiry into IFS provis-
ions, but 10 our obtuse sense there
doesn't nppcr TO be anything rad
icaIly wrong with it 1t may seem
n little partisan in the matter Of
providing for the appointment of
three election commissioners by the
Governor, Que Of whom must be of
the opposite political party of the
other two; but in this it is not
more partisan than the one that
preceded il or than all metropoI.
itau city election laws are. There
all partisansbip seems TO disappear.
As we have said, in our non legal
Judgment, 1t is impossible for
fraud, unfair registration, ballot
box stutiing and repeating to be
prscticed without coiIusian be-
tween the Republican and Demo
eratic judges aud clerks Of election.
Win the News enligbten our dense
understanding
An we have suggested, we are
not an animated city direetnry
that we can call of the names Of
the delegation Of leading Republic
cans who went to jefferson City
with certain amendments to fhe
law which they wanted enacted.
and who said that with such
changes the law would be all right.
The amendments were adopted.
every one asked for. aud that they