The Newark journal., 1902-08-22

people for what they had done for him. He is a democrat, has al ways been a democrat, and claims to have done more for the party than any man in the race. If wrong has been done the people should know it, so that they could properly purge the party and cut off the offender. The people are made the jury in this case and he expected to place the evidence be- fore them that they may come to a proper decision. The young man from Sharp county came down here to show the people new scheme in politics and the only evidence he had that he was a citizen of 1n- dependence county was poll tax receipt. When the judges from Big Bottom returned the ballots to BatesVille after the primary Matheny kicked and the judges asked for a recount then and there but no, Matheny did not want recount and would not agree it; but after the judges were gone and Matheny had an opportunity to get some of his friends to slip the ballot box out on Tuesday night and doctor the ballots he was then ready for recount on Wednes- day and filed petition for re- count. He stated that it had been charged that the judges and clerks who held the primary in this town ship were not sworn; imphaticly denied the charge and exhibited an affidavit from Squire Tharp stating that they were sworn. Has known the judges for years and believes them to be honest men. Lane was not his friend, political ly, and had never supported him and he did not believe Lane would make a false count of the ballots or swear q Ee for the sole benefit of Arnold. He had asked Mathe- ny to go before the board when the returns first came in, offered to waive all irregularities and if Matheny had one more vote than himself he would step down and out and support Matheny, but Ma theny refused. But after Tuesday night, when they had doctored the returns, then Matheny filed pc tition and that petition only asked for a recount the very thing he had tried to get Matheny to agree to the evening before. Matheny had admitted to him that his only excuse for not going before the board on Tuesday was that they could not get d hearing at that time, but he (Arnold) wentand ex- perienced no trouble in getting a hearing, therefore Matheny's real excuse could only have been that the ballots were not ready-he wanted to doctor them that night. Where was the ballot box from Tuesday until the recount was madel He had found no man who could give history of the box or knew anything about 1t during that time, but indications pointed to the fact that the box was in the hands of Matheny or some of his friends. Big Bottom had stood behind Lie when he was candi- date, but now he wanted her wiped off the map The committee that made the last recount selected themselves and it was 8 notorious fact that they were all Matheny's friends. He asked for a new pri- mary, but Matheny's self-appoint- ed eight had decided that Matheny suited them and refused to allow a new primary. The committee counted five townships, found bear in the hole, as Stroud had aptly expressed 1t, and Matheny's friends said the count must be stopped. So they stopped, but ac- cording to their own figures, he 1 (Arnold) was three votes ahead. l Mathapy loct 1 , xrataS In Da,,o,,