The Daily soliphone., 1902-04-14
will Have Just Eight Votes in the Convention and
 No More,
Mr. Macon Investigates the Forgery and Makes Public State
 ment Concerning 1t.
The Arkansas Democrat oi Satur-

The Arkansas DemocfaG ol Daeut" day contains the following:
 Hon. R. B. Macon, of Helena, prosecuting attorney of the First dis trict. aud candidate for congress-, arrived this morning to investigate the falsification of the returns 10 Woodruff county for governori in 1900, which appeared to increase the dele- gate vote of that county from 5 to lO. Mr.. Macon was at the secretary of states office during the forenoon and was shown the altered returns. While the ink of tho changed figures is much fresher than that of the original, all agreed, upon careful inspection, that it was not fresh enough to have been made after the primaries on March 20, and must consequently have been made before the result of that primary was known. To a "Democrat reporter Mr. Macon made the following statement:
 "In commenting upon the election returns from Woodruff county for governor in 1900, ia your issue of the 9th inst, you say someone tempered with them with the evident purpose of influencing the election Of con prassman from the First district. At least that is the matter which has brought to lighta ostclumsy attempt to falsify the returns. And inasmuch as I would be one vote nearer nom- ination by reason of change or sald returns. desire to make statement in reply to the article. l know noth- inc of the Woodruff returns further than telephone communication from Little Rock lest Friday night the 4) telling me that Woodruff was entitled to ten votes is the convention as shown by tbe record of the returns on file in the office sof the secretary Of state. I mentioned the matter to a friend the next morning, just as l would any other election news, ard gave itno special thought until l saw the article in your paper and the one in the Commercial Appeal of the 10th inst. If the returns were changed for the purpose of influencing the con- oressional contest in the First dis trict in my favor, it must have been done within week of the time it was made known, which fact could havs been easily detected by the freshness of the ink of the changed figures. In fact, it would hardly have been dry when the discovery was m4de. Ii changed before the primary. who would be mean enough to chagre it up to the con2resslonal contest. in view of the fact that there were Eeveral other contests in the state that completely oYersha5owed the race for congress? All of which might have been influenced by the vote of Woodruff to as great degree as tho congressional matter could. Therefore, I trust you will pardon me for saEing that, in my judgment you werela little hasty in saying the change was made for the evident purp$se of influencing the congress siona x election in the First district. If cl nped at all, it may have been done flor the evident purpose or nddencing some other election. l havd made my fight for congress as a gel lutlemau, and l expect to obtain my lnomination in the same way. Hedce, declare that under no sort of cl circumstances or conditions Will l allo|w vote to be cast for me in the cenkention where there is any ques- tioh whatever as to it's validity. The people by their votes have declared that they prefer me against eltner of my opponents, they having given