Evening journal., 1902-10-09
Mr.. KNOWLES CHARGES
Says He Gould Have Shown That Men
He Represented Were Elected

He Represented We're Elected
Mr. Knowles after the meeting yester-
day made the following statement in the
presence Of Mr.. Rudolph and Mr.. Sparks:
LAS counsel for Charles A. Rudolph and
George W. Sparks, 1 appeared before the
Joint Committee TO ask for an honest, fair
and impartial hearing Of the complaint
or protest they made to the returns Of
the Eleventh primary election district.
No honest or fair-minded man can con-
tend for a moment that they were not en-
titled to have their case heard In fact
the main object Of the committee meet
ing was to decide matters of this kind
to hear contests and determine who. in
capacity, are entitled TO be the candi-
dates Of the party holding the nomina-
tion.
Refused Evidence
"The law gives to the committee the
express power to hear and determine such
contests and as all the members Of the
committee took a solemn oath to carry
out the provisions of the primary election
law, and section IS in particular / was
shocked when the five Union Republicans.
Notwithstanding the oath they had just
taken, refused to hear any evidence in the
cases. We were there with evidence ac-
ceptable in any tribunal of justice to prove
that the ballot-box Of the Eleventh dis
trict at the close Of the polls on Saturday
contained q great many more ballots than
were necessary to elect George W. Sparks
as the candidate for senator from the
First senatorial district. We had in our
possession and ready to submit TO the
committee about eighty affidavits OF
qualified voters of that district to the ef-
feet that they had voted at the primary
election last Saturday. for George w.
Sparks and Charles A. Rudolph.
Tampered With Box
1--WE were there with evidence to show
that the election was conducted in an inn
proper and illegal manner; that fraud
/ ulent ballOt-bOX containing nearly 800
fraudulent ballots was substituted fol
the genuine or legal bailot-box and the
genuine tickets voted that day. We were
prepared to show that when the polls
closed. the door was locked for five or tel
minutes, the people denied entrance t
/ the voting place and the window shades
of the room drawn down so that the pub.
lie could not see what was going on il
the room.
Law Violated
1--WE were there to show that in a mum
Der Of ways the election officers violated
the law, and that George W. Sparks an'
! Charles A. Rudolph were fairly. justl
and honestly nominated senator and rep
lresentative for their respective districts
All Of this evidence we had ready but tn
Union Republican members Of the com
mittee refused to hear or permit it to b
offered to the committee. It was neces
sary to produce the af1davits of onl
eighty qualified voters Of the district VIII
had voted for George w. Sparks to prov
| that he received a majority of the vote
, In his senatorial district. The return
of the district show that Sparks and Ru
dolph received each only 80 and 81 vote
respectively, a very suspicious count IN
total of 276 votes.
Evidence Damaging
From the evidence we had I'm hand W
Z we're prepared to show that Sparks an
(, Rudolph received not less than l35 TO II
: votes in that district How the Unio
Republican members Of the Joint Commit
tee can explain their refusal TO admit a
Z of this damaging evidence / do not know
! and that they should deliberately and ar
hesitatingly stifle and choke OF sue
nj overwhelming evidence Of fraud was som'
!, thing we did not expect. We can accoui
for the action Of Mr. Addicks and his io'
d fellow members only on the ground thi
+ they knew what evidence we could pr'
duce and they did not want II TO be mac
q a part Of the proceedings of the NEE
ing. having probably determined befor
hand that. regardless OF any evidence an
all facts that might be submitted in Il
Il case that they would insist upon deprivil
l. the honestly y-elected candidates from b
rr ing placed upon their ticket.
a Il was before the committee defendii
u the sacredness Of the ballot somethi
- that concerns every voter be he Repu
lican or other party man in our city a
u State. n the Republican candidates ca
not have the ballots cast in their favi
y honestly and fairly counted the cnt
I election and voting system Is a farce a
!, might as well be abolished. If one m
i can stun a ballot-box with fraudulent b;
,e lots. taking out Of the box the real ball,
a cast by the voters what is to become
IL our election system?
u For Honest Election
M Il was glad to be in a position to sta
nel up for the rights Of the honest and fe;
ne less voters. and ! regret that their rigl
a. were not respected and given the cons
o. Grafton they deserved by the five Un
lg Republican members Of the committee "
refused TO hear any evidence touching
- complaint and protest fled by Sparks a
Rudolph"
Mr. Rudolph and Mr.. Sparks say an