Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-30
RUBBER S|ANP N)|[S
Are Such Ballots Valid? Is the
Question AgitatinG Citizens
of Lorimer.
They Carried the Election, But
the Old Officers Refuse to
Vacate Positions.
The Contention Carried to the
District Court 10 Settle
the Question.
;pecial to Times-Renublican.

Special to Times Republican.
| Creston, June COLLECTION contests
are common things, but there perhaps
never was one that presents the same
appearance and involves the same
questions as the one which has devel-
oped over the city election at Lori1ner a
small town in this county, and none
that will be watched with more interest
ing it. At the election there this spring,
the mayor, city assessor, clerk, treas
urer, and three aldermen were to be
elected and the old officers were all
candidates for reelection, but so much
opposition developed to them that tho
the election did not contain politics, an
other ticket was agreed upon and nom
mated to run against them. The cleo
ton was held under the Australian ball
lot law, and the old officers had their
names placed on ticket and filed with
the city clerk in time to be printed on
the official ballot according to law. BY
some means the ticket agreed on by the
the ballot, leaving but one candidate
for each Office printed upon the official
ballot, tho the opposition claim that
their ticket was prepared in accordance
with the law and filed in plenty OF time
to secure a place thereon. When it be-
came known that there would be but
one set of names on the ballot the OPP
position began to devise means by
which their candidates might be voted
upon, and finally the day before the
election man wds sent to Des Moines
names of the candidates made and
brought them back to Lorimer with
him. On the day of election every voter
who was opposed to the administration
was thoroughly instructed and let into
the booth with nine rubber stamps in
his pocket. They printed the names
of their candidates upon the ballot and
put the cross in the square before each
name. When the votes were counted
out in the evening, it was found that
the rubber stamp names had received a
majority of the votes cast, and after
some little wrangle over the legality of
the rubber stamp names they decided
that it was in accordance with the law
and made the returns declaring the men
elected The result of the election was
posted according to the provisions of
the law and certificates of election We're
issued to the rubber stamp men. They
We're duly qualified and preSente dthem-
selves to take possession of their re-
spective offices, but here they met a
snag. All the old officers with but few
had consulted legal author
ity and refused to turn over their offices
to the newly elected men, claiming the
rubber stamp ballots We're illegal. The
new officers could not make a regular
contest as the time for that had passed
and they did not feel like it was their
place as long as they held certificates of
election, so they went before Judge
Towner and asked permission to begin
in quo warranto to discov-
er the rights of their opponents to the
offices. This was granted, and as re-
suit of that decision, six cases have
been filed in the district court of Union
against the present officials o.
Lorimer. Both sides are determined |
and the cases will be hard fought legal
battles, which will be watched with
much interest all over the state. They |
will be up for trial at the August term
Of court.