The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1902-11-12
ODELL's MAJORITY 10000.
Democrats Make Charges of
Fraud---ManY Democratic Bal
lots Have Not Been
Counted.

L
unofficial reports from the State ap-
parently showed Odell's reelection by
| 10, 798 plurality, Mr.. Coler his Demo
cratic opponent, refused to concede
defeat, declaring that he wished to
| wait for the official count of the vote.
Mr.. Coler' statement was followed
by rather sensational announce
ment from Secretary Mason Of the
/ State Democratic committee, that he
refused to concede Odell's election,
that fraud had robbed Coler of many
votes up the State and that Senator
Hill and Chairman Campbell of the
State committee would come to New
York this evening to decide On plan
of action.
About the time these statements
appeared, rumor was circulated that
CUisr intended to make a contest IN
the coourts and simultaneously The
Evening Journal issued an-eexxE:a n-exE:zaa-~e Ell u
tion declaring that former Senator,
Hill, Chas. F. Murphy and Hugh
Mclaughlin claimed Coler's election.
This report together with the state
ments made by Mr.. Coler and secretary
Mason had caused considerable ex-
citement in the city.
Mr.. Coler's statement follows:
81 think, personally, it would be
good thing to watch the official count
up the State closely. Why don't they
distribute McCullagh men up there
as well as here in Greater New York?
Suppose the Democatic ticket had re-
ceived say in the neighborhood of $780,
OOOmajority in Greater New York, there
was nothing to have stopped the Re
publicans from claiming the upper sec
tion of the State by at least 200, GOO.
What the Democratic party needs up
the State is tried and true material
who will look carefully after the
party's interests. don't mean by
anythingI have said either last night
or this morning that in any manner
concede the election of my opponent. 1
want to wait for the official count, for
my latest advices are that the vote is
very close. I am hopeful of receiving
today news that will put a new COM
plexion on affairs in this State. -
John A. Mason, secretary of the
Democratic committee, speaking for
the committee, issued the following
statement:
We concede nothing. Odell's cleo
tino is simply claim. We will not
admit his election until every defec-
tive ballot or alleged defective ballot
has been scrutinized and every vote
that OF right belongs to our party is
counted. The alleged defective ballots
uncounted for the Democratic ticket
by Republican inspectors are more
than enough to elect Coler. We have
evidence of wholesale idebauchery and
corruption in Orange, Oneida and Al
bany and Erie counties, and in the
cities along the New York Central Rail
road. "The defective ballots and
the chicanery practiced on the three
iudiciial districts where the Republi-
can State machine bent every energy
to elect Attorney General Davies, is
alone sufficient to change the result.
Eve shall contest every foot OF
ground.
David B. Hill and Frank Camp
bell will be at the State headquarters
this evening and a meeting OF the
State committee will be held either
this evening or tomorrow and plan
Of action will be formulated.
Col. Dunn, the chairman OF the
State Republican committee, when
informed today Of the report that the
Democrats threatened to contest the
election, said:
."If they start anything of that kind
we will give them all the contest they
want right here in New York county
and they will wish they had never
heard of contests. -
The revised figures for governor are
as follows:
Odell ls3, s3e; Coler 123, OBS. odelps
n1urality 10 70S