The Bolivar County Democrat. (Rosedale, Miss.) 1887-1969, 1903-09-26

all inQiSnNHt protest.
Yours respectfully.
JOHN L. GILL.
Rosedale, Miss, Aug. 20, 1908.
To the Honorable Democratic Executive
Committee of Bolivar County:
We are all Democrats, and appeal to
you, as the conservators and guardians
of the party interest in this county, for
justice.
At your last meeting, you declared that
my opponent, Mr.. J. E. Stafford, had, by
a majority of one vote, been selected as
the Democratic nominee for County
Treasurer. In this you were mistaken.
was unable at the time to get access to
the several boxes, and have not yet ex-
amined all of them, but find III a cursory
examination, that you unwittingly made
an error against me in counting the Dun
can vote. You declared, as Il result of
the election at that box, that Mr.. ]. H.
Stafford had received 81 votes, that l
had received 80. Mr.. J. M. Wells 8, and
one vote blank. In fact,- you will OBJ
serve by the ballots themselves, there
were &c votes cast and l received 81
votes, one vote in excess of the number
YOU credited me with. Mr.. S. A. Kinds,
W. b. Hunter and Mr. ]. c. Walker and
myself counted the ballots at this box,
and these gentlemen will testify, if you
desire, to the correctness Of this state
ment. With this error corrected, you
will observe that Mr.. Stafford can not
be fairly or legally declared the nominee,
and that the race should be run over be-
tween him and myself.
Worse than this. find that both YOU
and myself were imposed upon and that
you were led to count negro Republi-
can vote against me, which wrong you
will surely hasten to correct; and, indeed,
] can not for a moment believe that Mr.
Stafford himself would be willing to
claim the benefit of such vote or any
advantage from it. The facts i'll connec-
ton with this last matter are briefly as
follows, to-wit:
am informed that w. E. Henry, who
had been appointed one of the clerks OF
the election at NJ Mound City, saw NEGRO
named J. H. Anderson passing along the
road while the election was being held.
This negro, as stated, is Republican,
and his name was. not OF the list OF
voters as made up under your directions,
nor was he entitled, under your orders or
the orders OF the State Democratic Exccu-
tive Committc to vote or to participate
in primary and help decide a contest
between white men. twithstanding
these facts, Henry called the negro back
and insisted on his voting, which the
negro was loath to do, but finally con-
sented to put in, and did put i'll, ballot,
over the protest of one Of the inspectors
of election, Mr.. George c. Aycock, whose
certificate hand you herewith, together
with the affidavit of the negro himself.
Surely barefaced fraud of this kind will
not be allowed TO have any weight with
any Democratic Executive Committee,
and you will hasten to place yourselves
and Mr. Stafford right. and to do justice
to me, by eliminating the vote and or
dering the election to be run crbetweer
MIR. Stafford and myself at Democratic
primary at some future date.
have heard it iitimatcd that, with a
view of allowing MIR. Stafford to retain
the advantage he now has, that you
would now decline to count the white
Democratic votes ut Shaw precinct, on
j the ground that the box did not reach
you until after IL O'Clock OIL August Sth
l Gun NOT believe any such statement
That matter was gone into fully by yor
at Your meeting OIL the day mentioned
and after full and exhaustive discussion
you agreed that it was improper for any
Democrat who wanted TO do the right
thing, to try to take advantage of an.
such technicalty, and you ordered thu
vote to be counted. Surely you woult
not for moment think of reversing
yourselves on position of this kinf
after having certified the former return:
and, indeed. your action in the premises
in that particular, is res judicata.
Xou will see that there can be no qucs
ton that you have unwittingly com
mitted a wrong and while. as a Demo
crat. ! do not intend to run rs an ludc
pendent. although have been solicite'
by some Of the staunchest Democrats il
the county, yet can not believe tha
either you or Mr. Stafford will desire t
let matters remain as they are.
i Appealing to your sense of justice an
reminding you of the vital Importance {
| your action in this and all other matter