Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-10-05
A0UEER DEFENSE.
The Elwood Township Outrage Justified
by UnsubStantiated Allegations Of
Fraud on the Part of the
Democrats.

L
Nixon was counted into the Office |
OF representative in the fall of 1902,
by forced count of eight votes
more IN Elwood township than |
there were voters in the township,
the official organ of the republican
machine in Barber county came
out last week in labored defense
OF the outrage. There is no con-
tention in its defense that the votes
were cast but it says that demo-
Gratis in other precincts threw out
Nixon votes and counted illegal
votes for H. c. Walker, the indie
pendent candidate. There is, of
course, nothing in the statement
1t is easy to make such statement
two years after an election when
there is no way to get at the
ballots to prove its falsity, but
the voters of Barber county who
know anything about the election
of 1902 know that the allegation
of fraud committed by Democrats
and Populists is mere fabrication.
But suppose the statement were
true, did that justify the republi-
can machine in doing that which
they admit was wrong? The poll
books of Elwood township record
only 49 voters in Elwood township,
yet the canvassing Board were
compelled to count 81. The sum-
mary said that Mr.. Nixon received
10 votes in the township, yet, be-
cause the clerks entered 8 tally
marks at wrong place on the sheet
the board of canvassers were COM
PEELED by the court to count IS
votes for him. These facts are ad-
mitted, and it is also admitted that
it was morally wrong, but the
machine attempts to justify it on
the fimsy plea that the Democrats
did wrong in other precincts. What
record is there to substantiate such
a statement? None whatever. The
EIwood outrage is in black and
white open to public inspection
and can not,be disputed. If they
could have established fraud and
| illegality on the part of the Demo
Gratis and Populists by a recount,
don't you suppose they would have
done it before resorting to this dis
grace of counting votes that never
existed? Certainly they would
1t would not only have exonerated
Mr.. Nixon, but it would have been
of lasting benefit to the party,
whereas the policy pursued is a
lasting detriment and disgrace.
| The fact is that this cry against
| Mr.. Walker and his friends is be-
lated subterfuge and only intended
to attract public attention from the
issue of honest elections which the
republican machine has itself
| forced. J
| They ask, why didn't Mr.. Walker
Icontest. At the time, Mr.. Walkers
Emother was very low and he was
depended upon to take care of her.
His father was also very feeble.
Mr.. Walker fully intended to file a
contest in the Legislature, after he
and his friends spent a great deal
OF time and money trying to get
protection in the district and su-
preme courts, but it happened that
he got to town day too late to
| be In time to file it. Contests in
| legislatures, of course, mount to
nothing. Majorities unseat mi
norities without regard to law,
| facts or common decency. That
| much was demonstrated when the
| republican legislature of 1901 kick
ed out populists and democrats on
the most flimsy pretext, one of
them being that the paper on which
ballots were printed was not thick
enough.
s The republican organ also al
leges that Major Harvey Of To,