Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-24

has been exercised 10y those charged
with the Responsibility 81 preparing
;thd sen,ling out Tin" official ballots.
think the abnv, statement of facts
NIll tie all the answer that i necessary
I" the absurd claim that this office or
any one connected with it. was IN
VOWED in any conspiracy 10 dc!raud
he voters Of Kurkpnrt. 81. George, or
amy other tolrn. II WAS an error pure
;'i!d simple. Which vcry deeply regret.
Iouls EuIE sincerely.
BYRON BOYD.
The following sworn affidavit is fur
nished by Mr. Brown:
|, Arthur l.. Brown of Augusta, in
the county of Kennehec and State of
Maine. on oath make affidavit and say:
That | am 81 years of age and have
been a practical printer for 40 Years,
having been assistant foreman of the
book room Of the kcnnebec Journal Of
tice for - years. Prior to coming TO
Augusta | was for two years in charge
of the making Up Of the official Aus
trailan ballet in The state OF MaSSa-
chusettS.
] have personally made up the forms
used in printing the official Australian
ballot OF Maine ever since the law
Went into effect in 1891. l personally
made up all the forms for the Knox
and Lincoln county official ballots used
at the last State election. The forms
were made w from copy furnished by
tho secretary Of state. The form for
nj, nj,
exclusive Of the referendum at the bot
tom, consisted Of three sections; the
ton section contained the voting squares
and the names Of the different candl-
dates for Governor-this is the same
on every ballot used in the state and
WAS clectrotyped; the second section
contained the names Of the candidates
for congress ana for county offices-this
section was the same on every ballot 10
be used in any one county ana was
elcctrOtyped; the third section con-
tanned the nominees for representatives
to the Legislature-this was not cleo
trOtypcd, but was set up from type,
being changed for each representative
class.
AS fast as the forms were printed
they came back from the press 10 me,
and | changed them for printing an
other ballot. For instance, if the form
used for printing the ballot for the
town of Warren came back. ana l
wished to change it so as to print a
ballot for the town of Camden, the on
ly change made would be to take out
the names Of the representatives voted
for in Warren and substitute the
names of those voted for i'll Camden.
On the other hand. if a form used for
printing the ballot in the toNn of Wal
doborO We're To be changed to one for
the town of Camden. the county cleo
trotype plate must b. changed as Well
as the names of candiiat"S for repre-
snntatives to the legislature.
At The last state election the face
of the official ballots for st. George and
Hockp"rt should have been identical,
they being in the same representative
class. Both were printed from the
same form without change. the official
filing having been previously printed
on the reverse side of all ballots in or
der to save time. In making up the
form for st. George and Rockport 7
must have taken a form which had
county and have changed the names
Of the representatives, to the LegiSlA-
trre without changing the county
electrotype plate. This left the ballot
correct, except that the Lincoln county
officers taIl contained on one platep an
pnared in place of those nominated for
Knox county Any statement that this
error was intentional on my part IS
absolutely and utterly false. 1t was
purely an oversight, and no man can
regret it more than ] do.
While I recognize that the original
error was mine. it was the duty Of the
proof reader from the secretary Of
States office to have detected it by Il
comparison with the official copy in
| his hands.
I understand that the lists and spec
linen ballots fnr st. George and Rock
port We're correct, but these have no
connection with the official ballot.
These lists and specimen ballots We're
not printed from the same forms rs the
official ballots as has been asserted:
they are larger than the official ballot
owing to the different headings ana are
printed from different forms. by diff
ferent crew ana upon a different press.
(SiGned ARTHUR L. BROWN.
Kennnboc IS:
Personally appeared the above
named Arthur L. Brown and being du-
ly sworn. made oath to the truth of the
n hove Statement ny him signed