The Lamar register., 1905-03-08
Committee REPORTS
IN THE eovERnoRsHlP CONTEST
Majority Report Favors Peabody
But Thirteen Out Of Twenty
Seven Are for Adams,


Seven Are for Adams.
Denver, March At was 10:15 yes
terday morning when the Senate mem
bers filed into the House chambers and
took their seats. TIE joint convention
of the General Assembly was then
formally open. Lieutenant Governor
Macdonald presided. and the body was
soon ready for the consideration of the
reports submitted by the joint contest
committee. Thomas offered the rules
of procedure, which the Republican
caucus had agreed upon, and which
were to govern the proceedings of the
sessions during the hearing and delib-
GRAFTON of the contest case. They were
adopted without dissent.
! Representative Thomas, leader OF
the Peabody forces. moved that the
reading of the contest committee re-
ports, four in number, be dispensed
with.
This motion was strongly objected
to and voted down.
Senator Owen moved that the re-
ports be read at length, and the motion
prevailed unanimously.
Following Is the substance of the re-
ports of the joint contest committee of
| twenty-seven:
Report Finding for Adams-Recom-
mends that the contest of Peabody be
dismissed on the ground that he has
not proven his case by the evidence
submitted before the joint contest COM
mittee. 1t is signed by John j. Harris.
George E. HUT. b. l.. Jefferson. A. d.
Mackenzie, w. A. Hill, A. II. Davis. Il.
L. Drach, n. NJ. Heistand, John A. Lehr-
ritter
Report Finding for Peabody-Rec-
ommends the seating of the former
governor on the ground that he has
shown enough frauds to overcome the
plurality which the face of the returns
gave Governor Peabody. Signed by
| Theodore ii. Thomas, William Robert
son, John l.. FetZer, Casimiro Barela.
NJ. F. Vance. James B. Dick NJ. T..
Lewis. A. E. Healey, f. NJ. De Ia
Vergne. o. E. Adamson. John b. Ste
phen, j. f. Church. Alfred Stewart.
Morton Alexander.
I Report of Findings for Adams by In
dependent Republicans-Recom
that the contest OF Peabody be dis
missed for the reason that the eviderce
shows that while the contestor charged
fraud in 104 Denver precincts. Adams
proved there was no fraud in fifty-six
of the precincts, and therefore still has
a plurality of votes over Peabody.
Signed by w. II. Griffith. chairman of
contest committee; j. b. Thompson. J.
A. Mcintyre. C. E. DUNCAN.
Report of Findings by Senator Nor
ton Alsxander--Declares that there
was so much fraud on both sides in
the state that 1t is impossible to deter
mine who was elected governor. there
fore the November election was null
and void and recommends that Lieu
tenant Governor Macdonald because of
the alleged disability of Alva Adams.
be declared the legal and only qualified
governor of Colorado. Signed by Nor
ton S. Alexander.
! After the reading OF the reports John
NJ. Waldron. attorney for Mr.. Peabody.
began his argument for the contestor.
Mr.. Waldron said that the commit
tees attorneys confessed no election in
| forty-six precincts. but wanted the
other fifty-eight precincts attacked by
the contestor included, but this could
not be done.
I The joint assembly as a jury and
the speaker as a lawyer. would argue
the case from the legal point of view
and the most conscientious member in
/ that body would see his way clear as
noonday when the law, as applied to
the rejection of votes. was explained.
Then Mr.. Waldron dwelt on the i'm
possibility OF segregating the true
! from the false when 1t had been estab-
lished that the election officials in the
precincts in question had violated the
laws and committed frauds in other
ways. The frauds had been confessed
and they had been committed until
elections in Denver had become
mockery. In number of the precincts
the voters had known that fraud eN-
listed. yet they did nothing to remove
the evil so long as their party bene-
fitted. The voters had responsibilities
and when they failed to carry them
out, they ought to be disfranchised.
drastic example was necessary.
Mr.. Waldron consumed an hour of
his allotted time. eight hours, yester-
day. He will continue this morning.
beginning at 10 O'Clock, and undoubt-
edly will talk till noon. Upon conven-
ing again at o'clock he is expected to
continue until perhaps 4 o'clock. Be
tween that time and adjournment the
Democratic attorney may use an hour
The Democratic attorneys, five in
number. will use eight hours alto
gether. Mr.. Thomas probably making
the longest address. He probably Will
use greater part of the time Monday
When the attorneys for the contestee
have consumed their time, Mr.. Wal
dron will then have three hours for
closing his argument for the contestor
II will perhaps be Wednesday before
the argument closes and then the legis-
lators are entitled to ten minutes each
for single addresses. and no one may
sneak more than twice. This arrange
| ment, if all the time is used, would
consume several more days. 1t I'M
doubtedly will be possible to reach
vote sooner, however. as the legisla-
tab. Ia n
time allowed for debate.
Statehood Bill Fails.