The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-12
Committee Votes in Favor OF
His Demand.
POSTPONE ACTION.
Whole Question Will Be Settled
OH Saturday.
Belts Attorney Says Votes We're
Thrown Out.


the primaries held last Saturday in
Shawnee county had been rejected,
the county central committee this af-
ternoon decided by a vote of % to II
TO recount the ballots cast for sheriff.
and then turned right around and re-
considered the whole matter. and de
cided to meet again on next Saturday
to settle it,
Nothing was accomplished further
than the setting of a date to take UP
the matter formally. 1t was argued
after the vote was taken that the hur-
ried manner in which the thing was
done was not good for the party and
an injustice TO both candidates. The
idea took root and passed without
dissenting vote
The returns on all of the Offices were
accepted upon the motion of Willis
Gleed. A committee composed of John
W Il6nt. ReeS Van SAINT. John CfaTdi-
ner. Willis Gleed and H T. Philips
took Up the work Of going through the
summaries. When about half finished
j. W. Gleed arose and said: mo mis-
takes nave shown UP so far and move
that the committee report that Wilker-
son is nominated for sheriff"
charles Heartburg made formal
motion to this effect and a second was
offered.
II move as a substitute" said A. d.
Bauer, that the recount be made. [
want to hear reasons for it. John
Ostrand offered a second.
r. r. Welch. as attorney for Wflker-
son said. No specific reasons are given
for a recount. No showing is made
save a general charge. We cannot 20
into that kind of a thing. 1t has been
The practice of this committee to not
make recount without a showing"
j. w. Gleed. There is no precedent in
the practice in going into recount un-
less a wrong or fraud is shown. The
motion ought to be voted down.
r. b. Toles Of Silver Lake said: At
Silver Lake we threw ont eight Belts
votes on which two candidates for one
office were voted for"
NJ IT. Schoch- We have not had
time to gather up specific data we
only knew Of specific Toints by neon
today. In absolute fairness when 5000
votes have been cast and only dis
erepaacy Of 153. recount should be
J. w. Gleed. This petition is not
even sworn to. let afone containing
spectfc charges is this thing to
quarrel over2"
I'm the Second Of the Second where
voters marked two cRn6idates for one
office. Other places this was not done I
This ought to be settled"
The vote was taken and resulted % I
in favor of the recount and II against. /
When the roll call reached DR.. J
Ryder Of North Topeka he protested
vigorously against such ection and de-
Clared that the committee was making
q serious mista Ike.
After the vote was reported J. B.
LaTimer made q motion to reconsider
the whole matter and meet again on
next Saturday afternoon. He thought
that The members OF the committee
should more fully inform themselves
Of the facts about the proposed re-
count. The motion carried without a
dissenting opinion
When the committee met this morn
ing. the demand of the Belts forces for
q recount Of the sheriff vote was sub
mitted by w. z. Schoch in the shape of
q petition.
We do not know whether the recount
would make great change in the re
suit said Mr.. Schoch, but it would do
no harm. If WilkersOn is shown to be
the candidate then it would strengthen
his position. and at the same time sat
isfy Belts friends. We have investiga-
ted certain things but at this time DO
not wish to diyulge them. One DIM
Guilty. however, I wish to mention, and
that is the fact that a good many bal
lots were thrown out, on which the voter
marked two candidates for one office.
This mistake was made relative to reg
lister OF deeds more than any other be-
cause there were so many names on the
ticket Some of the boards, I under
stand. counted tickets of this kind Al
ROssvile eiEht votes for Belts We're
thrown out FOR this reason; at silver
Lake IL; at South Mission s., and quite
q number in Topeka. Then there are
other complaints. We Go not know now
material change the counting of these
ballots viii make, but we think thaJ
one uniform rule ought to be folloWet;
aud the recount made along that line
quorum of the county committee
was however, not present, and II was
therefore decided to adjourn until tnls
afternoon at o'clock at which time lne
official count was made and the deInaiAu
for @ recount considered
The Belts petition follows:
~To the Chairman and Members OF
the Republican County Central
Committee:
Comes now G. W. Belts, who rep
resents that he is an elector Of the
county of Shawnee and state or kan
sas and that at the Republican pri-
mary election held and conducted IN
Shawnee county. Kansas. on March
1o. 1906, he was candidate for the
nomination OF sheriff against j. M
Wilkerson another elector Of the
said county Of Shawnee and candi-
date for sheriff, that the unofficial re-
turns from said primary election upon
the Office of sheriff purDort to show
that said John NJ. Wfkerson is nonni-
mated by majority of 153
our petitioner represents that in
many voting precincts and wards in
the county that there was misconduct
on the part of the board Of canvassers
ll InfS- inat the correct number Of
votes received by your petitioner We're
not and have not been returned; tsat
Illegal votes were received at the diff
1ereut wards and precincts ia the
county at the election for said Jobn
H. Whkerson sufficient to change the
result; that legal votes were rejected
at various voting precincts which
should have been cast for vo71r merit
uouer sufficient to change the result;