Bradford County telegraph., 1906-06-08
|THOSt v. fielding COMPLETELY ANSWERS
CHARGES MADE BY ]. M. RIVERS.
FRANK and sm1EIEME REVIEW OF CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING The CONTEST FOR
STATE ATTORNEY Of M HGm CIRCUIT

IIUkNEI VI Tue EI6hIA JUDICIAL
an. RIVERS.
Vote Of Four Counties. 1871
Va Of Baker County, unofiicials- 81
Total-------------------12
Il will be seen, therefore, that the
o1,cial returns from Alachua, Bradford.
Levy and Putnam, ana the Best figures
that could be secured from Baker, gave
Mr.. Calhoun = lead Of 50 votes over me
and me . Iced Of II over Mr.. Rivers.
Ny protest filed with the state COM
mittee, about which Mr.. Rivers
undertakes to make great ado, after
giving four perfectly good grounds Of
protest, concludes ~ follows:
"Wherefore, this protestant respect-
fully requests that the said vote of
Baker county, which was cast ct the
said primary election held on the 18th
day Of Nay, A. d. 1908, be canvassed
and the returns thereof certified to the
said State Democratic Executive Com
mittee as to the ONCE Of State Attorney
for the Eighth Judicial Circuit Of Flori-
da, 2: 70 required BY law and the rules
OF this committee"
This, I think, shows my good
faith and that I did not fear
the result Of getting the official returns
from Baker connty.
Acting on my protest Hon. Duncan
u. Fletcher, chairman Of the state COM
mittee, at once wrote to the Baker coun-
ty committee asking for the returns or
q certified copy Of the testimony upon
which the county committee had based
its action. He received in reply letter
from the secretary Of the county COM
mittee stating that the committee had
taken no testimony, but upon ascertain
ing that more persons had voted in one
Of the precincts than were qualified ON
the registration books, had declared the
election null and void without canvass
ing the returns. This left the state
committee absolutely powerless to Sc
cure any returns from the county. The
vote was very close throughout the cir
cult, 20 close In fact that the vote from
Baker county, had it been canvassed
and certified, could easily have entirely
changed the result. Confronted by this
condition the members Of the state COM
mittee did not want the wishes Of the
people Of Baker county 10 be ignored be-
cause Of some irregularity In the hold
ing Of the election, and they wanted to
act fairly betwesn Messrs. Calhoun,
Rivers and myself. Al the best solution
Of the matter Il was decided by an
Overwhelming vote Of the committee
that We should all run In the second
| primary and that the one receiving the
highest number Of votes should be de-
clared the nominee. This arrangement
was satisfactory to me because it ap-
peared to me to be fair all around.
Nessrs. Calhoun and Rivers vigorously
opposed this compromise, not seeming
to regard my rights in the matter or to
take into consideration that to declare
the result On the returns from the four
other counties would have the effect Of
depriving the people Of Baker county Of
any voice In the first primary. Certainly
al the citizens Of Baker county were
not responsible for Whatever irregular
titles existed In the holding Of the elec-
tiou and were - much entitled to a
choice between the three candidates as
any one else. But every consideration
Of fairness seemed to have been ignored
by my two opponents. Each Of them
thought he could win over the other
with me ont Of the race and their whole
pbjeot appeared to be to throw me
down, no matter whether IL was fair
dsal or not. Through their friends they
both stood before the committee and
appealed 70 them to canvas the returns
and declare the result on the vote from
the four counties that they were ahead
In. Mr.. Rivers was represented by 8
L. Carer and Mr.. Calhocn was repre-
seutsd by Ext Governor Fleming. and
Mr.. Rivers became 20 carried away
with the idss Of throwing me overheard
that he got the permission Of the chair
man and actually made little speech
himsslf In support Of this unfair course
So mach anxiety ives shown by them
10 have the committee put me down
and ont that some cf the committeeman
Lost patisuos with them end one very
distinguished member OF the committee
sxpssnsd saspsise that they should
come thsss ard oppose 70 fair proposi
ton. and snid that he thought they
were placing thsmsslvss In . very un
favorable Hight before the fsir.minded
psopls a The state a Florida.
|. In connection with his action before
ths staAs committee on Friday. May