Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-13
YOUNG WITHORAWS
ELECTION CONTEST
JUDGE WEST DISoUALlFlES
5000 VOTES
Result of Fight Will Be Bill for New
Election Law - Coroner's
Case Not Vet
Settled

The contest of election Of two supe-
rior court judges was declared off yes
terday after Judge u. B. West of
Orange county, sitting in department
5 of the superior court had handed
dowp a ruling disqualifying about 5000
non-partisan votes.
The contest was instituted by At
torney Milton *. Young, one of the
candidates for a judgeship on the non
partisan ticket. Attorney Young al
legged that there had been a misCount,
that many of the votes intended for
him were counted for other men and
that many frauds had been perpe-
trated. His chief ground for contest
was an attack on the validity of the
vote from the soldiers home.
When the contest was begun in de-
partment Of the superior court last
Monday Judge Conrey, presiding judge
declared himself disqualified and sent
for Judge West of Orange county.
The first ballots to be opened showed
a remarkable system of voting to have
been followed during the recent county
and state elections, and an even more
remarkable system of counting. AL
most every ballot cast was open to
challenge, and the entire week was
spent among the attorneys in arguing
as to whether votes should be count
ed or not.
Six Thousand Votes Disqualified
( During the early part of the count
| it was seen that the non-partisan con-
testants were gaining and it looked
as though a change in officials might
be effected through the recount.
| On Thursday, however, one of the
attorneys in the case discovered a
techncality which disqualified about
5000 votes. On about that number of
| MI INt- Tn Loo 10
had been registered as a straight tick
ct vote at the top of the state column,
while a straight ticket vote had been
marked at the head of the non-par-
tisan county column.
| Under the statute there can be but
one column marked as a straight vote,
and If more than one is marked it
disqualifies the vote. Judge West took
the law literally and disqualified all
ballots where more than one straight
ticket vote had been marked.
The attorneys for the contestants
raised a strenuous objection and ar
gued that the non-partisan ticket was
county ticket and that the Inde-
pendence league ticket was a straight
state ticket and therefore, since
there could have been no confliction,
and since the intention of the voter
was thoroughly apparent, that the
votes should be counted as valid.
Young WithdraWs Contest
Judge West took the case under con-
sideration and the count was resumed
Yesterday morning come the final de-
cision invalidating the 5000 votes
Judge West ruling that the proper
way to have voted the ballot would
have been to mark a circle and cross
at the top of the Independence League
column and to have marekd individ
ually the names of the candidates OF
the non-partisan ticket.
With those votes withdrawn the non
partisans lost hope, and Attorney
Young withdrew his contest. making
a neat little speech, and thanking
Judge West for his consideration dur
ing the recount.
AS a result of the jumbled ballot
local politicians are preparing a bill
for the present legislature to change
the form of ballot, or at least make
the voting a more simple process.
One contest remains and that is the
contest of Coroner Lanterman's cleo
ton by DIR. Booth the Democratic and
non-p partisan candidate for that posi-
ton.
DIR. Booth lost by only 200 votes, and
if necessary, he will attack the valid
ity of the soldiers home vote. The
recount of the ballots for the coroner's
office will be resumed Tuesday morn
ing.