The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-10-25
LIKE FINDING MONEY.
Lawyers Persuade Liquor Deal
ers to Contest Recent Local
Option Election.


And the Dealers Have Advanced
the Coin.
SThere was filed with County CLERK
Price on Tuesday bill of complaint
in chancery to set aside the recent
local option election in this county
in which, with a majority of 254, the
people decided against the sale Of
liquor.
This action is brought, according
to the bill, in the names of Thomas
H. Heating, John G. Raabe, John D.
Bingham, J. F. Brewer, Thomas
Ray and Charles Q. Smith, and is
against the county commissioners.
1t is claimed in this bill that the
commissioners violated the constitu-
ton of Florida in that they called
the election before period of two
full years had elapsed from the cleo
ton held in 1905.
According to the best legal opinion
obtainable by the News the consti-
tuition requires that at least TWO
YEARS SHALL INTERVENE BE-
TWEEN SUCH ELECTIONS. The
election of 1905 was held on Sept.
26th; that in 1907 on Sept. Both. But
the liquor dealers claim that the
election should not have been CALL
ED till two full years had passed.
In other words the election should
not have been CALLED until Sept.
Goth, or after.
Another ground of contest is over
the fact that the commissioners did
not permit voters to qualify by pay
ment of poll taxes, etc, and that
they failed to revise the registration
books 10 days prior to the election.
H. HI. Buchanan of Jacksonville is
attorney for the contestants, and,
what will cause greatest consterna-
ton and trembling in the anti-saloon
camp, is the fact that Mr.. Buchanan
has associated with him to help in
the contest, that eminent jurist and
eloquent advocate, General John E.
Marshall of this city. So great is
their CONSERVATION over this brilliant
coup that in the chaste and classic
language of Claude L'Engle they
are exclaiming, "Oh me Oh my! Oh
mama!n
Judge E. Noble Calhoun who was
the legal advisor of the Palatka
liquor dealers during the recent con-
test, was asked to take the case, but
declined.
1t should be stated also, in justice
to Mr.. Thomas M. Ray whose name
appears in the body of the bill as one
of the contestants, that it is there
without his authority. Mr.. Ray re-
quested the News to say:
II have refused to have anything
10 Il - 4 4
name is in this bill it is without my
authority. l positively declined to
have anything to do with it. The
people of Putnam county have
spoken emphatically against the sale
of liquor and | bow to, and without
accept their verdict. These
people have always been my friends,
and | shall try to show myself
worthy of their friendship"
Other eX-dealers were not seen.
But the only one of the complain
ants who has made affidavit to the
truth of the allegations in the bill is
Thos. H. Heating.
1t may be said in connection with
this contest that the anti-salOon
will not lose any sleep on
account of it. Hon. S. j. Hilburn
and Attorney H. E. Merryday, who
will represent the committee in the
event of the contest coming to an
issue, have no fears for the result.
One of the committee said: I'VE
are not worried in the least, for we
are assured by our attorneys that
the grounds of contest are not we'll
taken. But, if the case should go
against us, it would not mean a rest
for the liquor dealers. We would
get up another petition IMMEDI-
ATELY.