The Green Forest tribune., 1908-08-28

Osaee. Dry Fork Liberty Omega. 1st Prec,nGs poo Prairie township Kings la River eoon Commissioners counted said vote, shown by the tally sneeo way and provided by law this nsis1ed charges that he would have been elected, anu to a certificate of election for Circuit Clerk. a Your petitioner charges that in the tdrSu dwn.hn aia Second Wards in Prairie township noct tnshin and North and South Precincts of Hlekory 1oWnsnp F. th, Liberty township many parties were permleVeu OS judges thereof to vote twice; that many pa .e are permitted, the of whom at the present 'o lt;on unknown to this petitioner, to vote Tn said @ tta without having paid their poll tax as requreu Q! and constitution and laws of the state Ei not resi- that many voted in said precincts that were lo .ro dents of the precinct in which they voed that there were several votes cast in said precincts oY pi who had not attained the age of 2l years; tna the Clerks of said election failed to properly recolu % number of votes read to them by the Juuges t a counting the vote for Circuit Cierk Aho to Tdres turns from said precincts as certified to py the does not give correct statement of the vote as ly for the various candidates for Circuit h the same is shown by the ballots returned "l'u cl certificate of the judges. That by reason o1 saiu regularities and other gross and frauduient ties permitted by the judges and clerks of sad eec as to the votes cast for the office of Circuit Clerk they do show the returns as the ballots were the election in said townships Wherefore your peI, tioner prays that your Honorable pody !ecoun, Sno ballots from tbe above enumerated townships ana pre- cncts and that the returns be made, as the lace of the ballots therein shows, as IS required Oy iaw that your Honorable body disregard the votes o Kings River and Polo townships on account or gross itauu and Irregularities, which renders it 1mposslole to geo correct statement of the vote as actually cast Ill u townships for the office of Circuit Clerk or any once voted upon at said election. All of which your petitioner will ever pray.
 I make the above quotations from the re. cord of this contest suit to show the voters or Carroll county the character of the charge that had to defend you against as voters ana officers of the last election.
 This was not all. After you had elected me and your ballots taken to the county seat and delivered to the election commissioners the box containing returns was opened ana enough changes made, if allowed to stand, to defeat your will. Here is what the North Arkansas Star, fearless Democratic paper, said in it's issue of Sept. 21, 1906, about this theft of your ballots:
 An Editorial from the North Arkansas Star.
 When the election commissioners commenced to canvass the returns of the county last Friday it was found beyond dispute that the returns of several townships certified by the eecton judges has been changed by erasures on the poll books and that all the changes in favor of McLoud and against A. J. Russell, republican, who had been shown to have majority of 55 votes the face of the returns sent in to Tom Morris, chairman of the board of election commissioners, the vote was ascetalned immediate ly after the election The first suspicion arous- ed when the books of South Carrollton township opened, which disclosed the fact that vHes had been taken from Russell and added to McLoud; ; then came Osage with change of votes for McLoud and against Russell; Dry Fork, change of votes from Russell and added to McLoud Omega, change of s votes for McLoud and against Russell; Liberty, achange of 10 votes for McLoud and 10 against Rus
 
 and votes added ts McLoud; 1st ward in Eureka Springs, change of 10 votes for McLoud and taken from Russell making in all change of 102 votes in the county adding 49 McLoud and taking 43 votes from Russell, thus showing according to the 'doctor ed" returns majority of about 60 for McLoud.
 Stands on Record for Reflection
 But however strenuous the efforts made to defeat the will of the people and to rob me of the office, this alone is no reason why should have this office again, unless my record justi- fies it. It is upon the record I have made as Circuit Clerk that ask re. election.
 It is well established custom of all parties that competent, worthy and faithful official shall have second term. come now to the voters, the tax payers, of Carroll county and present my record and earnestly ask you to examine it carefully. See if have been faithful to my trust. See if have been worth anything to the tax payers. Sec if you have any reason whatever for regret. ting that you entrusted me with this office fol the past two years. If you find me worthy, earnestly ask, one and all, to give me a second term and will gladly step aside for others.
 Thankful for Sympathy and Support
 can not close this letter without return ing to the honest yeomanry of Carroll county my sincere thanks for your past sympathy and support, irrespective of party, and assur. ing you that have the full belief that gooc safe majority of you will register your ap proval of my administration by casting you votes for me on the 14th day of September 1908, am, Respectfully yours,
 A. J. RUSSELL. Berryville, Ark, Aug.1 1, 1908.