The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1908-01-25
DECIDED IT IS DAMP
Board Of County Commissioners Have
Canvassed the Election Returns
With the Above Result

The most interesting event that
tranSpired today was the canvassing
of the returns of the wet or dry cleo
ton by the board of county commits
sioners.
The attendance Of spectators was
so large in the room that the board
asked them TO adjourn temporarily
until they could tabulate the returns
from all the precinct". This done the
board requested all Interested to come
in.
AS soon as the board assembled At
tOrney II. l.. Anderson, for the Grys.
entered a protest against the Belle
view vote, saying that the inspectors
of that precinct had disreSarded the
law in the matter Of the election, viz:
the votes cast were In excess Of the
poll list He contended that the board
had a right to condemn the proceed
ings Of the officers of said precinct
Mr.. Fort asked in case the board
counted the returns and that irreg-
ularities or fraud existed, whether or
not there was any possibility of re-
dress under the law
Attorney Anderson said there was
but the road was a hard one to travel
and that the wet or dry election laws
were ''fearfully and wonderfully made"
and it was difficult to get at their
true intent. He further said that to
get relief the board would have to ap-
peal to Judge w. S. Bullock and after
l., -
would be for him to decide.
Attorney 0. T. Green, for the vets,
said that supreme court decisions were
to the effect that the board could not
go back on the fact of the returns. but
admitted the irregularity of votes
could be considered.
Mr.. r. l.. Anderson, the other attOr-
ney for the vets, cOntended that the
board had to accept the forms as pre-
scented by the officers of the respective
precincts. He said the announcement
by the board Of the result of the vote
way infringed on the rights of the drys
carrying the case into a court of
equity.
Mr.. w. H. Hooker. the attorney for
the board, said that while he was
quoted as agreeing with Mr.. Anderson
in his contention, he wished to say he
did not go quite so far He said the
statutes on this election matter was
not in accord, but the discussions of
the court held the board had to accept
the face Of the returns and advised
them not to go behind the returns. He
the remedy was difficult one.
The matter Of the irregularities at
Belleview was gone into, but on the
face of the returns the papers were
properly signed. Judge LAGRANGE
Hopkins was the clerk instead Of DR..
T. K. Slaughter, who was appointed.
This proved all right except it might
be ascertained If Hopkins was sworn
in according to law. 1t was presum-
ed that such was the case.
Commissioner ]. M. Mathews then
moved the returns be accepted. but
yield to Mr. Forts motion. which in
effect was that the returns as receive
ed and tabulated be received by the
board, which motion Mr.. Mathews
carried and it was unanimously adopt
ed. which showed that 1867. votes were
cast for selling and 1913 votes against
selling. and that the wet majority was
81 votes.
The board, then adjourned.
Among the deeply interested spec
tators to note the canvassing of the
returns were Revs. G.. c. Carroll, w.
r. Lambert, John D. Robertson, W. D.
earn. H. NJ Hampton, L. W. Duval.
r. A. Burford. G. A. Carmichael. H. ].
Precht, r. H. Heating, Sheriff Gordon.
W. c. Jeffords. 8. L. Biting, Will
Knox. Kendrick, Sebe Weathers, Le-
rom, Editor Harris. P. v. Leavengood.