The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1909-04-15
Action Of City Officials in Voting
Paupers for License Causes
Storm in Somers
PROSECUTIONS MAY FOLLOW
Somers Men Claim That the Paupers
Voted Illegally and That the Men
Who Voted Them Are Also
Liable to Prosecution

The people Of the town of Somers,
who favored the proposition Of no
license at the recent election in that
town have a grievance against some
of the officials Of the city of Kenosha
and they are not losing any time in
airing the grievance and it is just pos
sible that they will seek to air it in
the courts Of the county. The trouble
arose over the fact that ten in
mates Of the Kenosna City Poor Farm
were voted at the election in Somers
on Tuesday. The men are all inmates
of the city farm and have been there
for some time and the people of Som
ers who are looking into the matter
claim to have opinions from well
known attorneys to the effect that all
of these people were guilty Of violat-
ing the election laws and that their
votes were cast illegally. They claim
that prominent officials Of the city
were directly responsible Cor their be
ing voted at the election and that
they were taken TO the polls for the
purpose Of voting against the no IL
cense proposition. It is admitted that
the inmates of the poor farm were
hauled to the polls by a crowd which
was decidedly with the 9Ewetso and
it is just possible that the dependents
Of the city got little wet themselves
before they got back to their happy
home.
One of the prominent supporters of
the temperance cause in Somers in dis
cussing the matter said: sThis is the
first time that the inmates of the poor
farm have ever offered themselves as
voters in the town Of Somers and on
this account the election officials were
taken wholly by surprise and did not
know how to act in the matter. We
have legal authority for stating that
these men on account of the fact that
they are dependents are barred from
the right to vote and attorneys are
now looking into the matter with a
view Of possible prosecution Of the
ten men who voted and OF the eleventh
man who sought to vote but was
challenged. The head official of the
city Of Kenosha took an unwarranted
interest in the license election in Som
ers, but we thought that the limit was
reached when this band of paupers
was hauled to the polls to aid in the
fight. It is certain that there are a
lot of good people in Kenosha who are
being taxed to pay for the support Of
these men who are not in sympathy
with such action and it is only right
that a decided protest be made.o At
torneys consulted today seem to be in
doubt as to whether or not the con
stitutional provisions of the state
would prevent the voting of paupers
at town election. The question has
never been raised in this county be-
fore, but it is claimed that there are
decisions in the highest court holding
that these men are not qualified cleo
tors. The voting of the men did not
affect the election in any way as there
was sufficient majority for the sup
porters of license without the votes
of the paupers. However, it is just
possible that the people of Somers
can make things decidedly hot for the
men responsible for the men voting
and the further developments in the
case will be watched with a great deal
of interest.