Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-02-04
STATEMENTS BY GMELIcH AND
PAINTER INDICATE A DESIRE
FOR settlement.
REPUBLICAN CLAIMS OEFIGE
Democratic Candidate Also Main
tains Majority on Original Vote
and Ameded Returns From
The Recount.

evidenced from statements given out
by them.
In a statement as follows, Gmelich
maintains that his election was as.
sured by the recount:
1.-THE time for making claims in ref
erence to who was elected lieutenant
governor is past. The facts ought to
be fully understood by this time by
all the people of the state. as we'll as
the members Of the legislature. The
original returns, fle1 in the office of
the secretary OF stats, and with the
speaker of the house, gave me thirty
majority. On account of amended re-
turns from various precincts, in cor
rection of mistakes alleged to have
been made in the original returns,
some fifteen precincts have been re-
counted and all of st. Louis. By this
recount, my majority has been in
creased to 212 votes, unless some $500
votes in the city of st. Louis are not
counted on account of t~Echnicalities
which do not affect either their legal
ity Of their honesty.
The only objection offered against
these ballots is that one of the Judges
did not sign his full initials. In view
Of these facts, l can have no doubts
but that my title to this office, if it is
awarded to me by the legislature, will
come free from any doubt, or faint of
~illegality. But this question, as l have
said, is not to be decided by newspa-
per statements of my opponent or my
self, but by the members of the legis-
lature, and l a only await their de-
cision in full confidence that they will
award me the office for which l have
received a plurality of the votes,
Painter Reviews Contest.
In addressing the Democratic eau
Gus Painter reviews his case in part
as follows:
Gentlemen of the Democratic confer
ence:
In the first place / want to thank
you for your kindly courtesy to me
throughout this long-drawn-out fight.
There are friends before me, made
since last August, when | was nomi-
mated, that / shall always love. And
| want to say that, however partisan
they may be, | have made many
friends among the Republicans, and
l believe I have the respect of every
Republican member Of this assembly.
According to the original returns as
admitted, even by Mr.. Gmelich's at
torney, I had a majority of Is votes.
According to the amended returns,
likewise admitted, I was elected by ~
votes. The joint assembly, in which
my party had a majority, thought a
recount should be had. Against this I
entered no protest. A Democratic
caucus agreed that a committee COM
posed of five Democrats and five Re-
publicans should be authorized to do
this recounting. The Democratic eau
Gus selected five Democrats and a Re-
publican caucus chose five Republicans
Rules Were Adopted.
The committee met and unanimously
agreed to certain rules under which
the count began, and under which
rules the recount progressed until the
city of st. Louis was almost recount
ed, Under these rules 2201 votes
were thrown out as not complying
with the committees rules. | am in
formed by members of the committe
that in these 2201 votes rejected | was
the greater sufferer.
The Republican members of the
committee insisted on enforcing all of
their technicalities, and the Demo
Gratis, living up to the committees
rules, agreed that all of these ballots
which were only technically wrong
should be rejected. Finally a precinct
which gave Mr.. Gmelich a large ma
jority was reached.
Under the rules adopted and acted
upon by the whole committee until
this precinct was reached Mr.. Gmelich
lost in this precinct enopgh votes to
give me a majority. Tehereupon the
Republican members of the committee
refused to abide by the rules and in
sisted upon counting these ballots for
Mr.. Gmelich. For the first time the
Republicans began to insist on count
all honest ballots, whether technically
good or not. The Democrats stood on
the rule and the commute split.
Bill Strikes at Alien Labor.
Jefferson City.--A bill to curtail the
wholesale employment of alien labor
to the detriment of native-born toilers
will be introduced in the senate by
Senator j. L. Bradley, of st. Francois
county. Senator Bradley's proposed
law limits the number of foreign la
borers that may be employed by any
firm or corporation licensed to do bus
mess under the laws Of Missouri to
10 per cent of the total number of en-
ployes.
Naturalized citizens are placed In
the same category as sunnaturalized.
Fee Offices on Salary.
Jefferson City-Harry G. Yates, rep
resentative of the Third district of
Buchanan county, is to introduce a
bill which provides that all officials
In counties having a population Of
over $4,000 and less than 10000 shall
be placed on a salary instead Of the
present fee basis.
The agitation in behalf Of this meas
ure was brought UP by the citizens OF