Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1909-02-04
cMEL,cH AND PAINTER REVIEW
FIGHT FOR LIEUTENANT
GOVERNOR.
BOTH WERE FOR SETTLEMENT
While Both Claim Election, Neither
Would Resort TO Drastic Meas
ures to obtain the
Office.

Jefferson City-In STATEMENTS by the
opposing candidates for the office OF
lieutenant governor of the state OF
Missouri 1t is made plain they are
both tired of the contest.
In a statement as follows, Gmelich
maintains that his election was as.
sured by the recount:
"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 well as
the members of the legislature. The
original returns, filed in the Office OF
the secretary of state, and with the
speaker of the house. CAV me thirty
majority. On account OF amended re-
turns from various precincts, In cor.
rcction 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 2l2 votes, unless some $500
votes in the city Of St. Louis are not
counted on account of technicalities
which do not affect either their legal.
ity of their honesty.
The only objection offered against
these ballots is that ore Of the judges
did not sign his full initials. In view
of these facts, | can have no doubts
but that my title to this Office. II 1t Is
awarded to me by the Legislature. will
come free from any doubt or faint of
Illegally. But this question, as ! have
said, Is not to be decided by new3pa-
per statements OF my opponent or my
self, but by the members of the leSis-
lature, and | can only await their de-.
cision in full confidence that they Will
award me the Office for which ! 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
cnCe:
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
ll..z l.,., a., aa.. ~ ntTnru
Republican member of this assembly.
According to the original returns az
admitted, even by Mr.. Gmclich's at
torney, | had a majority OF 73 votes.
According TO the amended returns,
likewise admitted, | was elected by ~
votes. The Joint assembly. in which
my party had a majority, thought a
recount should be had. Against this
entered no protest. a Democratic
caucus agreed that a committee com
posed of five Democrats and five Re.
publicans should be authorized to dc
this r@ecounting. The Democratic al
Gus selected Ave 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 ecoun progressed until the
city OF st. Louis was almost recount
ed. Under these rules 22O1 vote,
were thrown out as not complying
with the committees rules. l am In
formed by members Of the commit,
that in these 220l votes rejected | wa,
the greater sufferer.
The Republican members Of tho
committee insisted on enforcing all O
their technicalities, and the Demo
Gratis, living up to the committee'
rules. agreed that all q these ballot,
which were only technically wronI
should be rejected. Finally a precinc
which gave Mr.. Gmelich a large ms
jority wal reached.
Under the rules adopted and acte,
upon by the whole committee unit
this precinct vas reached Mr.. GmelicI
lost In this precinct enopgh votes T.
!, give me q majority. Tehereupon tn
, Republican members Of the committe
: refused to abide by the rules and In
! sisted upon counting these ballots 10
Mr.. Gmelich. For The first time tn
, Republicans began TO insist on coun'
all honest ballots, whether technical
good or not. The Democrats stood o