The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-01-29
ASSEMBLY MAY DECIDE
COMMITTEE PROBABLY WILL NOT
ACT ON THOSE IN DISPUTE.
Failure Of Judges to Write Full
Initial Is Cause Of Dis
agreement.

st. Louis, Mo.-A canvass OF the
bipartisan committee recounting the
vote for lieutenant-governor Sunday
night indicated that they were as far
as every from agreement concerning
the ballots in dispute because Of the
failure of the election judges to write
their fun initials thereon. 1t Is prob
able that these ballots will not be
taken up until the recount Is com
pleted.
A Democratic member of the com.
mittee was of the opinion that no de-
cision could be reached by the CON
mittee and that the matter would be
referred to the legislature for settle
ment. The result of the ecount out
side of the precincts in dispute, he
pointed out, could be certified to the
legislature, together with a statement
concerning the ballots lacking full in
itials, and then the Legislature could
determine whether the latter shall be
counted.
Republican members or the commit
tee, however, declare that the absence
of one initial of the election judges
should not prevent the re~counting of
ballots; that the ballots were legally
cast. and that the fact that but n
initial Of each judge appears on the
back should not deprive a voter of his
franchise.
Senator j. w. Peck, who is acting as
Republican watcher during the re-
count, says that the legislature sent
the committee to st. Louis to ascer-
tain the legal vote each candidate for
lieutenant-governor received. He de-
clares that if there is no question Of
fraud the ballots should be counted.
He says the bipartisan committee
could not legally cast out the ballots
which do not pear the full initials of
the election judges, il such a pro-
cedure is in conflict with court de-
%cisions.
If the Twenty-seventh and Twenty
eighth wards of st. Louis are recount
ed by 6 p. m Monday Chairman F. M.
McDavid probably will call a meet
ing of the committee at the Southern
hotel to again consider a disposition
of the ballots in dispute.
Senator McDavid spent Sunday visit
ing friends in East st. Louis and Sen
ator Dowell, Democrat, when asked
the direct question as to whether the
one-initialed ballots should be counted,
said: Il think all honest ballots should
be counted"
Senator Gardeners Position.
Senator A. E. L. Gardner, who heads
the Republican delegation of the joint
committee, said that no further action
had been taken in the matter, but that
the question would be taken up again
Monday. THE judges who placed but
one initial on the ballots, according
to their statements he said, acted in
good faith. l know personally that a
large number of men are of the i'm
preston that by initials is meant the
initial letter OF the first or given
names. But aside from this, the fact
that these men agreed to place but one
initial as theirs, and that there is no
question as to the legality Of the
votes, makes it imperative to count
these votes. To deprive these men of
their votes would be a greater out
a G than any ballot-boX stuffing on
record. agree with Senator McDavid
in his statement that the committee
should be able to decide this ques
ton without calling in outside lawyers
and | am further willing to leave it
if necessary, to the joint session of the
legislature. There should be no parti
sanship in this recount. 1t should be
absolutely fair and square"