The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-12-09
REPLY TO THE TAYLOR
CLAIM FOR SOLON SEAT
From tuesdays Daily.

-
tcrnoon was served with 'notice OF
additional points of contest" In Other
words it was a reply to his notice con
testing the right of S. ID. Works tC
occupy a seat in the State senate. Mr.
Works names Charles O'Connor and
Michael Ryan, justices of the peace t.
take testimony of alleged irregularities
ut the polls, and they will sit for suel
purpose at the Commercial club room:
December "a, ut 10 n. m.
Mr.. Works. through his attorneys
! 4. Il. Pau, IT.. and c. j. Laurisch and
/ Young & Stone. alleges that the reg
listers furnished to the registration
board in the first, second, third and
| sixth wards of Mankato were in the
usual and general form and the same
rs were furnished the boards in the
! fourth and fifth wards.
| Complaint Of Contested
| The contestee complains that the
contestant has selected the, first, see
ond. third and sixth wards for the rea.
son that in these wards the contested
received large majority over contest
ant, and contestant has omitted the
! fourth and fifth wards for the reason
that he received in those wards q ma
jOrity over the above contestce. The
contestee claims that voters were reg
istered in these wards IA it has been
done in the past, and with the full
knowledge and consent OF the parties
to this contest and all other candidates
who were seeking election. The reply
| claims that Benjamin Taylor procured
several registrations in the manner
complained of by contestant, without
any detailed statement concerning col
or, nativity, etc. The contcstee claims
that if the registration be illegal in
one ward it must likewise be so in
others. And would eliminate the en-
tire vote of the city. The contestee
specifies as the first point OF his con-
test, that ii such irreeularity in regis
tration be fatal, then the registration
in the fourth and fifth wards was not
in porper form. The number of votes
cast for senator in the fourth ward
was 324 and in the fifth 442. If the
ballots in the first, second, third and
sixth wards were illegal, those east in
cOntestec.
Regarding Duties of Judges.
The contestee denies that the Judges
of election in the first ward failed OF
neglected to return to the city re-
corder or county auditor the poll lists
or registers used by the judges; also
it is denied that the poll lists are Sec
reted. 1t is claimed that the lists are
in the ballot boxes with the ballots
The contestee claims that all of the
electors i'm the first and second wards
were legal. qualified voters, excepting
as herein stated
Omissions Not Fatal, the Claim
The contestce claims that the regis
ally conductcd; that if any irreguIari-
ties did occur they were the same as
those which occurred in other election
precincts in Blue Earth county and
throughout the state. The contcstee
charges the judges in the fourth and
fifth wards with having failed to make
proper returns to the city recorder OF
county auditor; that the Judges in
these wards failed TO sign or subscribe
to the registration lists as provided by
law. The contestec alleges that the
registration was irregular in the fol
lowing precincts: Vernon Center town
ship. village of Amboy. Eagle Lake
Judson township, Sterling township
Butternut Valley, Cambria. village OF
Lake Crystal, Lincoln township, Beau
ford and Shelby.
Contestee states to the senate that
"suck irregularities are common
throughout the state; are mere tech
nicallties; are not comitted in bad
faith, or with a bad purpose. and in
jure no one, and the entire vote OF the
precincts should not be rejected on
such ground and he does not ask that
the vote of any precinct be rejected on
such ground unless the isolated in
stances selected by contestant be so
ruled upon; in which event contestant
asks that all precincts similarly affect
cd be subjected to one and the same
rule, and protests against the arbitrary
selection of those which gave ma iorites
to contestee and the effort to reject
such precincts
The Soliciting of Votes.
In answer to contestants complaint
that in certain precincts certain per-
sons solicited votes for contestee with
in fifty feet of the voting places, con-
testce states chat such practice is
common throughout the state and was
INDUCED in in various precincts in said
county for each party, and alleges that
CONTESTANT himself so solicited votes for
himself in various precincts, to-wit:
The fifth and sixth wards OF said city
within the prohibited distance. and as
sixth additional point OF contest, con-
tcstec specifics such fact and also the
following: That at the various pre-
cincts following, the following parties
were active and aggressive partisans at
said election on behalf of contestant
and solicited votes for him at the re-
spcctive places set opposite their
names within the prohibited distance
and influenced various electors to vote
for contestant who otherwise would
not have so voted. to-wit: +. l.. Hcer-
nance, fifth ward, Mankato; William
S. Hughes, Buttcrnut Valley; J. A.
Howieson, Sterling; H. O. Thompson