Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-06-18
QUESTION INVOLVING VALIDITY
OF PRIMARY BALLOT BEFORE
MASON CITY COURT.
DECISION WILL BE OF
FAR REACHING IMPORTANCE
contestins Delegations From Two
cerro Gordo County Townships Pre-
cipitated Legal contest-Prosres-
sive Candidates From These Nomin-
ated by 2 to I Vote.

Mason City, June 1ST.-Many points,
some of major and some of minor i'm
portance as to the real point at issue
enter into the contest over the right to
sit in the coming county convention by
the delegations from Clear Lake and
Lincoln township, according to at
torneys who are retained in the matter.
The writ Of certiorari which was is
sued by Judge Clark Wednesday brings
the controversy before him today. Ac-
cording to the parties interested the
points to be decided are:
First-1s a paster placed on ballot
by a voter containing the printed
names Of delegates and before each
name a suare for the voters mark
legal?
Seconds the voter in order to
make his ballot as to delegates to
convention legal, obliged to write In
the names Of delegates or paste them
in opposite squares printed on the
ballot?
Third-If in case Ire Jones, the con-
testing delegate from Clear Lake
for a seat in the convention, is adj
pudged a legally elected delegate
will he carry with him the other
five delegates who were with him
on the ballot!
Fourth-Can printed paster con-
tanning the names of delegates marked
ready for the ballot box. be handed
out by party workers to voters.
Legal Points Involved.
The delegates named by the regulars
claim that square printed on
paster disqualifes the paster and If
voted should not be counted. They
claim also that the voter may paste IN
the names Of delegates or write them
In but the squares for the voters mark
must be on the main ballot. AS 70
point three attorneys for the regulars
argue that in case the court rules that
the point claimed by the progressive
delegations that the pastors with
squares and names Of delegates, voted
are legal, that Ira Jones as the contest
ing delegate would be the only person
on the delegation entitled to a seat m
the convention. This will be mat
ter for the court to decide.
Whether 1T is construed to be vio-
lation Of law to hand a voter a mark
ed paster for him to vote Is another
question that has champions on both
sides, IL IS Claimed py SoIllo VI tAS
attorneys to the controversy that 1t Is
violation and that the voter IS thus
deprived of tho privacy OF a booth and
his own Judgment as to how he shall
mark-his ballot.
Board Decides For Progressives.
Tho contesting delegations from
Clear Lake and Lincoln townships for
seats in the county convention on the
ground that they were regularly elect
ed were turned down by the board Of
supervisors and the progressive dele
gates declared elected.
The issue was made on the legality
Of the pastors used. the regular dele
cations claiming that the pastors US
ed by the progressives containing the
the square were illegal. Both fac
lions were represented by attorneys
before the board and long arguments
were made by each. The progressive
candidates for places on the delega-
ton received moro votes by nearly
two to one than the regulars, but the
election was claimed by them because
Of the stickers.
The contest assumed more than a le-
gal or factonal fight as two candidates
for sheriff from that end Of the county
depended on showing in the county
convention If their respective delega-
lions were seated. The sheriff con-
test will be a warm one, as five Of the
eight candidates will go into the con-
vention with delegates.