The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-11-04

State Senator A. E. l.. Gsfdner of
Clayton. He is a prosperous lawyer,
a popular man in politics, and has a
fine record as a lawmakeT and party
leader. A man of fine presence, bril-
liant, eloquent and entertaining in
the discussion Of any subject, he is
now drawing large crowds as a cam
paign speaker.
Discussing State politics, Senator
Gardner says, in his speeches: ~ ia
vor the election of United States Sen
ators by direct vote of the people. but
l an opposed to the present sen
torial primary election law Of Mis-
souri," On State issues he stands
with Governor Hadley on practically
esssy proposition he has advanced.
He u particularly clear on the home
rule proposition and the proposition
that officers, directors and managers
of big corporations should be person
ally punished for violations of law
permitted or authorized by them-not
punished with a mere fine, but with
Imprisonment.
liu Idl INCL 10 hlOWu SAISll
sively among the public men of the
State and is popular with Democratic
leaders, although he is the Republican
leader in the State Senate, where he
has frequently antagonized the par
tisan plans of the Democratic ma
jority. His manner is always so agree
able, he Is so affable, and always so
obliging to his opponents (and gen
orally so successful in opposing them)
they can but admire him.
His most notable party service was
rendered when he acted as chairman
for the Republican members of the
committee Of the General Assembly
which reeounted the votes for Lieu
tenant Governor in 1909. The Demo
cratic Secretary of State had shown
by the official returns hat Painter,
the Democratic candidate, had a small
majority. 1t looked like the ballots
in all of the cities and In several coun.
ties would have to be recounted to as
certain what was the legal and honest
vote cast for each candidate. The
committee began Its labors in st.
Louis, first agreeing upon a basis on
which to determine the regularity
and legality of the ballots to be ex-
amined. Senator Gardner commended
that any ballot, honestly cast by a
qualified voter, should be counted, no
matter how it may have been han
died by election officials. When he
had won that contention he had won
the whole case, as the alleged Demo
cratic majority was predicated upon
ballots the validity Of which were dis
not been properly initiated by cleo.
ton judges. BY sticking to the prop
osition that the ballot Of a qualified
voter, cast in good faith, should be
counted for the candidates for whom
1t was cast, State Senator Gardner
was on the right side at every turn
taken by the Democrats during the
investigation; and in a few days he
developed the fact that Jacob Il.
Gmelich was entitled to hundreds of
ballots cast for him but not counted
for him because of technical errors.
OF course, the same was true of many
ballots cast for Painter, but the re-
count showed such a decisive major
ity for Gmelich that very little effort
vas made to ascertain what the bal
lot boxes at other points in the State
might reveal. The Democrats man.
aged to keep the investigators away
from Kansas City else Senator Gard
ner and his Republican associates
might have found something far more
engaging than the mere examination
Of ballots honestly cast but technical
~ rejected. To Senator Gardner,
more than to any other man connect
cd With thu Painter Gnsiich contro.
vstsy, y due sxsoit tot ths ultimate