Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1910-06-02
REASONS FOR RESIGNATION.

The right to hold an Office under the
constitution and laws of our country is
based upon a proper exercise of the
elective or appointive power Out of
the election held on the 3rd day of May
last in this city grave question has
arisen as to whether or not the wishes
OF majority Of the voters of the city
have been properly expressed; and the
count of the ballots on yesterday, in
the contest proceedings initiated for the
purpose of determining who is entitled
TO the Office of councilman, has brought
into question my election to the office
OF mayor. a matter that prior to that
time was not questioned.
As you are aware, the count of the
ballots as made by the judges and clerks
OF election Immediately after the close
OF the polls gave majority in my favor
OF % votes. That "a hours later the
vote was recounted by yourselves and
my election was officially determined
by majority of one vote. Acting up
on that determination of ysur body,
called for, received and accepted GER
tlfcate Of election and took the requir-
ed oath of office.
In the count made yesterday in the
contest proceedings, by counting sew
eral votes that showed erasures and
changes, some quite plainly and others
but dimly, and rejecting one vote that
bore mark of Identification, it was
made TO appear that the vote was a tie
on the office OF mayor, and if that count
Is accurate, by counting the vote that
was rejected, which was for Mr.. Graves.
and which really think should be
counted, Tor the evidence showed that
1t was not marked for an illegal pur-
pose, but thoughtlessly, it gives Mr..
Graves a majority of one vote, and
clearly entities him to the office.
1t is very evident that a number of
the ballots showed that they had been
erased and changed, some very clearly
some not very clearly, and whether or
not enough had been changed so clev-
erly as to defy detection and account
for the wide discrepancy between
counts, is an open question; and wheth-
er the ballots so marked and changed
should De counted or rejected is anoth-
er question. That there were gross
frauds committed in connection with
the ballots after the close of the polls
and before the official count was made
is not questioned by any one at all ia
miliar with the matter, but lust who
did 1t and how 1t was done is a ques-
tion for debate: but this fact does ap-
pear, however, that if it is possible to
detect the guilty parties, they should
De brought to justice.
The question of who shall be fnayor
or councilman Of the city is of but little
Importance, but the purity of the bal
lot and the free and uncorrupted choice
Of the people is matter of very great
Importance to every citizen of the city
and county.
For the reason that all these circum-
stances taken together, and the ir
reconcilable difference in the several
counts that have been made, leave
question as to the actual result of the
election, feel impelled by sense of
duty to Mr.. Graves, myself and to the
voters of the city to tender my resig-
naticn at this time before entering up
on the duties Of the Office, and would
have done so before this date, had
there been any question of my election;
and | trust that the council will take
immediate action upon this resignation
before am called upon to perform any
official duty. Respectfully submitted,
j. A. BIIRI FIGU