The daily sentinel., 1910-10-14

this county II is very badly mistaken.
The public has rights and those rights
must be respected and preserved. Ev-
cry citizen has the law-given right to
have the workings of the voting ma
chimes explained and any attempt to
obstruct or hinder the exercise of that
right should be met with the safe
guards of the law and overcome.
Unless the two republican mem
bers of the board of county commits
sioners call a special meeting and
permit the use of the models of the
voting machines, the voters of Mesa
county will receive no instruction in
reference to the use of the machines
this election. Two years ago they
permitted both parties to take out
the models for the purpose of in
structing the voters. This year they
have refused 10 permit the models to
be taken out.
On Monday morning Henry r.
Rhone, chairman of the democratic
central committee and II. l.. Me
Clintock, chairman of the speakers
bureau, went to the commissioners
and requested the use of two models
to be used in instructing the voters.
They were told to return at 3 o'clock
in the afternoon when the decision of
the board would be announced They
returned promptly and the board in
formed them that Mr.. Watson, who
was acting county attorney in the
absence of Mr.. Griffith. had informed
them that an election would be void
If the models were not on hand to
be used election day. The matter
was discussed between the gentlemen
until Mr. Starr in thn nffi,n Of
the commissioners and announced
that he was the custodian of the ma
chimes and he would not permit the
models to go out. After considerable
discussion, in which Deputy Clerk
Steel took prominent part the
board, through Mr.. Secor announced
that they would leave word with the
county clerk as to what their decision
would be. They adjourned until Nov.
9Th, the day after election and Mr..
Starr has stated that the commits
sioners did not inform him what de-
cision they had arrived at.
The democrats offered to give
| bonds for the return of the machines
| in good order on the Thursday before
election. This proposition was urged
upon the commissioners by Mr.. Bes-
sire, the democratic member, who
| was anxious that the models should
be given out for the instruction of
| the voters.
1t is clearly evident the republican
members of the board of county COM
missioners believe that the voters
have been too well instructed already
end the evident purpose of buying
| the machines was to force the repub-
| licans to vote a straight ticket and
| to force the democrats to also vote a
straight ticket and, supposing the re-
publicans to be in the majority they
| thought they would have no trouble
| in carrying the election in Mesa
| county but the effort made by the
democrats two years ago in instruct
| ing the voters enabled the republi-
cans to scratch their tickets and vote
for the democrats and 1t is the pur-
| nose of a majority of the board of
county commissioners, controlled by
Mr.. John D. Secor. to prevent any
further instruction to the voters not
| withstanding the law on the subject.
The latter part of section 206 re-
lating to the machines reads:
with each voting machine
there shall be provided by the
makers al working model for the
instruction of voters. which shall
represent at least 5 office lines
for party rows and the de-
vices voting for two questions,
and shall correspond to the
equivalent parts of the face of
the voting machine and the op-
Grafton of the model shall be the
same in outward appearance as
the operation of the machine"
Section 209 reads as follows:
ANY governing body provid-
ing voting machines for use in
elections shall preserve and keep
them in good order and for the
purpose of preparing machines
for election shall employ one or
more competent persons. ma
chinists II possible. and shall
pay them for such time as they