Norwich bulletin., 1911-01-19

cry successful candidate in the last election. The house Of representatives makes both sides an allowance of not to exceed s2,e00 each to meet the ex- penses incurred.
 SHORT BUT POINTED
 ANSWER OF CONGRESSMAN. Hon. E. w. Higgins Finds That Bal
 lots Were UniawfuIiy Cast, Record
 ed and Counted for MT. Jodoin in
 the Town of sprasue.
 The answer of Congressman Hig- gins which was served upon MT. Jo- doin oa Tuesday, is as follows:
 To Raymond J. Jodin, Conn:
 Sir: In response to your notice that you intend to contest my election as 8 representative to congress from the Third Connecticut district at the gen. eral election held in said district on the eighth day of November, nine teen hundred ten, I answer as fol- lows:
 First.
 That your notice of contest was not given in accordance with the revised statutes of the United States chapter 1o5, inasmIch as you do not state in your specified tions, with q single exception, why the ballots or any of them alleged to have been illegally cast and counted for me were illegal and should not have been so counted, nor do you state why the ballots al- legged to have been lawfully cast for yourself at said election and illegally rejected were so rejected; and inas- much as you ailege that you know the number of such ballots alleged to have been illegally counted and re- Jected in the several towns as set up in your specifications, you must know, of course, the grounds on which such ballots were so counted or rejected, and your notice should have given me this information. under the act of con- gress. in order to fairly apprise me of your reasons for claiming that I was not elected and you were elected at said general election.
 Second.
 Without in any way waiving the right to take advantage of the errors, uncertainties and imperfections above mentioned in. your notice of contest, but expressly saving and reserving unto myself said right. further an- SWer.
 Third.
 It is admitted that the law under which said general election was held was a Iaw passed by the general as- senibly of Connecticut and approved tllf A4Ln udy DI 1JUy, ana IIdt the said general election was the first at which an election for congressman had been held in said district under the provisions of said law; but it is averred that town elections were held under said law throughout said dis trtct and state prior to said general election, and that great pains were taken to inform the voters as to the provisions of said law and the manner of voting correctly under it's provfs- ions both before said town elections and before said general election. And further the moderators, counters and all the election officials of the several towns and voting districts Of the Third congressional district of Con nectiGnE uniformly followed in de- terrnining the validity of the ballots cast in the election Of representative to congress in the Third Connecticut district on November s, 1910, the writ of the state given at the joint request of the chairman of the democratic state central committee and the re- publican state central conStruing the statute in order that the moderators at the different electors meetings uniform standard by which to judge the legality of the ballots cast and this non partisan opinion and the in- structions issued. and widely eiYculat- ed byF the republican and democra tic state central committees in conformity to the said opinion fully advised the election officials and the electors on said ballot law and the political com- nlittees of both the democratic and republican parties. state and local. the noderators and election officials, vera in agreement and accord in their con struction of the ballot law and agreed fully as to the meaning and intent of said statute, all of which agreements were fully carried out by the election officials of both the democratic and republican parties in their count of the votes east and no partisan question as to the meaning and intent of said law was raised by any party during the progress of said election and the casting, counting and tabulation of the result of said ballots
 Fourth.
 That notwithstanding the steps taken as set forth in the third article of this answer. errors were made in the counting and tabulation of the ballots cast for representative to con- gress in said Third congressional dis trict, at said general election held November s, 1910 whereby ballots cast for me for representative to con gress in said district were unlaMfully rejected and not counted and illegal ballots cast for xou were unlawfully counted and recorded.
 Fifth.
 By the provisions of the statutes of this state, the boxes containing tho ballots cast at said general election in said Third congressional district on the Sth day of November, 1910, are held under seal in the town clerks of fees in the various towns in said dis trict and by reason of that fact I am unable to specify with particularity and accuracy and to fully describe the ballots which were u1llawfully cast and counted and recorded for you in the several towns in said district, and the ballots which were lawfully cast but not counted and recorded for me at said general election in said dis tfict, but upon such informa ton as I have been able to obtain from election officials and others believe and there.