Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-02-22


- BAKING
Pure IN
In
and child in the state could know
how thoroughly this committee in
vestigated and how conscientious
were their conclusions. wish that
every citizen might read and anal
we the full majority report. Their
findings and an adequate discussion
of the case would justify book,
rather than one or two columns in
newspaper. l say this because |
consider suffrage a sacred thing.
This committee found what it
considered conclusive proof that
the Edison ballot box had been
opened and in it's report submitted
facts which appeared plainly to
prove that the returns in each of
the other four precincts in ques-
tion had been tempered with.
Froshaug, in the five precincts.
lost 80 votes because on that many
ballots the recount showed cross
marked for him and also for one
other candidate for senator. The
majority report stated:
An examination of each double
crossed ballot convinces your COM
mittee that with the exception Of
one. there was a cross placed there
on for Senator by some person
other than the voter who voted the
ballot. 1t is some what significant
that the judges testified that there
was one ballot double crossed for
Senator on the original count, and
your Committees examination of
all the crossed ballots confirms that
statement.
There is space for onlv one con-
clusion Of the majority report.
After a recital in detail of the his
tory and conditions of the ballots
and boxes in the five precincts. the
committee reported:
"Out of the remaining thirty-sev.
en- precincts in this district re-
counted by the inspectors. no ir-
Irregularities such as stated above
were found to exist at all, and this
fact is conceded by both parties to
this contest. That one of these
conditions might exist alone and
yet admit Of explanation may be
conceded; but that all of these con.
ditions should exist together and
concur cannot be explained or re-
conciled. The chain of circum.
stances proven by the existence and
concurrence of these unusual. alb.
no., NAL conditions constitutes al.
most absolute proof that these bal
, lots and ballot boxes have not only
, not been properly kept, but in fact
have been tampered with; and such
testimony and chain Of circum.
stances prohibit a finding which
could affect the correctness Of the
original returns.'
| have already given the fina
vote which followed five hours oil
acrimonious controversy over The
case. The result gave DR.. S. J.
Froshaug his seat in the Senate BY
, the narrow margin of one vote
, But taht does not in itself sugges1
the danger he was in.
There were four distinct stages
in the fight for harrington. Firs,
the early indications were that the
figures of the recount would stand
Next the elections committee
Drobed deeper into the case anC
discovered additional and seeming
ly conclusive evidence that ballo,
boxes had been entered and vote.
changed: which turned the tide il
Froshauq's favor. This condition
continued up to the day before the
. the contest was decided and it wa
the general opinion that Harrington
would not receive more that twent,
votes.
Then came the all-night effort fo1
Earring ton. 1t would surprise tEt
public to know who participated il
that nocturnal hunt for votes. Blu
the influences used were quite sue
cessful. They cracked the rart,
whip over the democrats Earring
tons personal popularity was EN-
plosed to bring a few Of his ole
legislative friends into lire. Mos
potent however, was the brewery
organization, which brought int,
"the combination number of tn,
"old gaurd.' As a result, Far
rinqton's friends, jaded but happy
entered the contest claiming 8
VOtes.