The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1911-09-22
THE BANG CONTEST
WITHDRAWN WHEN
IRIFL|kG BEGINS
REFUSES TO ALLOW COMMIT
TEE TO POSTPONE HEAR.
ING OF CASE.
GRAHAM hAMt- lHt NOM Ntt
All Sorts of Irregularities Charged
and Defense Propose Delay 10 In
stigate Counter Charges Wnen
Candidate Gets Out.

NASHVILLE, Sept. 19.-Inslsting
upon speedy trial and refusing to
have his charges played with, W F.
Bang, who was a candidate for city
tax assessor in the Howse primary
on Monday afternoon, withdrew his
case from the consideration OF the
city Democratic executive committee
after statement and discussion of
the charges had been gone through
with. The charges were withdla avn
by Gates P. Thurston, attorney for
Mr.. Bang, who stated that Mr.. Bang
had simply requested that the
charges be not indefinitely delayed
and dilly-dallied with and that mas
much as it was evident that Mr.
Graham had advocated in, and upon
the floor of the committee with prox
les prepared, and that as the commit
had three days warning that the con
test was coming, that he felt 1t Who'll
" unnecessary to continue al the
risk of having the charges pigeon
holed and the case strangled-
AS the result of the withdrawal oi
Mr.. Bang, Mr.. Graham was formally
declared the nominee of the primary
without a dissenting vote.
The specific charges brought By
Mr.. Bang, were that fraud, intinida
ton, irregularities and casting of II
legal ballots were practiced In the
Fourth, Eighth, Twelfth and Four
teenth wards, and it was furthel
charged that these practices in the
Eighth ward we're 90 many and &C
outrageous that the entire ward vote
be thrown out. In support Of these
charges were sixteen afidavits oy al
many persons as to the Eighth ward
and dozen or more as to the Other
wards, were offered. The petition
was read by W. E. Norvell, of coun
sci for Mr.. Bang, and was somewhat
sharp.
In numerous cases cited, ballots
were torn up when the voter had re
fused to vote right" In others the
voters had assistance In the way OF
marking ballots, otherwise than le-
gal. Also one man was not allowed
to vote because he lived, not in the
wrong ward, but in the second story
of a building. In another instance
it was stated that the proper ballot
was not deposited in the ballot box,
but that another from a coat sleeve
went down, and that in other cases
attempts were made to put out those
persons who insisted on order One
of the judges, William Stone, left the
polls in disgust, it was charged, and
his place was taken by Mike Cunnif.
It was charged further that several
persons who would not vote right"
were hustled out and others refused
to vote on account of conditions that
it seemed could not be checked. Rev.
Green P. Jackson is authority for this
statement, making affidavit to same.
At the conclusion Of the presen-
tation of the petition to the commit
tee Mr.. Thurston stated that he did
not think that Mr.. Graham or any
of the officers OF the primary had any
knowledge Of the methods that were
practiced.
In the midst Of the discussion Of
the charges, Chas. P. Fahay catered
a motion that the charges be refer
red to Subcommittee and that the
submit its report back not
later than Thursday at noon, thus
giving to the other side time to re-
'ute the charges and prepare counter
Attorneys for Mr.. Bang in
sisted that inas1nuch as several days
had elapsed since II had become
known that the contest was 70 be
brought, and that inasmuch as the
committee was dealing with nofhing
doubtful. but rather with facts sup
ported by AFFIDAVIT Of some Of the
,est citizens Of the city that further
inc was unnecessary. Attorney I
.yttoa Hickman represented Mr..
Bang and said that he with proper
ime could likewise resent counter
.hs-ges Of Irregularities After all
hese arguments the matter was
The Bang-Graham controversy fea-
ured the meeting Of the committee.