The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-02
Chairman of County Com
: missioners Says lnvestiga-
tion Made by Board Has
Proven His Assertion.
COUNCIL OF COUNTY.
WILL MEET TUESDAY
And the Question as to the
Merits of Voting Machines
Will Be Thoroughly Ar
gued Before Body.

The voting machine question was
taken up again today by the county
commissioners. the board being ad-
dressed on the subject in the after
noon by Walter Cole, and in the morn
ting heard the proposition of r. r. Kel-
ley, representative of the Internation-
Nl Voting Machine company. and grant
ed him permission to exhibit a ma
chine in the court house. The discus
sions today were but a prelude to
those which will mark the meeting OF
the county council on Tuesday and
Wednesday of next week, as this body
will pass on the recommendation of
the county board that machines be
purchased for Wayne county.
Chairman Beeson Of the board on
Saturday declared that from the inves-
tigation he has made he was now in
favor Of the purchase of machines. His
attitude heretofore has been that If the
machines were found to be of public
utility that they should be purchased
and he believes that by the investiga-
tions made by the board the servicea-
bility of the vote registered has been
demonstrated beyond question.
Sent Twenty Inquiries.
He addressed letters to about twen-
ty county auditors in the state where
either voting machines had been pass
ed. He has received replies from more
than half Of the county auditors whom
be addressed. In the majority Of in
.nkf1css ths sspalg We're fpe9sahls ssta
s&ht t&1ocllan0. s.S
The chairman OF tAs.Dosfd declared
5oKat .he had not talked with any mem
Der Of the county council and could
not forecast the councils action, rela-
tive to the recommendation by the
board that $4,000 be appropriated
from the county treasury for the pur-
chase Of twenty eight machines. The
board will be represented at the coun-
Gil meeting and will refer letters re-
ceived from other counties to the
councils attention.
international Machine.
The representative of the Interna-
tional voting machine company made
no explicit proposition to the board
Of commissioners. He merely talked
up his machine. declaring that 1t was
the only one on the market which tab
ulates the result as the vote Is the
cast and makes impossible the casting
Of bad ballots. He said that the COM
pany would put up bond to the ef-
feet that It's machines were absolutely
accurate and could not be manipulate
ed, other than in legal manner. In
voting. one stands as though Mt a Ia.
BILE and operates the levers. He says
the operation Is all very simple and
easily understood. The company is
new In the business, but 4oclares it
has put the machine to the severest
tests and 10 willing to permit the
'county board to have it's experts expe-
..riment. He declared he could not
state the price of any Of the different
styles Of machines inasmuch as his
company had fled competitive bid
With several other Arms for the st. Jo-
seph county contract. The contract has
n0t been let there yet. The arst order
Of the company was by the Clinton,
Iowa, oflicials. Twenty-Five machines
were purchased at 5000 each.
In answer TO a question az to wheth.
or all other machines except the En-.
pire, the make Of the Standard voting
machine company. could be tampered
with. Mr.. Kelley referred to the tests
conducted at South Bend. His com.
pany, he said. accepted the challenge
and quickly bad the Empire machine
voting irregulariy. while the Empire
people refused 70 test the 1nternation
al machine. which was offered for ex,
s pertinent
Two additional letters were filed by
+, chairman Beeson. One was from John
SON county and the other from Henry
. county endorsing the machines.