The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1912-05-23
Jefferson City Letter.

the Judges Oh the supreme court lnu
more merit in the contests filed ty
CAN'T, Timmonds and Gass, defeated
democrats, against Brown, Kennish and
Evans, elected republicans, than Hon.
Romulus E. Culver has found, judgment
will go againts the democratic con-
testants when their cases are concluded
in the supreme court about the first of
July.
M. Culver, an able lawyer and ster-
ling democrat who lives at St. Joseph,
was appointed special commissioner Of
the court TO hear testimony and make
a record OF facts in these cases, and
then to report his findings and make
recommendations. On the 18th ofMay,
after fifteen months had passed, he re-
ported to the court all OF the facts de-
veloped in the contest proceedings
and all Of the facts alleged by the con-
testants but disproven or unproven.
He made no recommendations, how
ever. as nothing short Of a suggestion
that the cases be summarily dismissed
could be justified by the record sub
miued; and such a recommendation
to an honest court would have been
superhuous.
Stripped Of all legal verbiage his re-
port to the court shows that not one Of
the many charges Of fraud and illegality
in the election in St. Louis in Novem-
Der 1910, as set out in the petitions Of
the contestants, was proven; and the
nature OF the report indicates conclu-
Sively that the contests were i'll advised,
prejudiced and Unfair. Mr.. Culver
gave the attorneys for the contestants
every advantage that could be legally
and fairly accorded them and was emf,
nently fair in his rulings and patient in
his tedious task. He gave them his
moral support in securing extension
after extention OF the time allotted by
the court for submitting their evidence
and getting into the record what they
desired to show. When, after weary
months Of public hearings and week
after week Of indulgence their last day
for proving something had passed, he
took up the voluminous record, ana
Used it carefully, compiled its main
features, showed the utter failure Of the
contestants 10 prove their chief allega'
tions, showed that foreign born voters
whose registration was alleged to be
defective we're as numerous on one
side as the other, that negro citizens
who were alleged to be fraudulent voters
were in fact legally registered and
qualified voters, and showed that, in all
essential particulars, the election Of
1910 in St. Louis was devoid OF fraud
and was conducted without prejudice
or injustice toward the democratic
contestants.
So conclusive are the deductions and
statements Of Commissioner Culver that
the court must find in the record or in
the pleadings Of the attorneys for the
contestants something not now apparent
or else sustain the republican con.
testees. Few men in public life here,
or elsewhere in the state, anticipate
anything else than judgment for the
republican contestees. The attorneys
for the contestantants may file their
brief Immediately, and in a few days
thereafter the attorneys for the con-
testees may file theirs. The cases are
set for final hearing on the 18th OF June.
A very few days may suffice to perfect
decision. 1t is more than probable
that the cases will be determined before
the court adjournS for the summer.
In advance Of final decision by the
supreme court it is fair 10 say that
Selden P. Spencer and Lon o. Hooker
attorneys for the republican contestees
have won notable victory over two o.
the ablest and shrewdest democratic
lawyers in Missouri - both formerly
members Of the supreme court-Judge'
Marshall OF St. Louis and Williams o
Bocnville. And they have contributed
much to the cause Of honest elections
by proving conclusively in these case
that in the citv Of ST InIlie one of m,