The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1912-03-07
More Time Wanted for Fake Contests.

Selden P. Spencer and Hon. Lon. 0.
Hooker, the attorneys for Judges Ken
nish aud B.c~ aud Prot. Evans, elected
to state Offices in 1910, are ready now
for the special commissioner Of the
supreme court, Judge Culver Of St.
Joseph, to make his report 10 that court
concerning the contest suits filed by
Judges CAN'T and Timmonds and Prof.
Gass, the defeated democratic oppo-
nents Of their cliepts.
Messrs. Spencer and Hooker have
met every allegation Of the democratic
contestants, have defeated them at
every turn and have clearly shown, by
records, oral testimony and otherwise,
that there is absolutely no virtue in any
charge, claim or pretense of the con
testants. Thus defeated and driven to
desperate tactics, Judges Marshall and
Williams, attorneys for the contestants,
filed with the supreme court last week
a plea for forty days more time in which
10 conclude their evidence and showing
before the commissioner, who must
close his proceedings and make his re-
port to the court by March II unless
further time be granted.
Messrs. Spencer and Hooker fled a
brief in opposition to further exten'
sion Of time for the contestants, In
their brief they show that notice Of con
test was fled by CAN'T, Timmonds and
Gsss December 8, 1910; that special
commissioner to hear testimony was
appointed by the supreme court Janu-
, ary II, 1911; that the ballots cast in
St. Louis were recounted, by order OF
the supreme court, beginning March |,
1911, and the result certified to the
supreme court June 10, 1911; that the
first testimony was taken before the
commissioner August IA, 1911, more
than seven months after his appoint
ment; that testimony was taken by the
contestants at intervals from that date
till January 25, 1912, when the con-
testee began the taking Of their testi'
testimony, which was completed before
March Q, 1912. After reciting the
facts concerning the technical conten'
tions Of Judge Marshall and his exhaust
i've effort to show that the ballots ol
from 1000 to 5000 foreign born voters
who voted the Republican ticket ought
to be rejected, Messrs. Spencer and
Hooker, in their brief say: In other
words, when the judges Of election
have passed a man as entitled to regis
tration and entitled to vote, and have
entered his name upon the registration
books and allowed it TO remain as that
of qualified voter and subsequently
allowed him to vote, his right 10 vote
cannot be challenged on the sole ground
that the clerks Of election in entering
on the registration books his answers 10
the questions at the time Of his registra
ton, failed to set down all the facts in
the registration books, and that his vote
can only be challenged by direct evil
dence to be submitted by the chal'
lenger that the elector did not in fact
have the qualifications emitting him to
register and VOTE"
They then recite the fac! that be-
cause the court failed TO pass on thi:
contention and 10 instruct the com
missioner concerning it the tedious and
costly process o! reading into the rscort
the names Of thousands Of foreign bon
voters and then proving by cial testi
mony their right to vote and for whom
they voted has gone on from week t
week, and that the contestants wan
forty days more Tor such useless work
The brief contains the statement tina
the republican contestees have causeC
10 be written into the record over D, ,00i
names Of democratic voters abou
whom exist the same alleged disquall
fcations on the registration tooks a
are alleged to exist with regard TO tn
republican voters" and that they hav
produced before The commissioner 130
Of the $500 republican voters name
IN the record nv the contestants, an