Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-07-05

a political nomination from one man
to another. A contest before the state
central committe would not penalize
violators of the law. The action of
that committee would not do So, no
matter what the nature of facts il
might uncover. But there is sure
way open to Mr.. Brundidge to deter
mine whether frauds were committed,
committed. Then, if they were COM
mitted, the infliction of just penal
ties is an easy matter.
Let him institute a searching in
vestigation before the grand jury in
every county in which he has evil
dence of fraud. Or if he does not
wish to wait until grand juries {
vene he may institute criminal pro-
ceedings before any justice of tho
peace in these counties Being {;
lawyer of fine ability himself he ought
with the aid Of the prosecuting attor-
ney, to be able to bring any guilty
parties to justice if evidence of guilt
exists-and if his sweeping charges
of fraud are correct the evidence will
be abundant. This is the best way to
way to prove his patriotic motives.
The people are against fraud, and the
great body of Democracy detests it.
Judge Hays and every follower of
Judge Hays, is as desirious OF pun
ishing frauds in our elections as Mr.
Brundidge, whether the perpetrators
be Hays or Brundidge partisans. Mr.
Brundidge should show more zeal in
prosecuting crime than in prosecuting
a contest for place"
The Stuttgart Arkansawyer looks
at the action of the State Democratic
Central Committee in a sensible light
1t says it would have permitted the
enactment of farce if it's members
had not declared Judge Hays the
nominee and closed the burlesque
SESSION DIT Cllc Capital. L AC al Null
sawyer comments as follows: -
Some newspapers have already
Committee of steam roller methods
in handling the contest brought by
Col Brundidge. but according to our
judgment they did the only thing that
they could, when the good of the par
ty and the short time for hearing
contests were taken into considera-
ton.
when the Committee met neither
Mr. Brundidge or one of his sup
porters had any convincing evidence
that there had been crookedness in
the primary. although they had deter
mined almost week previous to
file contest proceedings Their one
contention of fraud seemed to hinge
upon the fact that in some precincts
there were more votes cast than there
were names upon the poll tax list.
This may be an indication of fraud.
But unless sifted to each individual
voter who does not appear upon the
list. is not evidence by any means.
1--WE doubt if there is a poll tax list
in any county in the state that con-
tains complete roster OF the quail
fled voters, not including the first vo-
ters and those possessing tax receipts
who have moved from other counties.
This fact has been proven time and
time again in Arkansas county. At
the last election there were not to
exceed so per cent of the names OF
men who held poll tax receipts in
cluded in the poll list, and rule that
holds good here it will hold good
elsewhere.
"There is but one way to get at the
true conditions in any contest for Of
flee and that is to investigate every
| name that is voted and does not show
up on the list. Young men are con
stantly becoming of age and people
are shifting there places OF residence
in the state. If every ballot should
be declared illegal that does not tally
with printed poll list, there is
probability that hundreds OF quail
fled voters would be deprived OF Their
suffrage rights, after their ballots had
been cast.
"Only one kind of an investigator
| will get at the bottom of things and
that's the one that investigates In
thorough and sensible way. But such
probe will take time-more time
than will elapse between the primary
and tn general election Unless Tho
committee saw fit to permit the en-
actment of farce, that would have
no bearing except to widen the
breach in tn eparty, they had no al
tentative out to declare Judge Hays
the nominee and close the incident.
The Monticellonian defends the peo
pie of Bradley county against the
4 Il. l. E,,,... 81.