The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-01-23
F. J. Hill Files His
 Answer On Election Cost
fcontinued from Page 1l

one month before showed that the certificate of election was issued on the following finding of the result of the election held on November 3, 1914 and it is now held by Ebenezer J. Hill: Votes cast for Ebenezer J. Donovan. Democrat, 16,61o; Turner, Socialist, 1928; Shepard, Progressive. =1,222; Witt1er, Prohibitionist, 1S7; Pryor. Socialist-Labor, 132."
 , After. quoting other election figures. and comparative figures of previous elections in the district, the reply con tinues:
 No where in the district is there any appreciabIe. difference between the Republican candidates in the votes received by then which show that any effort was made by one over the other. Senator Brandegee, com ing from the extreme eastern end Of the state, received within five votes of the total cast for MT. Hill in the county and district in which he lives
 In view of these facts it would be absurd to claim that the election was not fairly eonducted and that the of fciaI canvass does not show the true expression of the wish and will of the people of the district Indeed, no such claim is made by you or by any, one else in Fairfield county. On the other hand, admitting a plurality of S,621 of honest votes, IegitiEnateIy east and fairly counted. you claim that the will of the people should be nullihed and their verdict set aside and that you should be seated in an office to which you were not elected
 " ou do not and cannot deny that every dollar received, contributed or expended, either by MT. Hill or the
 Republican party whole was full
 ly reported and expended in accord-
 ance with the laws of Connecticut and by duly constituted and qualified agents under our law.
 The official records of the state show that you deliberately defied or ignored the law and never even. quail flied as a candidate for the off1ce which you now claim, either by ap-
 pointing yourself as your. own peiiti- cal agent which the law permits up-s on notice given. or by registering with
 the secretary of state the name of 1 some one else to act for you. It
 follows, therefore that every act per formed by you in the campaign was
 illegal and. every cent expended by you was iI1egalIyN expended.
 You are not even Justified under Connecticut law in making a claim for the seat, for while the votes cast
 for you were probably honestly cast.
 they were cast for an illegal candi-l date.
 Under both federal and state law. candidates in the fourth congression- al district were entitled to expend not more than $T50E The report made by me both to the secretary of state of Connecticut and the clerk of the House of Representatives showed an expenditure of $500: whereas, your
 report showed an aggregate of $1,- l 127.04t and included an expenditure i to every town in the district except Bridgeport, Norwalk and Wilton, 1 which comprise about half of the district in population and where you
 make oath that neither in your ewn
 name or in any others you made no
 expenditure, contrary to the actual
 facts which will be- proved later on.
 You do not claim that any con-
 tribution reported by my political
 agent was made by corporation but you intimate that personal contribu- l tions to the general campaign funds
 were from persons holding some of
 hcia1 relations with corp orations and that, therefore. they were improper
 ly made; but you neglect to state that, in the official report of the com 1nittee in Bridgeport, where you say you expended nothing, contributions
 are found from the Conn. Brew Co.
 and the Home Brew Co.,, in their own l corporate names and from other in dividuals connected with other cor 1 poratfons.
 '.As will later appear, another can 1 didate, and intimate personal friend l of yours on your ticket far exceed ed the limit of expenditures allowed | by the law, and the amount expend- led was paid in to the general Dem
 ocratic fund which was used for the | whole Democratic ticket including
 your own candidacy. Why do you
 not apply to yourself the rule wrong
 fully applied to me and report this 1 amount as your own expenditure ?''