Denver labor bulletin., 1916-06-24

king"
Reference is made to the late King OF
Huerfano" who lost his throne Nednes-
day morning when the State supreme
court handed down decision dePoSing
him and his royal attendants from Oh
fee.
In one OF the most important decisions,
so far as the plain people OF Colorado
are concerned, ever rendered by the Su-
preme court, jefferson Farr was ousted
from the office of sheriff of Huerfano
county, position he has held for SIX
teen wears Along with him goes CLERK
and Recorder J. T. Archuleta, Treasurer
Charles Sanchez, and Commissioner Rob
ert Young, all fraudulently elected at the
November election in 1914. The dePosed
officials are Republicans, and have held
on for years under the iron rule OF the
coal companies in southern Colombo
Eeeiy Now Huerfano Sheriff.
By the same decision L. 4 Nicely Is
adiudged the legally elected sheriff OF
Huerfano county, and qualified for the
offic. Immediately upon the courts rlil.
ing being made public. He is now sheriff
in place OF the dcposed king.
Besides Necly, the other Democratic
officials declared entitled 20 Office are
w II. Freeland. clerk and recorder; jose
=. Sanchez. treasurer and Antonio ID.
Valdez, county commissioner.
The case, which has been IN the Su-
premc court Just year to the day, went
thru the lower courts before being taken
TO the Supreme court, and was bitterly
contested
The plaintiffs charged that Farr and
his associates 10 isolated polling places
in the closed mining camps that IL was
impossible to obtain fair vote II was
also charged that other means were used
10 obtain their own election, contrary TO
tn. election laws OF the state.
h Judye Scott Writes Opinion.
Justices Scott, White, Hill and Teller
concurrcd in the decision. Justices Cab
bert and Garrigues disagrceing and Jus
tic. Bailey not voting.
The officers who were given places
were ordered to qualify at once and take
offio. while the defendants were given
ten DAYS in which 10 qualify for n re-
hearing,
Justice Tully Scott wrote the opinion,
which. lawyers declared, was a victory
for clean government and honest election
force. who have for years fought the coal
company control in Hucrfano and Las
Aninas counties, established largely thru
Iarr's regime sheriff.
Scott'= opinion states that FarT and
the three other ousted Republicans were
Illegally installed in office at the elec-
tion IN November, 1914. II says that
thru the unparalleled act" OF the county
commissioners in July, 1914, in creating
spc,-ial precincts in closed camps entirely
under the control Of the coal eorpora.
tions Farr and his followers received an
Illegal plurality. The five officers were
charged with malconduct, fraud and cor
ruption-
Polls in Closed Precincts.
There were seven closed camps used
as prccinct-. Most OF them were under
the control Of the Colorado Fuel & Iron
company and the Victor Fuel company
No one waS allowed within these camp
precincts except with permission of the
coal company officials.
In these camps. the opinion says, "un-
qualified electors were allowed to vote
and legal votes We're denied" There
w.ro 4777 votes cast for sheriff, and OF
these 723 were cast in the closed camp
precincts under the control of the cor
porations. Farr claimed total plurality
of 800 His plurality in the seven camps
was S3l. Neely's plurality in the pre-.
cincts outside was 302.
The Supreme court, in making its rul-
ing outsing Farr and his crowd. annulled
the entire vote in the closed camp pre-
-cincts and declared Neely and his follow
crs elected by virtue of their pluralities
in the uncontrolled precincts.
Corporations Were in Control.
with but one exception, all the pre-
.cinct polling places were in the buildings
or on the land owned or controlled by
the coal companies.
"Thus," Justice Scott said. "wcre the
public districts and the public election
machinery turned over to the absolute
domination and imperial control of pri-
vatc coal corporations"
The opinion recitcs that Nicely was
forced on election day to get detail OF
federal soldiers, who were in the coal
district, in order to get to the polls. II
also says that Farr issued special per
mits TO Republican candidates to enter
the closed districts. II was equally clear,
IL said, that the Democratic candidates
were excluded.
Annual Coal Camp Votes.
y. Justice Scott said; "Thc plain pur-
1osc Of the formation OF the new pre-
dincts by the county commissioners tRc-
publicans) was that the coal companies
might have opportunity to conduct and
control the elections therein