The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-10-31

! Ond choice votes of the hrSt cnOlce
voters who voted for Knott, this there
fore, did not count for him. Knotts
net gain was thirty-fve in Marion
county. In No. II of Suwannee coun-
ty the first count gave Cats twenty
four first choice votes and Knott forty
five. The recount showed Knott had
fifty-seven first choice votes. Fifty
seven voters swore that they voted
/ first choice votes for Knott. 1t ap-
pears that the inspectors must have
caused the ballots read as first choice
votes for Cats what was read as Sec
ond choice votes for Cats marked on
/ first choice ballots as cast for Knott.
This explanation accounts in part for
the fact that Mr.. Cats lost in first
choice votes in the recount, but gained
| in second choice votes from Knott
on the recount When the recount
/ Live Oak the inspectors admitted that
they got puzzled and mixed up as to
the correct method of tallying the
second choice votes. Knott's net gain
in Suwannee county was eighty-four.
I'm the Greenville precinct of Mad
ison county, only first choice votes
were credited to Knott Seven swore
that they voted first choice vote for
Knott. On the other hand, a certain
number swore that they voted first
choice for Cats. | have not the data
before me as to this county. Suffice
it that Knott asked that the recount
in Madison county be thrown out.
81 have seen it stated that Cats,
through detective, knew something
of the rottenness, as he claimed, which
had been practiced in Madison coun
ty. 1t is his duty and of all other
good citizens to present such informa
ton to the grand jury of Madison
county. Stealing votes is far great
err crime than stealing money. In the
recount in Alachua county, Knott
gained sixteen, Cats gained sixty
nine his net gain being fifty-three
Much criticism has been heaped upon
the supreme court of Florida because
these siXty-nine votes for Cats were
not ordered counted when the returns
before the state canvassing board
showed that motifs net gain exceeded
the net gain of Cats; anyone who
compares the tally sheets of the re-
count with those of the original count
and who remembers that errors in
tallying second choice votes must
have been at least two and one-half
or three to one in favor of Cats, must
arrive at the conclusion that if all the
votes in Florida had been recounted
Knott would have gained on an aver
age of at least ten to fifteen votes in
each county, taken as whole, or from
500 to 1000 votes. Cats had a lead
of only 26O which lead was due to the
improper tallying of votes.
Stolen Ballot Box.
n I'm the Watertown precinct of Co.
lumbia county, Knott secured an order
Qf court for recount. When the
time came for recount that ballot
box had been stolen. Whatever err
rors there were in such precincts had
to remain uncorrected. 1t looks as if |
Cats received the benefit of the neces-
sary failure to recount in that pre-.
cinct.
"1A the Glenn st. Mary precinct of
Baker county, Knott secured an order
for recount. When the time came
for the recount, the ballots in that box
had been stolen. Any error in the
original count could not be corrected.
I'm Duval county, Knott's net gain
was nineteen. Judge Simmons said,
Gentlemen, the evidence before me
precludes the possibility of the ballots
having been tempered with
About June 8, from the returns
linking that Cats would be the nom
nee and think that many would not
'otei Tor him, on account of his relig-
GUS prejudice or otherwise, an.
that | would support the
lominee of the Democratic party. Our
avs provide for the correction of err
ors, whether unintentional or fraud.
lent In accordance with our laws. a
sufficient number of errors in the first
'ount have been corrected to prove
hat Knott is undoubtedly the nomi.
lee of the Democratic party for gov.