The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1916-08-18
GOOD ADVICE
FROM G|LCHR|S1
Some Sensible Suggestions from the
Ex-Governor in Regard to the
Primary Snarl

Editor Star: 1t has been published
that "Mr. Cats has stated that a de-
tective has discovered that the boxes
were opened at midnight" referring
to Greenville eprecinct. Mr.. Knott
states, 81 have in hand correspondence
and affidavit that leads me to the con-
clusion that if any ballots were tamp-
cred with in Madison county, the
emissaries of Mr.. Cats deliberately
did it, or had it done, in order that he
might charge than it was done in my
behalf, and might now use it as polit-
ical thunder"
/ claim that it is the duty of Cats
and Knott to make known to the pub
lie whatever information they may
have in relation to such matter. If
the information warrants it, a special
session of the circuit court, in and for
Madison county, should be held at
once, in order that the guilty parties
might be indicted, tried, and if guilty,
! convicted. The governor of the state
should issue a reward of at least
$4,000 for the arrest and conviction of
the guilty parties.
1t has been published that rs men
signed statement that they voted
for Cats in the June primary. In
the recount much less number was
shown to have voted for him in the
said Greenville precinct, Madison
county 1t has also been stated that
some of these IS did not live in that
precinct. This is the precinct above
referred to. This should be cleared
up. 1t was claimed that there was a
fraud in the recount in a certain pre-,
cinct in Suwanee county. Knott's
friends have secured a statement in
which the requisite number have stat
ed that they voted for Knott. No one
as yet has disproved the accuracy of
their statement. The Greenville pre-
cinct should be thoroughly shown up.
The governor has at his disposal suf-
ficient funds to at least try to show
up this fraud, "1et the chips fall
where they WILL"
| notice that prominent citizen of
Jacksonville, a supporter of Cats,
has written that it would be absurd to
claim that any of Cats friends could
select one ballot box out of over 10000
which would be recounted. After a
mandamus has been requested to
count the ballots in three or four pre-
cincts, it is not very difficult to select
one of those three or four boxes.
After it was shown that the ballot
box of the Watertown precinct would
probably be recounted, it has been
published that said ballot box has
been stolen. If such box has been
stolen, reward of $4,000 should be
issued for the arrest and conviction of
the guilty person.
Under our law, the second choice
votes count as much as the first
choice votes. The second choice votes
were intended to obviate the necessity
of a second primary. Formerly, the
voters who cast their votes in the
first primary (it being their first
choice votes) for candidates who were
defeated, cast, in the second primary,
what was really their second choice
votes for one of the two high candi-
dates who survived the first primary.
When we had two primaries, the sec
ond choice votes, the same being cast
in the second primary, usually de-
termined the election. Now, in one
primary, the second choice votes are
of as much Importance as they were
formerly, when we had two primaries.
Every one knows that it was very
difficult to instruct the voters as to
how to cast their second choice votes.
As the second choice votes now count
only when the voter cast his first
choice vote for one of the defeated
candidates and his second choice vote
for one of the two leading candidates,
il is very difficult for unframed in
spectors to accurately count the sec
ond choice votes. In the original
count of the second choice votes,
Cats received about 5000, and Knott
about $500, about two and half to
one in favor of Knott. Copies of the
tally sheets used by the inspectors of
| the election were sent to the county
Judge and to the supervisor of cleo
ton of the respective counties. They
are public documents, and under the
law, are subject to inspection. When
| Knott's counsel asked to inspect them,
in some cases, he was met with re-
fusaI. / am not a lawyer. / under
! stand that in order to bring man.
damus proceedings, it is necessary to
show specifically the errors complain
ed of. Some newspapers have sug-
gested a recount of all the votes. Un-
less specific errors could be shown, no
mandamus would be issued. Knott is
therefore limited to those precincts in
which error or irregularities are
shown by affidavit. In some precincts,
lit has been shown that the returns
were so irregular that it was difficult
for the county canvassing board to
| determine for who mthe second choice
votes were intended to be cast. Owing