The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-09-21
THE CONTEST PROGRESS
ING.

liz NNhlii- VI 'N'''''''N's'
witnesses before the supreme
court at Tallahassee is said tn
be moving rapidly, and il is
thought that the matter viii he
concluded tomorrow.
The evidence rs presented thus
far seems to show that some out
side party or parties had access
tu the ballots Of Madison county.
County Commissioner Kron aud
County Judge Kelly both tcSti-
fled that there were other Keys
to the office where the boxes
were kept besides the one held
by the supervisor of registration.
Mr.. RcamS, school teacher at
Grccnvillc. and one Of the in
Spcctors AZ thiS precinct, tcsti.
fled that the night of the prima.
nv there were six ballots on
which no vote was cast for gov.
crnOr. hut ON the recount these
contained votes for governor,
and that there were also some
twenty or more ballots where at
| tcmpts at craSurc were very
| plainly observed.
J. w. Nicely. another inspect
or at the Grccnvillc precinct, ties.
tilted that he helped to count
and tally the votes the night of
the primary. and only two bal
lots were thrown out as sOiled or
irregular. st the recount there
were thirty'sevon irregular votes.
These were made irregular by
the ballots having been made to
vote two first choice votes.
l.. J. Porter testified that the
ballots were strung on small
10. I thread. When the ballots
were cvomincl nj the recount
they were not strung on the same
single ply thread as at the night
of the primary.
County Judge Kelly testified
that at the recount he examined
ballots that showed evidence NJ
crasurc and ballots had been
made to vote first choice twice
for governor. thereby making a
larger number Of spoiled or ir-
regular votes.
The Daily News has said all
the while that il only wanted to
know what candidate had actual
" and honestly received the
highest number of first AMI sec
ond choice votes to know whom
10 support in the general election
for governor. Thus far we have
not discussed the merits or de-
merits of the candidates, and
n.u not do so in the future, for
we do not believe at present this
has anything To do with the mat
ter. We believe there were many
errors made honestly i'm the
counting of the first and second
choice votes. We believe these
errors should have been correct
, ed and we honor our supreme
court for the firm stand it has
taken to see that justice is done
each candidate.
: That same court is now doing
! all i'm its power to find out
whether frauds have been com
mitted prior to the recount in
certain precincts as charged .
Up TO this good hour we do not
believe the Florida Supreme
Court has made a single error
in judgment or purpose.
\ few more days and this mat.
ter that has caused such intense
excitement will he settled, set.
tied by the court. and it may be
that Mr.. Cats will become the
court nominee He should he so
declared if there has been fraud
in the counting. But oh, how
much better if no paper and no
individual had ever charged our
supreme Court with playing poll
tics, Untold mischief has been
done the state by these asper.
SionS, If the ballots of these
counties have been tempered
with, as now appears to he true,
we hope Governor Trammell will
offer a reward sufficient to war.
rant a reasonable hope of the
capture and punishment of all
who were in any way connected
with this terrible crime.