Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-26
Suffragists and Drys Join
in Case Against
State.
SEEK TO SET ASIDE
VOTE OF JUNE s
Ask S.triet Court to Enjsin sksts II.
.sss'vs Council From ceurt,ns and
,sosoIarins BalIets-Aetier BreuehG Ss
Safeguard Elections and Rs.ss4ab.
''sh Proposed Amendment on Pr.
vleus Basis, Thus Saving Five Ysara,

Des Moines. Oct. 2s.-Attorneya act.
ing IN the interests Of the prohibition
forces thruout the state today faled :
petition in the Polk county distr,ct
court asking that the special election
OF June 5. 1916. be set aside and that
the defendants In the suit be on
Joined from publishing the results OF
election in the state journal as the Off
ton. 80
The suit is brought In the name Of
Mrs Ida B. Wise-Smith, state presi.
dent Of the Women's Christian TEN.
peranoe Union. Defendants in tine
suit are as follows: The executive
council OF Iowa, George W. Clarke.
governor: w. s. Allen. secretary 81
state: F. 8. Shaw. auditor: w. c.
Brown. treasurer. ex-officio members
OF the executive council; A, H, David
son, secretary ef the executive council
and Ora Williams as document editor
OF the state.
According to statement issued to-
day by John B. Hammond, q local re-
former. who Is cooperating with tho
plaintiff in the suit. the petition 10 for
the purpose Of safeguarding the special
election on the adoption Of an amend
ment to the state constitution proyid-
ing for the insertion OF a perna nent
prohibitory amendment in the con-
stitution Of the state Of Iowa. This
election. It was pointed. out. would be
held subsequent to the adoption Of the
amendment by the state general as
sembly at the coming session in Tan
uary. Mr.. Hammond said information
at his disposal indicated that there
was no doubt that tho ameadrnsnt
would be adopted when the legislature
meets. Slsss
Irregularities Charged.
The petition fled today specifically
charges irregularities m the conduct oe
the election a. ynne s list month Il
which the amendment to- the sc00Sk ku-
tion providing equal su6rass FOR
wenen. WAS defeated by IN over-
whelming majority in forty -four u the
ninety-nine counties OF the state.
Affidavits presented with the peti-
tion set forth specifically that In many
eounties no record was kept by county
auditors OF ballots delivered to the
election officials or returned. In go
per cent of the counties, it 10 alleged,
precinct election officials kept no
record Of the voters who received
special election ballots. In Others. it
is asserted. no registration was pro-
vided for or required. and tn many
cases. the petition states, more votes
were cast for and against the suffrage
amendment than there wero names
registered on the poll books,
The allegations assert that In ono
precinct in Story county only forty
eight names appeared on the poll books,
no record was kept Of the number OF
special election ballots issued and q tally
sheet showed that In the special cleo
ton 407 votes were cast.
Other alleged violations Of the selec.
tion law were made in the petition thru
affidavds which covered 124 closely
typewr tten sheets. It was asserted ~
attorneys for the plaintiff that no city
or county in the state was entirely freo
from alleged violations.
Action Explained.
Attorneys for the plaintiff emphasised
that today's action 10 in no sense an
attempt to bring about adoption of tho
amendment to the state constitution
providing for equal suffrage. They Al.
serted that 1t is merely an effort on the
part of the advocates OF statewide pro-
hibition to safeguard that amendment
gainst the alleged fraudulent practices
perpetrated at the time Of tho defeat OF
the suffrage amendment" However, it
was pointed out that II the district court
upholds the contention of the plaintife
and throws out the election ana IL an
affirmative decree Is handed down by
the Supreme Court In the event OF an
appeal. that the result will be that the
suffrage amendment will occupy the
status 1t did prior to the election Of
June 8. and that the people Of the state
may be given an opportunity to, vote on
the amendment again without waiting
for five years to elapse and without tho
adoption Of the amendment by the state
legislature. as provided by the statutes
In the case Of the defeat OF any con-
stitutional amendment.
It was explained that the action was
brought in Polk county because the
state capitol Is located here and the
officials named as defendants have their
residence here, and In this case. the
Polk county district court will have
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