The Green Forest tribune., 1917-06-15
COL. J.P. FANCHER WITHDRAWS FROM THE RACE FOR CONSTi- TUTIONAL CONVENTIONAL
 DELEGATE

Berryville, Ark, June 18th 1917.
 Editor of Tribune: About March 18th, last announced in your paper as candidate for delegate from this Car roll County to the Constitutional convention, Nov. 18th, 1917, at the election to be held on June 18th, 1917, subject to the Democratic Primary election to be held on the 14th, day of April. last, eff the same can be and is held fairly under the law which you agreed and contracted to publish and carry in your paper until said 18th, day of June 1917 About 78S voter are reported to have voted at said so called Democratic Primary election, which is about IA of the voters of sthe county. I leave it to the people and voters of the county as to whether it was fair to me and all the voters of the county under the law, as required in my an nouncement. and as to whether it was conspiracy and frame up against me and majority of the voters of the county to thwart fair expression of such majority. I thought it was and still think so Therefore never have withdrawn my candidacy. I have complied with the law and have right and should have been placed on the official ballot as such candidate by the county board of election commiss- toners under the law on the 11th inst as held by decision of Judge Mateneau in d recent decision. But on my return from Washington D. c. U. c. V. Convention last night 1 learn that the County Board of Election Commissioners have refused to place my name on the official ballot as such candidate. Hence I am disfranchised so far as being printed on the official bal lot is concerned the same as 1 was in 1868 constitution. This places me in too great dis sadvantage in the house of supposed friends. filed my corpora tion statement and affidavit and appli- cation to be candidate to the county clerk which was filed by him as such on 18th, day of May, 1917, within time re-
 quired by the law as such candidate to be certified by said clerk to said board of Election Commissioners, which said statement was not published along with the other candidate statements T cf, ol,,la al to withdraw my candidacy and from further contest on such unequal grounds not having the means or time to get before the voters at this busy season of the year when every body is hustle
 ing to secure good crops to explain my position and what 1 favor and stand for in addition to what have hereto fore published in your paper and a cir cular giving my platform in part, etc. Hence hereby withdraw and wash my hands of the whole proceeding affair from it's very inception to it's final con- clusion, because l believe that the Legislature made great mistake in fixing the special election for del- gate so long 6 months) before the con- vention convenes in Nov. next This is very busy month with farmers harvesting. The election could have been held in Sept. or Oct. and voters given plenty time to investigate and chance. Looks very much like lobyist and machine work for slick smart fellows to slip in. in the interest of some special interest or class or cor poration, etc. The cities and towns have the advantage and can go to the polls and vote late and early, have nothing else to do, so expert corpor- ation candidates have better chance to slip in. More than any thing else the new proposed constitution should contain drastic, honest, fair, equal just election law. No democracy or republican government can last long without it. 1 do not think that have had a square deal by those took to be my.friends, whom have supported and never harmed and from whom I ex- pected at least an equal chance, and especially from those who hold office, they have right personally to be for or against me or any candidate. but have no right to use the office he holds against me or any other candi- date or for such candidate, for we all pay taxes to pay and support said officers and officer salaries.
 venture to say that I have paid more taxes in the aggregate within the last 50 years than any other one voter or person in the county and have con- tributed as literally as I was able to all public enterprises and to charity and benevolent institutions and have contributed and disbursed in this coun- ty at least as much as S100,0 during | said time and wish that had as much