Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1917-09-27
FURTHER LEGAL STEPS
IN ELECTION CONTEST
James W. Owens Protests Cost Of
Vote Recount
CHARGES WHOLESALE FRAUD
In Letter To Election Boards Attorney
Threatens To Garry Matter
To Bottom.


Aroused by the enormity of the bill
for expenses in connection with the
recent recount of the vote cast in the
Democratic primary election, as pre-
pared by the Board of Election Su-
pervisors, Mr.. James w. Owens. who
acted as counsel for the Progressive
candidates who were named in the
petition asking for the recount, CON
templates legal action to determine
who shall bear the burden of the ex-
penses in question
The extent of the expenses was re-
ferred to in last nights Capital, in
connection with the proceedings be-
fore the County Commissioners, that
body having declined to allow the
item to be borne by the county. un-
der the provisions of the election law
in such matters. Replying to let
ter from Mr. Winson G. Gott, acting
counsel to the Election Supervisors.
in which a statement of the expenses
for the recount was inclosed, Mr.
Owens has the following to say:
Dear Mr. Gott:
II have yours of the 26th request
ing payment for the expenses Of the
recount. ! do not admit, under the
conditions, that the contestants are
responsible for the costs, and / would
be pleased very much if felt the re-
sponsibility to pay the different par
ties engaged in the services in the
case. / dislike very much to keep
needy men out of the money, and
while from the results of the case /
have not succeeded in making
enough change in the ballots to throw
the costs upon the County Commits
sioners on the face of the return, yet
| have discovered such fraud in the
whole election that | shall make the
decision as to who is to pay this
money rest with the Circuit Court for
Anne Arundel County. The account
makes Mr. Safiield as having served
237 hours and Mr. Elliott 233 hours.
The petition in the case, If l remem-
ber right, was filed on the nth of
September and the duties ceased at 5
o'clock ON the 21st, that would make
1872 hours. But most respectfully
protest that it was not necessary to
have two men there at a time to
watch the ballot boxes and. ! appre-
hend. that the Supervisors in keep
ing them there all the time did so for
the purpose of having one watch the
other. And you know that under
these circumstances the whole bill,
at the price charged for Mr.. Saffield
and Mr.. Elliott will only amount to
$4,000.
"The Governor of Maryland re-
ceives a salary of $4,000 year, at
the rate charged here Mr.. Saffield
and Mr.. Elliott would get upwards of
81 200 year No Court in the world
allow such exorbitant prices
as these Supervisors of Election have
attempted to collect.
Il knew from the very first ten
that | was in the Board that
| could get no consideration from this
Board of Supervisors. Further pro-
ceeds will be instituted and in the
case they may be made defendants.
Il could ask for items of several
other charges, but as l do not recog-
nize any of them, will not do so un-
til we do it in Court
I'm conclusion, / beg leave to say,
that while upon the face of the re-
turns the men returned have been
elected, that the deal which was
given was more raw than the one in
the Waterford Precinct of the Third
District when the election officials
were invited out to supper, and the
man who was in the cellar of the
building substituted a box he had
there for the one which was really
voted. One or two men on the Or
ganization ticket may have been elect
ed. but only one or two, and / beg
leave to say, that the Board of Super
visors of Election have not heard the
last of this case.
"In the matter | wish you to under
stand there is nothing personal 10
you. for / do not believe that you,
personally. would be party to as glar-
ing a fraud as has been demonstra-
ted in this case.
II beg leave further to say, that one
election official upon whom we have
absolute dots was appointed to his
position by the Board of Supervisors
under "a protest from one of their
friends that that man was crooked.
/ apprehend the men who ran on the
Progressive ticket Will not be can
didates again, but it is my effort now
to make respectable Independent
ticket from Democrat and Republi-
can and defeat these men who have
been elected by criminal election
officials. and when such a ticket is
nominated / shall go out on the stump
for il.
II passed my first vote in 1851.
and since that time when in Mary
land l have voted at every election.
and during the whole time have vot-
ed for four Republicans. because 1
knew their Democratic opponents
were incompetent and venal.
Il have been sick for some days,
but am well enough to make it
warm for the people who have rob-
bed the people.
rsxvo~x- <rsrlx- vof1ra