The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1917-10-31

Inc announcement last wednesday
that the County Clerk proposed to
leave all Democratic nominees off
the ballot aroused the indignation of
every fair-minded man in the county
regardless of politics. Candidates
who have spent much time and in
CURED great expense in making their
campaign were told that the Repub-
lican Clerk. w. C. Blankenship. who
is candidate for reelection, had
arbitrarily ruled that certificates had
not been filed according to law. Dem
ocratic candidates were called from
remote parts of the county. and told
of the position taken by the Clerk TO
shut of opposition. Suit was hastily
filed and the time of the candidates
has. since been consumed in n legal
effort to compel the Clerk to do what
the law and his position demands
that he should do. Only one course
was open and that was to take the
case before Judge Slack. After q
hearing Thursday night and Friday
until late in ehe night, the Judge
refused to grant the injunction. An
appeal was taken but as the order
was made in vacation the higher
court had no jurisdiction to review
the orders Of the Judge and so decid-
ed. In the meantime the Republic
ans had through their paper adver-
tised that no Democrats would be on
the ballot. However. on yesterday.
the Court of Appeals decided in a
case from Allen county that the
Clerk had no right to withhold the
name of a regular nominee from
the ballot simply because the can
didate did not himself file the certifi-
cate which the Clerk issued to him.
This. while in another case. settles
the law. and sustains the position of
the Democratic candidates and their
attorneys that it is not necessary to
file these certificates. 1t also devel-
ops that the Attorney General has
been advising all the County Clerks
who applied to him that this formal
ity is not necessary. Mr.. Blanken-
ship, without communicating with
this State official whose duty it is to
advise in such matters, took the adj
vice OF, his local advisers and stub
bornly refused to put the name of a
single Democratic candidate on the
official ballot.
He proposed to deny the right of
one half or more OF the people from
voting for their choice in any race
for county office to avoid the over
whelming defeat which seems to
stare him in the face. The same
condition exists in many counties
having Democratic clerks ard so far
as we have heard there IS not an in
stance in which the Democratic clerk
has undertaken to disfranchise the
voters of his county by such high
handed procedure. In Daviess county
none Of the Republicans filed their
certificates but the clerk put their
names on the ballot Just the same.
The same question has been decided
by Judge Stout in the Franklin Cir
cult Court in favor of the contention
that these certificates need not be
filed as Mr.. Blankenship insists.
Hundreds of Republicans are de-
nouncing the action Of Clerk Blank
enship and the leaders who backed
him in the scheme to deprive about
three thousand voters of their rights.
This too. in face of the fact that the
Clerk had over his own signature is
sued TO a number Of the candidates
certificates like the one held by
Prof. Shuts which is as follows;
State of kentucky
fSct.
County of Ohio
|. W. c. Blankenship. Clerk of the
Ohio Couny Court, do hereby certify
that the records in nv office show
that Ozna Shuts is the only person,
who has filed his NOTIFICATION
AND DECLARATION" as required
by law. rs a Democratic candidate
for the Office OF Superintendent
Schools OF Ohio County. to be voted
for at the Primary Election to be
held ON the 4th day % August. 1917,
and il further appearing that the
said Ozna Shuts has filed his ex-
pense account. as reuired by law.
NOW THEREFORE, the said
Osna Sults is hereby issued GER
Uhsate Of nomination as the Demo-