The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-03-16
SINGLE CONTEST IN
VILLAGE ELECTION
GLENN WILLIAMS HAD OPPOSITION
FOR ASSESSOR
Fusion Ticket Entirely Successful By .
Vote About One-Half That of
q Last Year

The fact that but one ticket was in
the field seemed to promise an election
in Clio devoid the interesting features
that have usually characterized the
annual contest, but when the election
was under way it became apparent that
a little ginger was being injected into
it by well defined effort to defeat
Glenn Williams for the office of assessor
through the use of slips. Mr.. Williams
was was out of town, but the game
went merrily on in his absence and it
was conceded the result would be close
This prediction was found to be true
when the count was made, Mr.. Williams
having SO votes to al for F. A. Grinnell,
his opponent. Eight votes were held to
be spoiled by the election board, al
though there was considerable argu-
ment over the validity of some of them,
in cases where the voter had pasted on
slip but had failed to make cross at
the head of his ballot or before the
names of the candidates he wished to
vote for. Following is a list of the
officers elect, winh the number of votes
accorded each:
President, Charles E Taylor, 95
Clerk, VIM. G.. Goodrich, 94
Treasurer, George Palmer, 81
Trustee, Leonard J. Scholl, 90
Trustee, Bert E. Conlee, SO
Trustee, Marshall E. Smith, 96
Assessor, Glenn Williams, So
Assessor, Il. A. Grinnell, Al
Early i'm the day the validity of the
election was called somewhat in ques-
tion because of the fact that the caucus
had not been held twenty days previous
ly as required by law, and because of
the further fact that under precisely
similar circumstances Ira L. Sayre had
secured an injunction restraining the
election board of Flushing from using
ballots that had been prepared in that
village and compelling the use of blank
ballots on which the names of various
candidates had to be written or pasted
in. In order that any possible remedy
might be applied to the situation in
Clio Prosecutor Roy E. Brownell was
consulted who said that while the pro-
ceedings were wholly irregular the only
thing to do was to go ahead with the
election; that the courts had always
been liberal in their construction of
the laws applicable in such cases, sus-
tanning the will of the majority when
ever it had been clearly expressed. He
said, moreover, that the law held that
common council constituted the sole
Judge of a village election and that
once it had passed judgment it was i'm.
possible to appeal from it. Therefore,
the action of the council, taken last
evening, declaring the nominees on the
Citizens-Independent ticket elected,
absolutely cures any illegality that may
have existed in the preliminaries.
The village officers elect are first
class citizens without exception. Sew
eral of them will serve the village
without pay and all should be given
cordial, sympathetic support, rather
than narrow criticism, in order that
best results may be obtained The out
going council leaves legacy of about
So, 500 of the peoples money in the will
age Golfers, which should result in a
very reasonable village tax rate for the
ensuing year, feature that will meet
with no little commendation because of
the necessarily high tax rate in support
of the public schools.
Taking up the question of the legal
ity of elections little farther. we may
say the party caucuses in the townships
of Vienna, Thetford, Mt Morris and
Genesee were held twenty days before
election and therefore there can be no
question of the legality of the election.
The caucuses in Vienna were also held
in strict accordance with the law last
wear