French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1918-03-07
THE ~BRITT-WEAvE CONTEST

Politics in the tenth district has re-
Gently been enlivened by charges in
the final brief former Congressman
Britt has filed in his contest for the
seat awarded to Representative Wea-
yer. Mr.. Britt declares that a DELHI
crate error was made in making up
the returns from Rutherford county,
In which ten votes were removed from
the total number that should have
been credited to him and added to
the vote of Mr.. Weaver. In his an
swer Mr.. Weaver admits that a cleri-
cal error was made in copying the alb
stracts from three precincts, but de-
clares that the original returns on file
in the Office of the clerk of the Su-
periOr court show the accurate vote
for these precincts, making the total
given in the final count correct. Mr..
Weaver contends that his actual ma
jority in Rutherford county was 446
and says he is prepared to meet the
late claims of Mr.. Britt completely.
Hitherto Mr.. Britt has. not ques-
toned the returns from Rutherford.
His contest was based on the failure
of the Buncombe county board of
canvassers to confine their c~alcula-
tions to marked ballots cast for him
self and Mr.. Weaver in that county.
He lost in appeals in the Superior
court, in the Supreme court and be-
fore the State Canvassing Board, the
latter awarding the certificate of cleo
lion to Nh. Weaver upon the follow
ing vote, appearing upon the facts of
the returns from allthe thirteen
Counties of the district: Weaver, 49,
O23; Britt, 1904; majority for Wea-
yer 9. Notice of contest was imme-
diately served on Mr.. Weaver and is
now pending before the committee on
Privileges and Elections of the House
of Representatives. If this commit
tee should find that there is really an
error in the returns from Rutherford,
as claimed by Mr.. Britt, it would
show a majority of eleven for the
contestant, unless irregularities else
where should be found to counterfeit
that number.
Congressman Weaver does not APP
pear to be the least bit disturbed over
the late developments in the contest.
If he cannot show that a majority of
the ballots cast for congressman in
the tenth district at the last election
contained the name of "Zebulon Wea-
YER" Mr.. Britt will be seated. The
House of Representatives alone is
now clothed with the authority to in
Vestigate the right of Mr. Weaver to
his seat, since the certificate of cleo
ton was awarded to him by the State
Board of Elections, and the plan of
Nh. Britt to try the case in the news
papers is a piece of political amou-
fiage pureand simple, according to
Mi. Weaver.
But whatever the outcome of the
investigation may be, the republicans
of this district will have little excuse
to complain With the aid of the ma
tional republican machine they are
credited with depriving the late Con-
gresham Crawford of the seat to
which he was elected in 1898. Mr..
Gudger met with a similar experience
In 1908, excepting that the contestant
died before the final hearing was
reached. These two instances of ere
publican fairness are likely to play
an important part in the next cam
paign. The democrats need not be-
come seriously concerned about the
charges Mr.. Britt is undertaking to
put over in the closing days ofSthe
contest,-for campaign purposes. \