The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-11-14
ED PATTERSON
RULES VOTE OF
SOLDIERS OUT
''BOss' Of Burleigh County
League Commission Holds
Ballot Scrap of Paper,
SAVE ALLEN SOUP FUND
Action Taken to Insure Job for
Agent of New King Of
Farmer. Movement Il

81 WSA MOVSNlcUV 4 ~ "
Ed Patterson. dictator OF the Bur
leigh county commission, yesterday
decreed that absent soldiers votes
should not be counted in. the Burleigh
county election returns. The question
was raised by: Judge s. L. Nichols Of
Mandan, law partner Of Attorney
General William S. LANCER. Judge
Nuchols appeared for Ed $. Allen,
whom the league put over as Patter-
sons eleventh hour candidate for
states attorney. Judge Nuchols asked
ballots not received in time to be
counted on election day be ruled out.
The county board, directed by Ed Pat.
terson, promptly did as Judge Nuchols
requested. Ordinarily county com.
missions. even when sitting as can.
vassing boards, do, not make laws un.
to themselves nor pass upon ques-
tions of law. But the Burleigh coun-
ty commission, Ed Patterson, ct al, is
different.
- AS a result of the .Eurleigh county
commissions action more than Is
percent Of the soldiers who have gone
to the front from this county will be
disfranchised. Only seven absent vot-
er ballots had been received during
the interval between election day and
sitting of the canvassing board Wed.
nesday. More than $50 absent voter
ballots, voted by the Yanks whose vic
tory Bismarck celebrated Monday,
are now. en- route over seas The coun-
ty commission DEGREES that these bal
lots shall be treated as a mere scrap
of paper. ~. ~ ~. =. 49, '>-,s q ! ~
In the special. session of 1918, in the
face, of bitter opposition from league
members ofethe house, there was pass
ed an act extending the provisions OF
North ,DakOta's absent voter law to
include men serving in the American
army and navy abroad. This voting.
under the amended act, is to ebn 'lone
by mail. and the law provides that If
any such envelope containing the ap-
scent voter balloD is received by the
county audit of@ TOO latts --t0stsa tsass-rfaf'
warded to the proper, voting precinct
in time to be canvassed the same shall
be retained by him and canyassed by
the canvassing board OF the county OF
such auditor at any time prior to the
meeting of the state canyassing board
orr any adjourned meeting OF said
board where the game has been re:
ce1ved by such auditor in time to
canvass and transmit the results to
the state canvassing board. yfr,rtzf.
This provision of the amended. act,
the Patterson canvassing board has
ruled out. Seven soldier ballots re-
ceived since election day already have
been thrown out. and Mr.. Patterson
announces that all soldier ballots
which may be received henceforth
will be treated as a scrap of paper, IA
Primarily this action on Mr.. Patter-
sons part is taken to insure the cleo:
tion OF Ed s. Allen as states attorney.
AS the vote now stands Allen has a
: lead Of ,21 votes over F. E. McCurdy,
the present states attorney. It Is
generally acknowledged that from the
$50 absent soldier votes yet to be
counted, McCurdy would garner at
least 100, assuring him reelection. In
q general sense. Patterson's action
may also be taken in behalf OF the
Nonpartisan league, as 5000 soldier
ballots undoubtedly would insure the
defeat of all the league amendments
which now are hanging by thread.
The league from the moment the
thought was first suggested has been
opposed to giving North Dakota's 25.-
900 soldiers voice in the state gov
ernment. In the special session every
effort was made to emasculate the
soldiers voting bill introduced by Rep
resentative G. A. Reishus Of MinOt, a
Lacquer who had left the reservation.
Then, after the bill was forced down
the throats of the Townleyites, q quiet
campaign was conducted to convince
relatives and friends Of soldiers in
France that the act was not const'tu-
tional and that 1t was unworkable.
Attorney General LANCER was asked
for an opinion on this point, and he
gave his opinion quietly and confi-
dentially, withholding it from the pub
lie, which was allowed to remain In
doubt as to the effectiveness of the
soldiers voting act. VI,
As result, 1t is doubtful whether
more than 5000 Of North Dakota's 25,-
900 absent fighting men ever received
q ballot Now the aim of the Non
partisan league, through such men as
Patterson and Allen of the Burlelgh
county combination, is to exclude even
this small percentage of the soldier
vote
TEACHERS TAKE EXAMS