Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-02-13

NDdrOScOSElN except Tor one NOtiHS
precinct they were III accord upon
the true number of ballots cast both
for contestant and for contcstcc. You
will readily see that this very mate
rally lightened tie labor Of the COM
mitteC. and we saw nc harm. after so
careful a canvass had been made by
those gentlemen who arc skilled in
those matters. in accepting their ana
and report So then this morning
this committee reports TO YOU that
We are able to start in this matter
upon this basis, that there is before
YOU in the report of the committee
"cad by the secretary. the number OF
ballots that were cast in the Fourth
Senatorial District for contestant and
conteStcc. except III one voting pre-
cinct alone. So that ! do not think
it will be questioned for moment
by contcstee that there is any dis
crepancy or any question o. agrumcnt
there. This committee has this
agreement Of counsel Ia this effect.
SO that the committee is able to re-
port to you senators that in this mat
ter under consider alton Edward X.
Parent. the sitting member here in
obedience to summons from the
Governor. had a total of 1868 votes.
and petitioner in this case. Mr.. Irish
of Turner. had 475S votes.
Now let ME repeat, that is the to-
| tai and tabulated vote upon which
! there is no question in the entire
| Fourth Senatorial District excepting
! the vote that was cast in Ward 4 in
! Auburn. Your committee were ap-
| praised that counsel could not agree
| upon the vote that was cast in this
! precinct. and we were not long in
| learning that there were charges Of
| fraud in this matter, and while 1t
! might bc possible for counsel to rec
oncilc some little differences of opin-
ion as to the marking Of few bal
lots that were cast in this ward. that
! it was impossible for them to agree
! and submit to the committee any con-
T; clusion with respect to the counting
! of this vote. There they departed
, squarely and divided, and that was
the matter 10 which the committee
! gave its attention.
| Now let me very briefly remind you
! and | may not be telling you any
! thing you do not already know, gu.
the committee were not Ions in reach
! ing the conclusion that there was not
only evidence but that there had been
! practiced in that voting precinct in
! Auburn on the 9th Of September, not
! only a violation Of the voting laws Of
! this state but a gross and serious
! fraud upon the rights Of those men
, l,to
! that time. and as evidence of that
fraud contestant produced what tho
! committee considered abundant evil
! dcncc to Justify him in making his
/ claim.
/ This evidence consisted first III
! showing various acts of the ward Of
! ticlals there tina. were contrary 10
the strict Interpretation and strict
! letter Of the statute law governing
elections. Your committee did no.
| consider many Of those as at al:
! ldviseEent. Your committee desired
to know and learn If possible what
/ the true vote was that they might
record for that voting precinct COR
| those two candidates. So they
! passed over some OF these minor
/ transgrcssions of the law because t
! did not appear that they had verv
much to Go with the actual counting
Of the ballots. But it did appear and
! the committee were satisfied tina.
! fraud not only existed but was prac-
| ticcd in that ward in that election to
The extent that it would make it i'm
| possible for this committee to deter
I mine by an inspection and count os
| the ballots there cast just the proper
| ton that we're cast for one or the
other of these parties.
| it appeared to the committee, and
! feel that they were satisfied that
( somehow. sometime. during :his
! election day from the opening Of the
! polls ut six o'clock in the morning TO
! he time that they were closed at
, five o'clock at night. somebody by
some means had injected into that
! ballot box at least 60 votes for whom
no one was there to vote. Now yo!,r
! committee were satisfied Of that for
! various reasons.
In the first place the count Of the
check list does not show the number
of ballots that were found in the bal
! lot box. There were taken from that
! box on that night 4o6 ballots. The
| incoming check list showed total
! check marks of 1896, and they were
able to verify the correctness of the.r
incoming check list by comparis ~
! with an unofficial list so-called, ira:
| was kept by party workers on both
! sides Just outside of the voting booth
1t appeared in evidence that at very
nearly the time for closing Of the
polls a comparison between this Ia-
official list and the incoming check
! list had been made and they We're
found to agree. There was further
evidence that only one man voted
after that time. So that l feel war
rantcd or justified in saying to YOU
| senators. that this committee felt
/ satisfied that the incoming check list
/ indicated correctly the number Of
voters in that precinct who had on
! tina. day exercised their right Of
| franchise. Now if things had been
! all stra ght in that ward and you
! could put any credit in the returns,
you certainly should find when you
moved to the other end of the votin-,
! precinct that the outgoing check list i.
! so called. would compare with the in
coming list. II the election were con-
! Quoted properly it certainly should
| agree. That is apparent.
| But the evidence convinced the
I committee that instead OF showing u
! total IF 396 names 1S tho incOmin n