Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-21
LOCAL DEMOCRATS
SUING COMMITTEE
Charge Primary Was Unfair
and Demand Accounting
for Funds Deposited.

William v. Mahoney and Miss Cora
Leonard Thomas. unsuccessful as
Lpirants for the position Of delegate
from the District of Columbia to the
! democratic national convention at
San Francisco, today filed suit in the
District Supreme Court against Judge
Robert E. Mattingly, PRESIDENT; John
B. Colpoys, secretary. and fifteen other
members of the democratic central
| committee of the District of Columbia
for an accounting.
! The plaintiffs want to know what
| became Of the remainder of the total
deposits of $4.225 made by the sew
| eraI candidates and the cost of the
primary election, which they say did
not exceed $3.50. Each of the plain
! tits asks for the return of the pro-
! portion of the deposit Of 5000 each
which was unexpended.
Primary Call Cited.
The court is advised of the ad-
vertised call for the primary election
and the Qotice therein that a deposit
| would be required from each candi-
date. Each aspirant for national
committeeman was to put up $500:
each wouldbe delegate. $780, and
each member of the central COM
mittee, $25. William NICK. Clayton.
who opposed John F. Costello for ma
tional committeeman, posted $500;
Mr.. Mahoney and Miss Thomas each
deposited 5000. as also did Deets
Pickett and F. c. Roberts, who sought
to be delegates. the court is informed.
| Others named who deposited 5000
each or should have made such de-
posit, it is stated, were Bainbridge
Colby, Timothy T. Ansberry, Mrs.
E. Laskey. Frank B. Lord, Frank
Sprigg Perry. John F. Costello. Alvin
G. Belt, Ben Small. jr.: Robert N.
Harper and John B. Colpoys. John F.
Costello, as candidate for national
committeeman. did or should have de-
posted 5000. it is alleged.
Expenses Accounted For.
June II there should have been in the
| hands of John B. Colpoys. secretary, or
jeremiah O'Connor. as treasurer, the
sum of s4,225 from such deposits. it is
| stated. The expense of conducting the
| primary in each of the twenty-five cleo
| ton districts was limited to one judge
and one clerk at IS each. rent of polling
place, which did not exceed IS, and the
| cost of printing, which should not have
| been more than $500, making a total ex-
penditure Of $3.50.
of the parties participating in the
] primary election who made deposits are
entitled in equity to a pro rata return
| of the unexpended balance of deposits.
Says Primary Was Unfair.
| The charge is made that primary
| was conducted in utter disregard of
the rights of plaintiff to a falr pri-
mary. The official ballots were not
| numbered and were intrusted, it is al
| legged, to the judge and clerk selected
| by the defendants and plaintiffs were
denied the right to have a judge and
| clerk at each polling place. The bal
lots were not counted ht at era .ae rapurnag pUng
r. the headquarters of the central
committee for count
It is also pointed out that the judge
or clerk who carried the ballots to
Headquarters Was the una1innogd naIiinp piace ~
These alleged frauds were called to
the attention of Mr.. Colpoys, it is
stated. and a demand made for an ac-
| counting as to the receipts and ex-
penditures of the primary. and the
renmest has been refused, the court is
In addition to Judge Mattingly and
Mr.. Colpoys the following are named
defendants; James ann z; ytn Watson iosenh senh
Daley. Jere F. Mccarthy, William T.
Wheian. Walter J. Costello. Hamilton
Ficklin, George II. Emmons. Harry j.
Wells, jeremiah O'Connor. James ".
| PnvPr. COrnel1uS d. hCuOdAys SAdAlCS
r Dausch and Michael ]. Coffey. At
torney F. Edward Mitchell represents
the plaintiffs.
| Contest Known Last Week.
Tt was learned last week that
contest would be made against the
stating of the Districts delegates
elected at the primaries here June IL
hv w v. Mahoney and others. 1t is re-
i nS,rted that some of them are on the
wav to San Francisco to make the
contest before the democratic nation
al committee. Mr.. Mahoney said that
counsel in San Francisco had been
retained.
,eceived a letter from the defeated
Candidates for delegate saying that
a suft would be instituted il the un-
exnended portion of the money posted
nv them was not returned. He said
that the central committee would
fight such suit.
Reforei the primaries Judge Mat
tinrly said these complaints urged
that any unexpended balances of the
money posted be returned after the
nrimariee, but that they were told
the unexpended balances would be
turned over to the democratic ma
tional committee for use in the cam
paiRn. The Bryan candidates finally
agreed to this plan. he said. and en-,
tered tho primaries.