The Bowbells tribune. [volume] (Bowbells, Ward Co., N.D.) 1899-1969, 1920-12-10
Charge that '|i:| Illegal Voting
Took Place IN 20 Precincts:

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Notice of Contest Of Election was
served on eight winners of county
offices at the general election held
Nov. 2, the contestees in each in
stance being the candidates who
!, were defeated at the same election.
The grounds for the contest are
many, varied, and mostly imagin-
airy, and there is some question
whether or not the coltestees will
be able to get anywhere in the
courts with them. The notices
were served on the winning candi-
dates on Thursday of last week
& which was the last day on which the
election could be contested. Bangs
e. Robbins Of Grand Forks have
i been employed to, represent the de-
featel candidates, while the Win
/ ners have employed John c. Lowe
OF Minot and Seth H. Richardson OF
Fargo.
This case will come UP for trial
in district court, but it would be
hard to guess what Judge will try
it, Neither of the judges now
serving in this district can try il
for the reason that they are dis
+ qualified on account Of being can.
didates themselves at the election.
The two new judges who take their
Office in this district after the first
of the year are also disqualified for
Z the same reason. An outside judge
& will have to be called in.
This contest will have no eTec,
They have all received their certifi-
ing after the first of the year.
They have all received their 'certiy-
Gates of election and will qualify
and take office the same as though
nothing had happened, and will
& serve until rhe contest is finally
Z disposed of either in the district or
supreme court.
Eight OF the county candidates
who were defeated for county office
by the Nonpartisan League candi-
dates at the election Nov. End have
contested the election of their sue
tessful opponents. Though dec;s-
sivcly beaten at the election they arc
: unwilling to take their defeat with
the. spirit of good sportsmanship
which Immediately after their de
feat they seemed determined to do.
Had these defeated office seekers
retired from the political field az
ter a, MA ajority of the voters had so
plainly shown that they wanted Of
fcers In county Offices more in har-
mony with progressive principles
than they were, they would have re-
tained the respect of all. But the
action they have taken, the methods
they have used, the untrue and un-
founded charges they have made
against honest, upright, Intelligent
citizens and honorable election Of
&fcials In twenty townships of this
county. has brought to them the
enmity and condemnation of all
fair minded people, in the place o.
the respect they might have en-
joyed had they shown themselves
people of honor.
They have charged. that the cleo
ton officials in twenty precincts
made, false election returns. The
have charged the citizens residing
in several Of these townships with
tlisregarding their duties and re-
sponsibilities as ctizens by mark.
ing their ballots openly and public
y: so that, thev might see each okh-
er's ballote and that they did the;e
things with the approval of their
election officials.
55a Such charges as these would net
be made by honorable men without
"a thoro investigation to ascertain
beyond a reasonable doubt that
that they We're based uson fHct".
These Investigations were no made.
II they had invest:g ated E.ey Wou.i
not have made the wild c:lar;gHi
they did For instance Ed. Erin:::.2-.,.
water. Had he investigated, he
would not have cnarged Andrew
Nelson with electioneeiing on els>-.
tion day by soliciting voters to
vote for him and to :'refrain' from
voting, Tor Ed Drinkwater. For
sif he had he would have found
that Andrew Nelson was in Wiscon-
4 sin on, election day and had voted
an absent voters ballot before he
left. 9yS:s$s s 4.
We have investigated most OF
the charges these defeateds office
seekers have made and in every IN
stance thev came. as far from the
truth as the instance cited above
They are a fabricat ion from begin
Ming to end and have earned fol
their Inventor the scorn OF y many
of stheirs forme er sriends. ,s; n.
Expression OF disgust aTeSA NUN q
sseroua " herever a. diseussio on of this
desperate effort Of: sdisscredited office \
seekers to hang on to the public
4 sSteat is discussed Disgust and
wonder. For it seems Incredible tdi
normal people that anyone would " : /
thus sacrifice the good will and Y e, re- s.
fISra
stionabie reward Of hanging on
to county Office during az period 1
Sof d few weeks "A cation Whiclli q .
sis the most &c could do for them a 6 as IS
III they must know that their argos
will sall be explod sd as soon as evil AZ
sSlence can be introduce in the case. @
And so IA sis Wit exp pressio ions Of
wonder as well as disgust that the l1a |
people of Burke cou Al disc tsss the ne
COUNTY poll tical situa alton. They
recall the past pnlitiEal history Of