Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-11-22
CAWASSERS REFUSE
TO CONSIDER VOTES
STYLED As ILLEGAL
Roosevelt County Seat Fight
Gets Warmer; Wolf Points
Counsel Threatens Action.
Special to The Tribune.

Wolf Point, Nov. 21.-The official
eanvassing board Monday completed
the canvass of the vote of "a of. the
~ precincts of Roosevelt county and
by a vote of two to one refused to
canvass the returns from the three
remaining precincts. If the action of
the board were allowed to stand it
would annull some 300 votes, and
change the result on county seat and
possibly some candidates.
The ~canvassing board met last Fri
day, Chairman K. e. Patch, Commits
sioner Lesson and County Treasurer
w. L. Tidland sitting, the latter in
the place of Commissioner Weinrich
| torney, an ~elector residing in Poplar,
objected to the vote of precincts num-
bered 3. % and 81 being counted on
the grounds that certain elections laws
had been violated in each case.
Contest Three Precincts
1t was alleged by Poplar's attorney
| that in two Of the places, No. 8 and %
| the election was held in buildings other
the election notices. In No. 81 it was
alleged that while the election was
held in the designated building it was
illegal because it is on Indian reser-
| walton land.
Wolf Point was represented by At
torneys Hurd and Hallett of Norris,
Hurd, Rhoades & Hallett of Great
Falls. Mr.. Hurd replied to the argu-
ments of Poplar's attorney and quoted
the law to show that it was the duty
of the board to canyass all the returns
regardless of whether the alleged If
Irregularities were true or not, and that
a canvassing board had no power or
| authority to d~isfranchise voters by
throwing out precincts because of the
| errors of officials.
He said it was inconsistent to throw
out one precinct because the voting
had been done in a place not desig-
mated by the county commissioners and
throwing out another precinct because
the voting was lone at the place nam
ed. The board was told by Attorney
Hurd it was their sworn duty under
the law TO canvass all the returns and
declare the result as found, and that
if they refused to do so they would be
compelled to do SO later.
Testimony Is Heard
When the matter of the three dis
puted precincts anne up Monday for
final decision, arguments We're renew
ed by the attorneys and witnesses
were examined. In the case of pre-
cinct No. 3, which is one of the wards
of Bainville, William Powers, a bust
ness man Of that city, stated that the
election was held in the fire hall. which
was the place designated in the cleo
ton call, that it is known to all resi-
dents Of the town as the fire hall, and
is the place the fire apparatus is kept
and where the members of the fire
company hold meetings. 1t appears
that the county commissioners held an
erroneous idea which building was the
fire hall.
In the case of No. 81, some of the
Oldest residents Of the community say
that the place designated and used in
the recent election has been used as
a polling place for more than 30 years,
and is the original Wolf Point polling
place.
Decisive action by the canvassing
board came in the form of a motion by
Tidland to not anvas the three per
cincts objected 10. On this motion
Tidland and Patch voted yes and Lee
son voted no. Lesson had previously
moved to canvass the three precincts
but the motion was not seconded. It'd
land and Patch are both residents of
Poplar. Leeson is from Lanark in the
eastern part of the county.
Feeling Runs High
Attorneys and others regard the
step taken by the two members Of the
~canvassing board as unusual and I'M
precedented and based on flimsy tech
~nicalities that canno work the dis
franchisment of voters. Feeling is
running high among the voters who
stand to lose their votes if the board
maintains its position, but have been
assured that a short delay in moving
the county seat is all that can be ac-
complished BY Poplar's objections.
The Wolf Point committee, through
it's attorneys, will Immediately start
legal action to compel the ~canvassing
board to complete the canvass and de-
clare the result. The complete unof-
fetal vote gives Wolf Point a ma
iority of 191. The 81 precincts can
vassed, it is stated, give Poplar a ma
jority Of S4.
The situation is at high tension, The
proceedings of the canvassers have
been attended by a delegation of 20
or more Wolf Point citizens and the
attorneys. Poplar has also been well
ronrnCpn+nd