The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1936-12-11
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HoPE0F Many
o. B5Jones Says noChange
in Results Expected But
Fair Election Goal y"
Rv O. B. JONES

quiry into the recent county
election constitute a large group.
Most of the 5000 men and wo-
men who voted the Republican
ticket this time are interested in
such an inquiry. Many others who
did not vote the Republican, ticket
are anxious that the investigator
be continued.
The petitioners for the investi-
CATION do not hope to erect
change in the personnel OF those
elected to the county offices. Inc
five thousand did not cast their
votes primarily on the basis OF
personalities; neither did. the ma
iority of them vote upon the basis
of simple partisanship. Most OF
the 5000 men and women went to
the polls unpurchased, unherded,
and voted for change which they
believed to be timely and essen
tial. .''.
Many persons are convinced
that the irregularities which have
already been uncovered incident
to holding the election are repre-,
sentative of hundreds Of others
resorted to by election officials
and party workers to influence the
election results. They believe that
if Justice were meted out that
several persons from this county
would go to the penitentiary Tor
fraudulently manipulating the
election machinery. Most of the
5000 men and women who voted
the Republican ticket would vote
to allow that same justice to be
melted out both to Democrats and
Republicans alike who may have
been guilty of wilfully violating
the election laws Of this state.
Hundreds of our citizens in both
parties are apprehcnsive of the
safety of our. system of govern
ment because practices SUCH as
these which have caused the m
vestigation can go on under the
ewes of the citizenship OF this
state. They want fair, impair
tial investigation. They remember
that it was an investigation in
Wake county that uncovered pand
convicted an election official OF
stuffing a ballot box in the June
primary. Many of the Mcdonald
followers remember that in some
precincts they were not allowed
Judges or other election officials.
sympathetic with their views.
AS was stated above, the results
of the election will likely not be
changed. The petitioners for the
investigation do not hope for that.
But they and all those who are IN
terested in seeing a thorough m
vestigation made are faithfully
trying to bring to the attention
of the citizenship Of this county
the deplorable state of affairs mat
appears to prevail in this COM
munity. 1t is quite conceivable
that without, a single illegal OF
irregular ballot the county might
have remained with the present
party in control, and such result
should have been and would have
been quite satisfactory to every
one concerned, However, no fair
minded citizen can be quite salts
fed with the results of the cleo.
ton so long as there is doubt OF
it's. having been conducted non
estly. r.. 80 e. -, ~ :.
No fair minded man or woman
can understand how eleven per
cent of, the voters of this county
could be absent from the county
on election day. No right think
ING citizen can understand why 1t
should be necessary to amend the
election law especially for Hen
derson county making it unlawful
for any absentee voter to take up
his ballot and vote in person ON
election day. Good citizens OF
both parties were amazed when,
thew learned that the special
amendment to the, law had made,
| Il possible for more than one.
tenth Of the entire election to be,
held before election day. There Is,
in all this not even a semblance
of fairness. 90,
No real citizen should object to,
thorough inquiry into the cleo
ton. practices, and no citizen
should object to the bringing OF,
the guilty into court where their
crimes may be adjudged. The pc
.titioners for the Investigation have
no thought of wreaking, ,venge-,
ance upon gullible yiolators whose,
acts were prompted by some clev-
err manipulation, behind the scenes,
too cowardly to. take the respon-,
sibility. The petitioners. want to
focus public opinion on the ques-
tionable election practices in this
county so strongly that no party
in the, future will dare to resort
to questionable means to carry an
election. y
A man who will steal a vote; or
who will in any manner be a party
to such theft is a dangerous
member Of society. When his tribe
increases sufficiently not only are
elections endangered, but proper
ty rights, moral rights and all that
individuals and society hold dear
are in danger of being. pillaged
and robbed. Indeed it is not a far
cry from conditions such as these
TO rape and murder. Theft of
any. sort will eventually result in
moral breakdown If not checked.
1t was moral breakdown some
where along the line that cansed