Townsend Ties Up To Judson

A petition has been filed by Congressman-elect Charles E Townsend asking for a recount of the vote on congressman in every precinct in this county. The petition was filed with the county board of canvassers Wednesday. It was not accompanied by the required deposit of $100 and upon that being demanded before its being considered, Attorney F. A. Stivers said he would go out and get it. "Yes," you'll have to go out and see the boss," was remarked.

The stature calls for a deposit of $100. A recount of the votes of Washtenaw county will cost the country at least $800 and probably will cost about $950.

Why is it desired? The reason is to decide some election bets, made by Mr. Judson and his followers, and for this it is sought to put the country to great expense.

When the $100 is deposited, the board will probably adjourn until tomorrow morning to give Mr. Kearney, who will appear as Mr. Wood's attorney, an opportunity to put in his answer.

The petition is as follows:

To the Board of County Canvassers of Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor, Mich.:

Your petitioner, Charles E. Townsend, of Jackson, Michigan, was a candidate for congress on the republican ticket, for the Second congressional district of Michigan at the election held Nov. 4,. A. D. 1902, and believes that he is aggrieved on account of mistake made in the canvass of the votes by the inspectors of election in the following townships and precincts in the county of Washtenaw: (Here follows a list of every ward and town in the county.)

 And I hereby deposit with the clerk of said board, the sum of $100 in compliance with the statute in such case made and provided, and I hereby request and petition that a recount of the ballots be had in said townships and precincts.

CHAS. E. TOWNSEND.

Subscribed and sworn before me this 11th day of November, 1902.

CLAUD R. ROGERS, Notary Public

It is not believed by outsiders that the board of county canvasers will  ultimately grant the petition for two reasons- (1) A recount of a congressional vote is made only by a committee of congress. (2) The petition for a recount under the statute must be made by an aggrieved party. The question is asked how is Mr. Townsend aggrieved when he has a majority of 3,500 in the district?

It is not charged that any intentional fraud was anywhere committed, only that the inspectors may have made mistakes in counting sufficient to wipe out the slender majority of 14 for Gen. Wood Washtenaw. On the other hand a recount is just as liable to increase it.

The anti-Judsonites who voted against Mr. Townsend are calling the attention of the "antis" who refused to believe that Mr. Townsend was tied up to Judson to this as proof positive that he was, because to save Judson a few hundred dollars election bets, he is willing to put the county of Washtenaw to an even larger expense without any possible benefit accruing to himself.

The citizens of Washtenaw do not believe that the election machinery of the state can be invoked simply to decide election bets, and Mr. Townsend has followed Judson into a tremendous political error.