The Bitter Primary: A Local Election Contest
After losing a primary race for county commissioner, C.H. McCready files suit alleging bribery and misconduct by local election boards.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
From all appearances, C. H. McCready does not seem to be a very graceful loser. Having been defeated in the recent primary by Sam Allard for the republican nomination for county commissioner for this district, he drove over to Prosser on last Friday in company with Jim Needham and Frank Clark of Hanford and filed a suit in the Superior court charging the Columbia precinct officials with 'malconduct,' the White Bluffs election board with receiving illegal votes, and Sam Allard with bribery. The charges include allegations that the election board opened the ballot box prior to the legal time for closing, exhibited and counted ballots, and unlawfully electioneered for Sam Allard by instructing electors. The members of the election board in Columbia precinct were Archie Brown, Otto Jaeger and L. N. Fry. The White Bluffs election board was composed of M. S. Meeks, F. D. Edwards, Mrs. F. M. Wheeler, D. D. Atwood and Mrs. Ethel Remlinger. The hearing of the case is set for Saturday, October 11th.
“From all appearances, C. H. McCready does not seem to be a very graceful loser.”
Election integrity and local contestation remain central pillars of civic life in Washington. This 1924 dispute over poll procedure and influence captures a perennial anxiety about who controls the ballot box at the precinct level.
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