State ex rel. Fair v. Frazier

44 N.W. 471, 28 Neb. 438, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 3
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedJanuary 7, 1890
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 44 N.W. 471 (State ex rel. Fair v. Frazier) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State ex rel. Fair v. Frazier, 44 N.W. 471, 28 Neb. 438, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 3 (Neb. 1890).

Opinion

Cobb, J.

The attorney general having declined to appear for the state, the relator brought his original petition in quo warranto against Kelley W. Frazer, of Dakota county, alleging that he is a citizen of the United States, and of the state of Nebraska, and a duly qualified elector and resident of the county of Dakota, in said state, and was such on the 6th day of November, 1888, and at that time possessed all the qualifications required by law to enable him to hold the office of county attorney in and for said county.

He further alleges that the election was held on the 6th day of November, 1888, in said county of Dakota, and in accordance with the provisions of law, at which election relator was a candidate for said office in said county, and within the proper and legal limits and boundaries of said [441]*441county received 714 votes for said office; that defendant was also a candidate for said office, and within said limits and boundaries received 627 votes, and no more; that relator received a majority of the votes cast at said election within said county of Dakota, amounting to 87 votes, and was therefore duly and legally elected to said office for the ensuing two years.

Further alleges that lying south of and contiguous to the said county of Dakota there is a certain territory and tract of country comprising about seven townships of land, known as and called Omaha and Winnebago reservation; that said tract of country was set apart and ceded to the said tribes or nations of Indians by an act of congress and by treaty with said tribes of Indians, which treaty and act was ratified and confirmed on the 21st day of June, 1854; that said tribes or nations of Indians since said date have owned, occupied, and possessed said tract of country, and still own and possess the same as their reservation and permanent home; that said tribes are in charge of and under the custody, care, and control of an agent, appointed by the president of the United States, who is in charge of the agency on said reservations, established and maintained under the laws of the United States.

Further alleges that the Winnebago tribe or nation of Indians has not abandoned its tribal relations, but still keeps up and maintains the same; that they have not adopted the habits of civilized life, and taken their lands in severalty, nor received patents therefor; that they had not done so prior to the said 6th day of November, 1888, as provided by the act of congress known as the Dawes bill, passed and approved February 8, 1887; that none of said Winnebago tribe or nation of Indians were citizens of the United States, and none of the members of said tribe were citizens of the state of Nebraska, and are not and were not electors of the county of Dakota on the 6th of November, aforesaid, and were not entitled to vote in the [442]*442said county of Dakota, nor for any candidate for the office of county attorney of said county; that of the Omaha tribe or nation of Indians who claimed to have taken their lands in severalty, and who have received patents therefor, and who claimed to be citizens of the United States, under and by virtue of the act of congress, aforesaid, there were twenty-eight who voted on the said 6th day of November, 1888.

Plaintiff further alleges that the legislature of the state of Nebraska, held during the year 1879, passed an act pretending, or attempting, to attach said reservation to the said county of Dakota for election, revenue, and judicial purposes, and claims that said act is unconstitutional and void.

Plaintiff further alleges that twelve days preceding the day of election there was presented to the board of commissioners of Dakota county a petition asking and praying the board to establish a voting precinct or polling place at the government agency, aforesaid, to be known as arid called Winnebago precinct, which petition was signed by only twenty-one persons, eight of whom were government employes, temporarily staying on said agency, in the employ of the United States; that the board of commissioners established the precinct or voting place, as prayed for, under the name of Winnebago precinct; that no precinct officers were appointed or elected for said precinct previous to November 6, 1888; that the county clerk of the county of Dakota — said county not being under township organization — did not make out and deliver, twenty days prior to the holding of said election, nor at any other time, a notice of said election, to be posted in said precinct; that no notice of such election was ever posted by the sheriff in said precinct, and that said precinct was not formed in time to have notices of election posted ten days prior to the time of holding said election, as provided by law; and claims that all the proceedings in relation to the establishing of said precinct were illegal and void, and conferred no right [443]*443or authority upon any of the inhabitants of said precinct to vote at said election ; that 250 votes for the office of county attorney were cast at said precinct by the Winnebago and Omaha tribes of Indians, and the government agents and employes stopping at said agency; that of this number defendant received 193 votes and the relator 57 votes; that said votes were counted and returned to the county clerk and were canvassed by the board of canvassers of said county, which gave defendant a majority of 49 votes; that defendant was wrongfully and unlawfully declared elected to the office of county attorney, in and for Dakota county, for the ensuing 'two years, and the certificate of election was issued and delivered to him by the clerk of Dakota county.

Further alleges that J. F. Warner, the agent in charge of said Indians, his son, M. M. Warner, one William Hedges, A. H. Baker, McCuin, Fitzpatrick, and other government employes amounting to twelve persons, temporarily residing at and having charge of said agency, wrongfully and fraudulently voted at said polling place for the defendant, and their votes were canvassed and returned for the defendant without any authority of law.

Further alleges that at St. John’s precinct, at said election, ten illegal votes were cast and counted for defendant.

Further alleges that the relator, at the election aforesaid, received a majority of all the legal votes east at said election, and was duly and legally elected to the office of county attorney, of said county, for the period of two years from the 3d day of January, 1889 ; that the relator duly tendered his official bond to the proper authority, and demanded possession of said office from defendant, and defendant refused and still refuses to deliver possession of the office to relator.

Prays judgment that the defendant be declared not elected to said office; that he be ousted therefrom and the relator be declared entitled to the same and installed therein.

[444]*444To this information defendant files his answer and alleges :

First — That he was not at the commencement of this action a resident of, nor within the county of Lancaster, nor was a service of summons had on him therein.

Second — That the action was brought against defendant by a private individual, and not by the attorney general of the state; that in actions of quo warranto

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Bluebook (online)
44 N.W. 471, 28 Neb. 438, 1890 Neb. LEXIS 3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-fair-v-frazier-neb-1890.