Butler Citizen

In another place of this paper will be seen a card from Mr. Porter W. Lowry relative to his communication in the Citizen of last week, signed "A Voter." The occasion for the communication of Mr. Lowry grew out of the removing and destroying of the box and ballots therein, as cast by the Republican voters of the Second ward of this borough at the late delegate primary election on the 5th inst. The box and ballots, it seems, had been left at the Wick House, where the election was held, and put in the care of Mr. Wick until called for. Capt. Samuel Walker, as Judge, and Geo. C. Pillow and W. Howard Colbert, Esqrs., as clerks, held the said election. From Mr. Colbert's statement, also published last week in the Citizen, it seems an agreement was made between him and Capt. Walker, after closing the election, that they two should meet at the Wick House after the County Convention of 7th inst. was held, and get the box and ballots for the purpose of destroying them. No certain time was named for the meeting and they did not meet together. Mr. Colbert, however, it seems went alone for the box after said Convention, and procuring it from Mrs. Wick took it to his office, or rather the law office of John M. Greer Esq., and himself. From this fact it appears all the complaint and trouble has arisen, concerning this ballot box. Capt. Walker and Mr. Pillow are of one way of thinking in some of our political matters and Mr. Colbert is of another way. Hence a surmise arose that the box and ballots had been procured by Mr. Colbert for some unfair or improper purpose, and in consequence there was much talk and complaint, and articles even appeared in the Pittsburgh Dispatch and some the prints of this place on the subject. These coming to the knowledge of Mr. Colbert he at once made the sworn statement we published last week, in which he says "he took the box and ballots to his office and burned them, intact, in the stove of his office; and that not a ballot was disturbed or examined by him, nor was a box or a ballot seen or handled by any person whatsoever after he received it from the hands of Mrs. Wick." This statement of his should quiet all complaint in the matter. His affidavit as published should be accepted as satisfactory unless it can be shown to be incorrect. There is no allegation, we believe, that any recount of the ballots might or could have altered any result.

The closing part of Mr. Lowry's article of last week refers to another matter which his card of this week more fully explains. This matter, so far as we can learn, arises out of a due bill of John M. Greer, Esq., having been given to A. L. Craig, late County Treasurer, and transferred by Mr. Craig to Mr. Miller, present County Treasurer. Mr. Miller claims this due bill of Mr. Greer's was an individual matter and has since been settled with him and that the county could in no way have lost anything in the matter. Mr. Lowry, it will be seen by his card, states that he had this Greer due bill matter wholly in his mind when writing his first article and did not mean to convey the idea that Mr. Miller was now making, or had at any time since he has held the office, made any improper loan or use of its funds. Mr. Miller, so far as we know, has been a careful County Treasurer, and is discharging his duties to the public properly. And this, and the first above statement, is made thus fully by us in order that no injustice be done to any party concerned.