May 11, 1921
A final attempt to get the two political factions at Harrietta together failed and the recall election will be held as ordered on May 25. Some of the principals and their attorneys were in conference yesterday regarding a possible patching up of the difficulties but it was decided to go through with the affair. Accordingly, Mrs. Minnie Southwick, president; Robert Freeman, clerk, and four of the trustees, will go before the village electors seeking vindication for their course through which the results of the March 7 election defeating these officers have been ignored because the election board put in by the opposite faction on election day failed to properly file a statement of the result. The official ballots for the recall election now are being printed. Under the official heading for the special election, which is being conducted by Judge Fred M. Breen, of probate court, under Act 44 Public Acts 1917, appears the phrase, "For the Recall of Minnie Southwick from the office of President of Harrietta, Mich." Each of the six officials has a separate ballot, the name only being changed. Next comes "the reason for demanding the recall of said officer" as asked by the 47 petitioners, which in the case of Mrs. Southwick is given as follows: "She has willfully failed in performing her duties in refusing to canvass the returns of the village election held March 7, 1921." Below the demand for the recall is given the justification of the officers for their course. Southwick has given hers as follows, and the same will be used by the others: "I, the undersigned officer, who is sought to be recalled, hereby state that the reason given for such recall is false. I never refused to canvass the returns of the village election because no returns ever were presented to me so that I could canvass them. I am not to blame because the persons whom the other side put in as inspectors of election did not know enough to make out and file the proper returns with the village clerk. How could I canvass something I never saw? The law expressly states that the ballot box when once sealed shall not be opened until the next election. It is a criminal offense to tamper with a ballot box, and I refused to become a criminal â that is all. I did not refuse to canvass the returns because there were never any made."