Martin Lindstedt Route 2 Box 2008 Granby, Missouri 64844 (417) 472-6901 mlindste@mo-net.com http://www.mo-net.com/~mlindste/index.html Kay Baum, Chief Election Official, September 12, 1996 Newton County Clerk Neosho, Missouri 64844 Dear County Clerk Baum: On August 30, 1996, I presented you with a letter explaining my nomination from the Newton County Libertarian Party Central Committee's nominating committee to run for the office of Sheriff of Newton County. This letter explained the legal basis for this political activity, even though it has not been done before or is uncommonly used. Also included in this letter were the relevant forms (RSMo 115.357, Sections 1 and 3) filled out by both the NCLP candidate and the NCLP county chairman -- myself. I also explained the legal reasoning behind my actions and even your possible defenses to aid you in denying my petition. No need to rehash these matters now. As I recollect, we agreed that September 10, 1996 was the last day finding out which candidates were to be printed on the ballot under the banner of their political party. I have waited for two days since Sept. 10, 1996 for confirmation as to whether you have placed my name as a candidate for the office of Sheriff under the Libertarian Party ticket or your RSMo 115.333 Determination of validity or invalidity. Since time is of the essence, I feel compelled to ask whether or not you will issue such a determination in writing, stating your findings of fact and conclusions of law behind such a determination. If you have decided to allow my candidacy under my political party's banner, then I thank you for your patience, time and attention. If not, then I shall feel duty-bound to file for a writ of mandamus in the Newton County circuit court to compel you to place my name on the ballot under the provisions of RSMo 115.333, Section 2. I find it exceedingly strange that a political system self-drained of legitimacy and professing concern as to voter apathy makes it necessary for second-party political candidates to jump through so many procedural and "legal" hoops in order to protect the interests of one-party rule. If I am not allowed to run for the office of sheriff, the present Republican officeholder is assured de jure re-election, much like what happened in Communist Russia, wherein no other political parties and their candidates were allowed on the ballot and write-ins or blank ballots were the only allowed form of political protest. However, if the present political establishment, through the mechanism of their court system, wishes to make such an official statement of illegitimacy and unfitness to rule, then it is fine by me. Sincerely yours, -s- Martin Lindstedt, Chairman & Candidate for Sheriff, Newton County Libertarian Party -------------------------------------------------------------- Comments: The next stop is to file for a writ of mandamus. The County clerk involved talked with the county prosecutor and the Missouri Secretary of State's office and these gutless lawyers said that they thought it was illegal to simply avoid the muss and fuss by putting my name on the ballot, but they refused to put their legal "reasons" on paper in conjunction with RSMo 115.333 Section 1, like they are supposed to. This indicates what a bunch of chickenshits they are, since they can neither obey their own laws nor give reasons as to why they interfere with the candidacy of others. They are pretty much leaving it up to the Newton County Clerk, Kay Baum, to take the rap for their lack of courage in enforcing an illegal law. The rest of the county clerks in Missouri are similarly disgusted with the current Secretary of State's incompetence and lack of moral courage. What we have here are a bunch of elected officials and bureaucrats making a bunch of laws designed to keep them in power. By refusing to put my name on the ballot, it leaves me free to accuse them of running a regime with similar political habits to the National Socialist German Worker's Party of Germany and the Communist Party of Russia -- not letting opposing political parties freely nominate candidates to run for public office. This also puts the lie to official concerns to so-called "voter apathy." Why should voters be placed in a position of merely rubber-stamping the hacks the political parties nominate? Besides, the Newton County Prosecutor, Greg Bridges, got on the ballot and into his new job by being a write-in candidate for the general election as a Republican. However, at the time, his daddy was the County Clerk -- a sizable advantage for a politician, having a relative in charge of counting the ballots..
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