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.
.
Back to Lindstedt for Newton County Sheriff or
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