The Democratic Primary of 1920 was a contested election in Lawrence County.
The Forty-Third General Assembly of Arkansas was scheduled to convene on January 10, 1921.
J.D. Doyle was a long-time member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, and was running for another term. It’s unclear when J.N. Pearce entered the race. The Democratic Central Committee met in Powhatan on August 13 and found that Doyle had won by thirty-eight votes: 1150 against 1112. On August 16, they presented Doyle with a certificate, officially naming him as the rightful nominee.[1] Pearce declared the election fraudulent and demanded a recount.[2] At the time, registered voters in Arkansas had to pay poll taxes, and their names were checked against the list on voting day. Those who hadn't paid and could not demonstrate proof were disqualified. Pearce claimed that many of Doyle’s votes came from people who received bogus poll tax receipts if they agreed to vote for him, and if these were thrown out, he would have won by a large margin. Pearce also charged that the townships of Campbell, Boas, and Cache had refused to recount the votes in their jurisdiction, even when he accused them of numerous irregularities.[3] There were even reports of a corrupt election judge in Portia and that the residents were determined to prosecute him, but the outcome of this story is unknown.[4]
The case was first heard at Powhatan by Judge Dene H. Coleman on September 27.[5] Lawrence County had been divided into two districts—east and west—in 1887. Section 4 of Act 85 said, “No process except subpoenas for witnesses, criminal process and executions issued by the circuit court of one district, shall be served on any citizen or resident of the other district.” Doyle’s attorneys argued that since their client lived in the eastern district and Pearce in the west, the court at Powhatan had no jurisdiction in the case. Judge Coleman agreed, and the case was dismissed. Pearce appealed to the Supreme Court of Arkansas, who ruled that the lower court had erred in interpreting Section 4, remanded the dismissal, and ordered a new trial.[6]
The case went back to Powhatan, where Judge Coleman again presided. He denied a second motion to dismiss the case. An official recount began in Walnut Ridge, Hoxie, and Cache.[7] By November 10, the Gazette was reporting that Doyle had won, despite challenges from Republican candidates of irregularities (which they could not prove). However, this article mentions that Pearce’s challenge was still pending before the Supreme Court, but no record of further hearings can be found.[8] This seemed to settle the debate once and for all.
J.D. Doyle went on to serve in the House for many years, but his name was always attached to the scandal, remembered as an incident that “attracted considerable attention.”[9]
[1] “Pearce v Doyle.” The Southwest Reporter. Vol. 224. St. Paul, Minnesota. West Publishing Company. 1921. p740-41.
[2] “Doyle Elected by Fraud, He Charges.” Daily Arkansas Gazette. August 24, 1920. p5.
[3] “Lawrence County Election Case to the Supreme Court.” Arkansas Democrat. October 4, 1920. p1.
[4] “Doyle Not Out of Woods Yet.” Batesville Guard. August 27, 1920. p8.
[5] “Election Case September 27.” Batesville Guard. September 3, 1920. p6.
[6] “Pearce v Doyle.”
[7] “Doyle Election Case is on Trial.” Arkansas Democrat. November 4, 1920. p1.
[8] “Doyle Wins in Lawrence.” Daily Arkansas Gazette. November 10, 1920. p8.
[9] Arkansas Democrat. April 2, 1922. p12.
