26 N.E.2d 1002 | Ind. | 1940
The record in this cause was filed and the cause submitted on April 29, 1940. The parties have joined in a stipulation waiving the time for filing briefs and the right to a petition for rehearing. The matter appears to be of public interest because it involves the general primary election to be held on May 7, 1940.
On April 22nd the appellant filed an action in mandate against the appellees in the Huntington Circuit Court. The appellees are the county election commissioners. The complaint alleges that on April 6th the *181 relator filed his declaration of candidacy for precinct committeeman for precinct 6 in Huntington township, in said county, in the office of the county clerk; that the election commissioners met on April 18th to prepare the ballot to be voted on at said primary election, and at said time refused to recognize the declaration of the relator and omitted his name from said ballot. The relator's declaration of candidacy is made an exhibit to the complaint. This document was signed, "Gene G. Scher." The complaint alleges that relator was registered as a voter under the name of "Eugene Gabriel Scher," and that the declaration of candidacy bears a memorandum over the signatures of the election commissioners as follows: "5 P.M. April 18, 1940, Disqualified. Signature not correct. Not same signature as Registration Card." The complaint asked for a mandate against the appellees to compel them to place the relator's name on the ballot for said primary. The appellees demurred to the complaint for want of facts. The trial court sustained the demurrer; the appellant excepted and refused to plead further; judgment was rendered for appellees; and this appeal followed.
We are first confronted with the motion to dismiss the appeal. The assignment of errors is entitled: "State of Indiana on the Relation of Eugene G. Scher, Appellant vs. E. Porter 1-4. Ayres, Guy B. Huber and Russell Griffith, As Election Commissioners of and for Huntington County in the State of Indiana, Appellees." The body of the assignment of errors recites that, "The appellant, Eugene G. Scher, says there is manifest error, etc." The point is made that the State on the relation of Scher is the proper party appellant, and that the body of the assignment indicates that Scher in his individual capacity is the sole appellant. The appellees rely upon Board ofPublic Safety v. *182 Walling (1934),
The demurrer to the complaint admits the allegations thereof which are sufficiently pleaded. We are therefore presented with a single question and that is, whether the fact that the 5-8. relator was registered under the name of "Eugene Gabriel Scher" authorized the election commissioners to reject the declaration of candidacy executed in the name of "Gene G. Scher." Courts take judicial notice of the usual abbreviations or corruptions of Christian names in common use. 20 Am. Jur., Evidence, § 69. Webster's *183
New International Dictionary (2nd Ed.), 1935, is authority for the statement that "Gene" is a diminutive of the Christian name "Eugene." "Gene" and "Eugene" may therefore be regarded as synonymous, and the appellees ought to have so treated them. Ordinarily the law recognizes but one given name, and the middle name of a person, or the initial thereof, may be rejected as surplusage. O'Connor v. State (1884),
The judgment of the trial court is reversed, with directions to overrule the demurrer to the complaint. The right to file petitions for rehearing having been waived by the parties, the clerk is directed to certify this opinion to the Huntington Circuit Court forthwith.
NOTE. — Reported in