Thacher v. Secretary of the Commonwealth

This is a petition for a writ of mandamus to compel the Secretary of the Commonwealth to place upon the official ballot, to be used in the county of Barnstable at the State election on the fourth of November next, the name of the petitioner as a candidate of the Republican party for the office of county commissioner; and to desist from placing upon that ballot the name of Benjamin F. Bourne as such candidate. The essential facts are that the petitioner is a resident of the town of Barnstable in the county of Barnstable. At the primaries held on the ninth day of September last, the name of the…