Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-12-05
THE CONTEST AGAIN.
Who is Congressman i'll
the Sixth District ?
THE DISFRANCHIsED VOTERS.
Republican Methods by Which i9f
Democrats were Deprived
of their Sufffages.


Republican party to carry this county in
the recent general election, the point is
reached where nearly 200 Democratic
voters were deprived of their right of
suffrage. In laying these methods bare
the first thing to touch upon are certain
public notices given the voters of Los
Angeles county blythe County Clerk, the
official in charge of this registration.
During the latter part of September,
1886, there was posted in the County
Clerk office of Los Angeles county, and
in other public places in the county, a
card running as follows
VOTERS!
All person whose names are not already
on the Great Register of this county and
wishing to vote at the coming election must
he registered on or before october 2nd,
1886, at which time the Great Register will
be closed as per Sec lll3, Political Code.
G. Fl. DUNsMooR,
County Clerk Of Los Angeles CouHty, Cal.
By Mr.. G.. H. Dunsmoors Instructions
notices were printed in the daily
papers of the city to the effect that
all voters must register by the second of
October or lose their right to vote at the
election in the following November.
These notices went on to set forth that
the clerks office would be kept open until
unusual hours on few evenings pre-
ceding said second of October in order to
allow those to register who could not
reach the office at the regular hours.
The point to be made here is that voters
were distinctly informed that registra-
tion would cease on the day named, and
that those not registered before that date
would lose their vote. This and the
placard posted in public places seemed
to be very definite in their instructions,
and their purport was understood and
very generally accepted and acted upon
by the voters of the county.
It was known to some of the sub.otfi
cials appointed by the Clerk, or the As
SCISSOR, that there was a moot point in law
as to whether citizens registered at a
later daywere not entitled to vote. Some
of the officials Democrats they were) who
knew of this question which might be
raised, did actually go on and register
the names of many voters. About the
middle of October, more than two weeks
before the election came off, and while
the Great Register was still in the hands
of the printers and unfinished, some of
these names were offered to the County
Clerk, either in person or to one of his
qualified deputies who had charge of
this matter of registration, and these
tenders were positively refused by the
official in question.
Now, in the face of the facts above
set forth, about the Goth day of Octo-
Der, Just after these names were refused
a place oa the Great Register, the
County Clerk appointed Gen. john h.
Briefly, the chairman of the Republican
County Central Committee, a deputy
clerk Of the county for the specific pur-
pose of registering the names of voters
in order that these names might go on
the register, and that such voters might
thereby be qualified to exercise their
rights of suffrage. Armed with this
dual power-that of Deputy County
Clerk and that of Chairman of the Re-
publican Central Committee, Gen. Brier-
ly aud his associates issued from the Re.
publican Headquarters tae following
circular, which was distributed broad
cast over the county, and which went,
of course, only into the hands OF Repub-
licans who would know just whom to
get on to the register:
HEADQUARTERS Republican County Committee OF
Los angeles County
7. r. Briefly, Chairman; C. E. Day. Vice
Chairmqn J. H. Book, Secretary; B. W. Lee
Treasurer.
COUNTY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
J. R. Briefly, San Pedro; g. E. Day, J. H
Warren, f. J. Gilmore, T: H: Ward. j. M.
Damron, Los Angeles; F. NJ. Vanderlip, La
manda; J. W. Batcheller, Fruitland; J.V.
Dilley, Norwalk.
street, between Main and Spring.
Los ANGELES, CAL, Oct. 81, 1886.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. '''''.'
The question has been raised whether
electors whose names appear upon the
Great Register of Los Angeles county and
not upon the printed copies of the Register
will be entitled to vote at the general elec-
ton, November 2, 1856;
county has been to follow the mandates OF
Section 1927, Political Code, and reject any
ballot presented by person Whose name Is
not on the Register In use at the Precinct.
dictate that person may vote whose name
does not appear upon the Register in use at
the precinct
EXTRACTS FROM POLITICAL CODE.
Sec. 1lo7. Upon the application of the
marty. in person or in writing, the CLERK
must give him or his agent certihed copy
of the entries upon the Great Register relat'
Sec. ill. A certified copy of an uncan-
celed entry upon the Great Register is PEI,
ma facie evidence that the person named In
the entry is an elector of the county.
Sec. 1927. If the name be founa on the
register in use at the precinct where the
vote is offered, and the vote is not rejected
upon challenge taken, the inspector, or
fudge acting as such, must, In the presence
Of the Board of Election. place the ballot,
without Opening or examining the same, III
the ballot-box; and no person shall be al
lowed to vote whose name is not on such
re gister in use at the precinct.
To enable all to vote who are quallned,
to the printed register to include all electors
who may be registered on or before OCTOBER
You will therefore endeavor to have all
tered attend to that business immediately: J:
Mr.. will receive copies of names OF
electors that were registered up to october
,, 1886. Please examine that list, and II
others should register, look the them up: p:,S we
promptly, and be sure that no votes are
lost by Republicans neglecting to register.
The Deputy County Clerks who are
authorized to register electors are as fol
G. T. Adams, Alhambra; H. 8. Knapp, Ana;
helm; J. T Gordon, Azusa; John sheldon.
Azusa; l. C. Barron. Cienega; ]. Il. Ham,
Compton; J. W. Buster, Downey; w. S. S.Wil-
son, FL Monte; Josiah Russell, Florence; J..
W. Batcheller, Fruitland; F., M. Vanderllp,
Lamanda Park; J. Il. wickersham, Lam
caster; John Lang, Lang's Station: J. II,
Johnson, Long Beach; L. Speyer, Norwalk'
1. seabridge, Norwalk J. F. Powell, New
hall; W. B. ,Forsythe, Orange; |. N. Wood,
Pasadena; X. N. Bates, Pasadena; 7. @.
Thomas, Pomona; II. P. Carroll, La Puente;
W. Il. Moulthrop. San Pedro; W. II. Girls
wold, San Fernando; W: T. Slack, San
Gabriel; G. K. Freeman, Santa Ana; A. b.
caldwell, Spadra; r. Egan, San Juan; g. G.
Twitcheli, Santa Monica; J. M. Ballard,
Tustin. R, T. Harris, westminster; John
q. MCPHERSON, Mcpherson, P. o.
An affidavit of an elector taken before a
Notary Public and sent to the County CLERK
xyiIi antftle the elector to have his name