The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-13
lie Quietly Arranges to Have the Polls Opened
In Heavy Democratic Wards an Hour Be-
fore the Generally Expected Time.
Taggart's False Pretensions of Friend
ship to the COlored People.
Dissatisfaction Among Workingmen Over the
Unfair Manipulation Of the Central Labor
Union in Bynqm's Interest.
ANOTHER OF oor,s SCHEMES.

an Hour Earlier than Expected.
The Democratic inspectors, of whom there ie
one IN every voting precinct of the county ex.
cept In the four townships having Repuolican
trustees, who act as inspectors by virtue of their
office will have absolute control of the next
election, from the time the first vote is cast to
the last return passed upon by the canvassing
board. More than this, the inspector in each pre-
cinct will have the power to appoint two judges
to act with him--oEe Democrats and the other
Republican. This is the beginning of his au-
thority, and it gives to the Democrats
majority of the precinct election board,
which will pass upon all questions relating
to the suffrages of the people. Again the
election board will appoint two clerks,
one a Republican and the other Democrat.
Thus all power in appointment falls upon the
Democratic inspector who will be sure not to
give the people an opportunity to select Judge
at the polls, which they can do if the inspector
fails to act Sim Coy, having assumed the au-
thority of the auditor to rctify these inspectors
to qualify, las this is matter of great impor~
lance, and must be attended to without delay"
will see that every inspector appointed by him.
with the approval of the County Commissioners.
Having conducted the election to suit them
selves, the inspectors will sit as canvassers Of
their own returns The law places upon this
board a ministerial duty only, but it is all Sim
Coy asks as the caIvassers will have no author
ty to reject tally paper, poll-book certificate
returned from any election by the board OF
judges thereof for want of FORM nor for lack OF
being strictly in accordance with the directions
contained in the election law if the same can
dWe satisfactorily understood" But the law goes
further in the next sentence, and says "such
board of canvassers shall in no case reject the
returns from any precinct, if the same be certi-
fed by the board of election of the precinct" No
matter what the return is, SO it is signed
as directed, the canvassers must accept
it and count the votes thereon. 1t may expose
the most glaring frauds in cancellation of tallies
credited to a Republican candidate, and added
to his Democratic competitor but the canvass
ers have the power to receive 1t without inquiry
into such acts of injustice The tallies may
carry with them absolute proof of having been
reached by an illegal count of illegal votes from
a stuffed ballot-box and yet there is no help for
the candidates or candidate thus wronged. If the
election board appointed by q Democratic in
spector says the return is all right and gives it
certifcation.
About year ago the exciting incidents at
tending the recount of the vote of the mayor
atty election occurred The Democrats had sway
through Sterling Holt and Albert Ayres, the re-
counting commissioners representing that party.
Sim Coy and John II. Sullivan were watchers In
the interest of Cottrell, but the majority of the
board and Sullivan, as we'll, obeyed the orders
of Coy He was the master of the situation and
advised the breaking of the sealed balot.box
containing votes that had been recounted, in
order that they might be counted again to pro-
duce different result Sullivan got the Ratchet.
Sterling Holt used it, and Albert Ayres acqui-
esced in the proceeding Ayres Is the Demo
cratic candidate for criminal Judge and Sullivan
the Democratic candidate for county clerk, with
Sim Coy the ruler of the party machinery. Dur
ing this recount Coy insisted on
handling the ballots when they were
emptied by precincts on the table.
He had his upper lefthand vest pocket at all
times bullying out with Democratic tickets The
Democratic contestant for the mayoralty. while
the ballots were being sorted would always make
it a point to stand between the Republican
watcher and Coy, who held his position directly
in front of Holt and Ayres. Several crisp new
tickets never failed to turn up among those that
had passed through the hands of voters. ana
they were counted, cre6itedt to Cottrel strung and
replaced in their ballot.box, which was reseaed.
When the tallies were added and Cottrell still
wanting a few to be elected, Holt and Ayres al
lowed Coy to recount them again. The bright,
crisp tickets that never passed through voters
hand, again appeared in increased numbers, but
after all Coy had to give up the count How
ever he consoled himself with the remark that
if he had another chance his man would be
elected
This is one of the Coy methods, and no one
need be told what he will demand or the Demo-
cratic inspectors at the approaching election Ii
is no who had them appointed and he will not
miss the opportunity TO remind them, as he does
the police, eff it had not been for me you fell
lows would not be on this board" AS he con.
trolled the recounting commissioners so he mas
tered Commissioners Sahm and Reveal in the
appointment of the inspectors. Those two
officers, who, under the law, should
have made the appointments delayed
doing SO until Coy and Spencer the county attor-
ney. came in at the last hour of about the last
day of the June term with the list prepared The
Commissioners ratified the selections, and prob
ably not one of them except Sahm knew who
were to be appointed.
On the same day Coy asked of these Commits
sioners an order to have the polls opened at 6
o'clock in the morning. A law Of the last Legis-
lature gave the board authority to do this ia
every precinct, where twenty voters applied
for the change. The Commissioners had ia
their possession applications from every pre-
cinct of city and township except the Third of
the Second ward, First of the Tenth and the
three precincts of the Eleventh In all other
precincts but these the County Commissioners,
at the bidding of Coy, have ordered the opening
of the polls at o'clock in the morning That
change was made has been known for some time,
but through Democratic reports many Ros
publicans on the South Side have the
idea that o'clock was the hour
named. 1t Is an hour earlier, and
is in keeping with other Coy methods. At that
time it will still be dark. The manipulation of
the poll books can be done at any time during
the day. but it is necessary to get in as many
fraudulent votes as possible before Republicans
are very thick about the polls of Democratic
wards. Late IN the evening, just before the
polls are closed it is expected to have the ballot
opment of the scheme in having the polls opened
at o'clock in the morning.
This order was passed ostensibiy 1T the re-.
quest of twenty voters in each precinct 1t Ii
known that the petitions, before they were pre-
sented, were in the hands of Sim Coy They
were carried to the board by County Attorney
Spencer. Whether the signatures were real or
fictitious does not appear. The petitions are
&C Ia,