The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-01
A FAIR BALLOT.
Organization to Prevent Illegal Voting
In King County.

About Is representative business men,
members OF both parties. are said TO have
met In Seattle during the past week and TO
have organized an association whose pur.
pose II will be to prevent Illegal voting at
the coming election. The names OF those
included In the organization are withheld
from the public, but it is understood that
many Of seattle's business men are inter
iefssted in the movement
gentleman who is said to have been
prime mover In forming this organization
was called upon by posT-ISTELLiGgNcEE
reporter yesterday. lie readily admitted
that an organization such as described had
been formed and that he was a member OF
Il, but insisted that X was scarcely proper
70 speak OF him as prime mover, as he
became interested ia the movement only
after the preliminary steps towards or
ganlzation had been taken.
SIS the movement partisan oneg' asked
the reporter.
'sNot at ALL" was the quick response
Cur organization includes members of
both parties, and ! believe there Is even
one Prohlbltionist among our number.
Our purpose is simply TO prevent Illegal
voting 80 far as possible, and to punish II
where II Is impossible to prevent IL.
"why, sir" he continued, waxing warm,
.You have no idea OF the amount of lille.
gal voting that Is done In King county NJ
every election. Those who take an active
interest In politics know OF IL. and the au-
thoritics often know OF II. but proper adj
ministration Of our election laws has never
been known. Illegal voters have no fear
Of being punished. feeling assured that all
interest In the election will cease when
the returns are in aud that nobody will
care 70 prosecute them, IL VIII be differ
ent this time, however We are determined
that there will be fair vote ON Tuesday,
0urmembers have guaranteed ample funds
for all legal proceedings, and II we catch
IN Illegal yotcf We propose TO land him In
the penitentiary II II costs 5000"
!" How do you propose TO nroceeds'
!" II would scarcely do 10 publish our
plans. Even the names OF those connect
ed with our organization win not be made
public unless IL becomes necessary. The
members have been thoroughly instructed
In regard to the election laws, and at least
one OF them win be present at each poll.
lug place in the city throughout election
dag. Besides that, we have several detcc-
lives who have been busy for the past
three days spotting suspicious characters,
aud they will also have their eyes open on
election day. You may be sure that we
will make every effort to stop this Illegal
voting. II we catch man at IL, there
will be plenty OF US ready 10 step forward
and push the proceedings against him.
We have already employed two OF the
most prominent legal firms In the city
aud We win make every illegal voter think
that be has stumbled ON n hornets nest.
tell y0u | am tired OF having my vote Oh
set by that of some bum who never saw
seattle before the day OF election"
"Nill the membership Of your associa
ton BIZ made public after the election
mot unless IL becomes necessary, hu
yen may be sure tina, they are all men VIII,
viii do their duty. We win make An cx
ample Of few of these fellows who thiui
they can vote In every ward. We viii no
offer any rewards or 20 through the usua
Honsense. but we viii have our spoilers =
the polls, and they win do their work, too.
And the irate citizen walked away, afte
Insisting that the papers should say moth
ing about their organization or Its pun
POSES