The Labor enquirer., 1888-02-25

man Has uisapPeareo, ana the re-
publican is issuing ballots with
Fellows name on them
IL started for the district he
mentioned and found everything
exactly as he stated. Many oi
the voters did not examine the
ballots furnished them by their
party workers, but deposited them
without inspection. The more in
telligent opened them and saw
the fraud, but few took the trouble
to 60 to another polling place to
procure proper ballots when they
found that none were to be OBJ
tanned in the vicinity.
II set about to remedy this. I
warned each voter as he %
preached to examine his ballot.
The result was Bedlam let loose.
! was surrounded by gang OF
perhaps twenty 'heelers,' most of
whom looked as though they had
attained great distinction in crime,
and was subjected to torrents of
curses and abuse. The burden of
their complaint, stripped df bad
language, seemed to be egthat "a
dude with a clean collar had come
to deprive them of an honest liv-
ing One even went so far as to
threaten my life when he found
that | intended to remain there
and furnish Nicoll ballots to those
who wanted them. A personal
encounter was the result of pre-
venting two of the roughs from
taking ballots forcibly out Of the
hands of a Nicoll voter. The po-
lice we're in with the boys, re-
fused to interfere and seemed to
derive considerable amusement
from the whole affair. The police
also refused to keep the way to
the polling place clear. 1t was
blocked by a part of this same
gang, and every voter had to un-
dergo an examination as to his in
tentions before he could enter.
Intimidation was frequently prac-
ticed on those whose whose polit-
ical views did not meet with ap-
proval of the boys, and in some
instances with successful results
One old man came away without
voting, evidently terrified by
threats that had been made.
Later in the day bribery was
openly practiced. One instance
was so fragrant that ! determined
to challenge the voter. An at
tempt was made to pull me out of
the polling place by force, but the
approval of the police did not
quite extend to this, and was al
lowed to remain. The man was
evidently afraid of perjuring him
self, and at first refused to take
the oath. but the gang backed
him up and insisted; so he finally
swore himself through.
Having been relieved by two
other workers, had an opportu-
nifty about noon of inspecting
some of the other election districts.
In the colored districts, west of
Sixth avenue and south Of Thirty
fourth street, the answer given by
the colored workers was always
the same in its general tenor:
There is too much money aginst
us, said one Of them. My best
friends came to me to-day and
said that they would like to vote
the republican ticket but they had
been offered So for their votes,
and that is too great an induce
ment to them to withstand.
= mentioning the name
of man who keeps an infamous
colored dive in the vicinity has
had $1,000 placed in his hands
with which to carry this district,
and he seems to be spending most
of it, While we were talking
a man shambled up to us and de-
liberately asked in so many words
How much will you give for my
votcl'
This was the uniform expert
ence | met with in going from
one election district to another
The price for votes varied from
So to S., but in two instances
heard Of as much as $40 having