The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-10-31
LOOK OUT FOR FRAUD.

1t is not doubted that if the political par
ties in this territory were nearer equal as
to numbers the Liberals would steal the
election next week The party managers
are equal to an act of that kind. Less than
a year sgo a special train went over the
Rio Grande Western carrying officials list
ing men to vote the Liberal ticket in this
city. 1t is believed that hundreds of names
of men who had no right to cast ballot in
Salt Lake were thus registered, and many
of the men were brought here just before
election, their expenses being paid from
the Liberal campaign fund. 1t is known
that the names of many Peoples party
voters have been arbitrarily stricken from
the registration lists just previous to late
elections; qualified citizens have gone to
the polls to vote and there learned for the
first time that the right to vote had been
taken from them by some Liberal registra-
ton officer who had taken advantage of his
power to help his party by reducing the
vote of the opposition. One Liberal cleo
ton Judge is now under indictment await
ing trial on the charge of changing Peoples
ballots for Liberal tickets at the polls.
We mention these things to show that
Liberals are not above taking by fraud
what they cannot gain by fair means, and
to call attention to the danger which con-
fronts the Peoples party at the coming
election. The Peoples majority is so over
whelm1ng that one can with difficulty be-
feve that there are men with the brazen
impotence and the disregard of the law
who would attempt such monstrous fraud
as would be necessary to overcome that
majority. And yet we are told that some
of his managers have assured the Liberal
candidate that he will be elected. He has
too much common sense to permit him to
think that it can be done honestly, and
wonders how his election can be brought
about. In this connection it is said that the
registration lists Just hung out in this city
show that there has been a wholesale
striking off of the names OF voters; that
the registration officers have been exercis-
ing their authority arbitrarily, and with
out notice to the parties and without ex-
PLANTATION have omitted from the revised
lists the names of many whose right to
vote cannot be called into question. To
what extent this striking off has been done
cannot now be told. We have not heard
from other counties and outlying districts,
but if the same course has bsen followed
there as is said to have been pursued here,
it will look as il the Liberals were
deliberately and detiantly planning to over
come the Peoples majority, large as it is,
not at the polls, but before the voting be-
gins. If there be such plot we cannot be-
heve it will succeed; the fraud would be
too gigantic, the theft too bare faced. But
1t stands citizens everywhere in hand to at
once see TO 1t that they be not DISTINGUISHED
without cause and deprived of the right to
vote by an officious and defiant registration
officer working in the interest of political
party. Every Peoples party man should
ascertain Immediately if his name has been
stricken from the list, and if it has he
should lose no time until the name has
been reinstated. Also the committees in
the several precincts should act in this
matter and not trust entirely to the
wronged individuals. Prompt and effect
i've work is necessary, whether or not fraud
is intended. The People may outnumber
the opposition two to one, but the former
have no votes to spare when in contest
with such an enemy as they sre now deal
ing with