The morning call., 1890-10-24
ELECTION FRAUDS.
High.Handed Proceedings Of a
Partisan Board.
Registrar Smiley Accuses M. Livingston OF
Fraudulent Registration, and Will Have
Him Cited Before the Authorities.


Election Commission of this or any other
administration characterized by such pro-
ceedings as Yesterdays. Others have been
noiser and more disgraceful in conduct. but
the hand of fraud has never shown itself SO
openly and above board.
Auditor Strother was more than usually
pregnant with buncombe. and the tinIe that
was not consumed in consummating the jobs
of the Democratic County Committee was
spent by him in viifying the Registrar and
posing for the populace.
An obscure politician named Dougherty
demanded of the Registrar why it was that
Mr.. Vollers, who had been appointed by the
Democratic County Committee to assist in
purging the register. had not been permit
ted to prosecute his work?
Mr.. Smiley replied that man unknown
to him walked into his Office and COM
menctd taking unusual liberties with the
records He stated who he was and who
sent him there, and then demanded the rec
ords. He was told that he was not wanted
and invited to keep out of the office, but that
if he insisted upon seeking the list of cita-
tons he could do so in the Supervisors cham
bers, where the commission met.
THE EVENT OF THE MEETING.
The greatest burst and confusion of the
meeting, however, occurred when DOugherty
ecared that something is going wrong in
the matter of citations. when old and re-
spected citizens are called upon to appear
and explain their citizenship.
Stroller took this As pointer to air him
self and. after swelling up, launched out
one of his characteristic Trades. He had
carefully prepared and studied the speech
beforehand, and was able to get 1t off with
great dramatic effect, that is to please the
gallery and those 10 whom he always caters
10 stumbled Sjona lV hut fOnpi little
difficulty in filling in the gaps.
After the meeting was over he sent the
manuscript down to an evening paper that
he partly owns, with instructions to print it
with great care and place 1t in prominent
position.
In his speech he reviewed the acts Of the
commission up to date, laying great stress
always on the personal prOnoun "a" He
criticized the acts of the Registrar in the
matter of excluding the appointed clerk
from his office as exceeding his authority.
He thought it the duty Of the commission to
insist upon the appointed clerks having
access to the records of the Registrar, and he
moved that four expert clerks be appointed
by the board to examine the matter OF
citations, and if Mr.. Smiley refused to per-
nit them access to his records, to apply to
the courts for writ of mandate to compel
him to recognize such CLERKS. The speaker
laid great stress upon his desire to purify
the registration.
CARRIED HIS OWN MOTION.
Notwithstanding the attempt of Com
missioner O'Brien to explain that Mr..
Smiley is doing all that could be done to
purge the register and had no use for more
clerks Strothcr put his motion without con-
sideration aud declared it carried
He then explained that two Of the four
clerks would he Democrats, and Two Re-
publicanS, and claimed that such appointees
would have right, under direction of the
n iv,fn u StN,i1a laws at
fee records for the purpose OF. examining
and tallying citations.
Attorney Alderman thought the commits
sion was adopting course which would
fall short of its object. No doubt Mr..
Smiley would refuse the new clerks access
to his records, and the Supreme Court is
now at Los Angeles and it could not avail
for any application of mandamus. BE thought
the doubtful list should be taken up and
dealt with consecutiveIy.
Mr.. Dorm agreed to the proposition, and
right on the heels of it a scene followed.
Every body desired to speak. and all at once.
James Ryan was cited because he mad lost
his naturalization papers. The citation was
dismissed. The same course was taken rs
10 Pierre Jacobs
Alexander Van Gleason had been refused
registration because he had not resided thirty
days in the precinct. The voter said he had
resided in the precinct with his family seven
or eight years, but is frequently absent in
the country Citation dismissed
Isaac Levingston said he had resided for
sixty days at the Overland House, 523 Sac
ramento street where he works. He Keeps
part of his clothing a. his brothers house,
and calls his home 1916 0FarreI street.
His register from the Overland House was
allowed to stand, Mr.. O'Brien voting no.
This case occupied the board fully fifteen
minutes.
A DEMOCRATIC HoTBED.
NJ
the Overland House. the hotbed of Demo-
cratic colonies, was called to explain how
he came to be registered from the Overland
when his residence is 1915 Octavia street.
1t was stated that every year for ten years
his name appeared in the Directory as re-
siding on Octavia street, but that he al
ways has registered from the hotel. Mr..
Dorm claimed that he should register from
his family home, while Mr.. Hayes claimed
that he had right to register from the
hotel if he wanted to. This was such a
rank case of fraud that even the PARTISAN
commission could not swallow it, and it or
dered Mr.. Levngston transferred to his
proper precinct in the Western Addition.
William J. Fitzgerald had changed his
room in the same house only and his cita-
tion was dismissed.
Edgar Moore said he had resided at the
What Cheer House since June last Pre-
c!nct Officer l.. j. Hart said he was marked
doubtful, as not residing IN the precinct
long enough. His registration was allowed
to stand.
DR. Lovejoy certified that he had resided
ninety days in the county, and he was al
lowed to vote.
Ernest Held had lived in the precinct
where registered for months, but had moved
into another precinct. His registration was
cancelled, under decision of the Supreme
Court.
Nathan L. Walters said he had resided
eight months where registered, aud his
NAME was left undisturbed.
John Cannon does business in this city,
but sleeps at his home in San Mateo County.
Part OF his family resides there and part in
this city. 1t was decided that he should
vote in San Mate0 County.
Michael Sullivan is an inmate of AL
Whites clearinghouse, at 423 East street.
He was asked by Attorney Alderman how
much he paid for his room. MIR. O'Brien
and Attorney Dorm objected to the question,
but the Commissioners allowed it. He did
not know what he paid. Did not know how
many rooms there are in the building, nor
did he know any of the fifty-three persons
registered from the same house of one floor
All were marked doubtful.
1t was decided not TO hear any more cita-
tons from this place until the commission
had investigated 1t personally. Mr.. Bendt's
place near the foot OF Clay street was also to
be investigated.
WHITES LoDGING-HoUsE,
The Commissioners met at Whites place
in the afternoon and were shown around
willingly by White himself. He explained
that the men who are registered from his
place worked all along the waterfront, and
very frequently across the bay. They " ould
have job that would last three or four
days and would be gone for that length of
time, and would then return and stay at his
place for couple Of days They made his
saloon their headquarters and their home.
Going through the house thirty beds were
found in nine rooms. One room had seven
beds in it; one had five and another four;
two had three, and four rooms contained
five beds. The beds were simply cots, and
had no bedding ON them save comforter.
At the back of the bar-room were three
small rooms, all Of which had two cots in
them
At Bend's place on Clay street there were
fourteen rooms, all well furnished. The
eleven men from his place were cited to APP
pear on the 25th inst.
Late in the evening reporter called on
Mr. Smiley to see if lie had anything to say
about the days proceedings, and, indeed,
found he had deal Of interesting gossip,
and a few little plans on hand that may
prove OF immense interest to certain partteS