St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-30

One of Which May Get the
Atlantis Into Serious Diff
ficulty.
The Last Desperate Scheme Of
a Beaten Political
Gang.
Is there more serious crime capable
of being committed against the liberties
and the rights of an American citizen
than his disfranchisement?
The right of suffrage is sacred one.
secured to every citizen of this republic
by the constitution itself. Indeed, so
strong is the sentiment of the American
people upon this question that even the
most revolutionary proceedings have in
the past been considered justifable
when this right has been attacked by
self-seeking men in whose eyes nothing
is held sacred. Probably the most das-
tardly scheme of disfranchisement
ever thought of was conceived by the
Republican city committee several days
ago, and boldly sprung at number of
the voting precincts Yesterday. The
scheme in brief was to take from $50 to
200 names of Democrats from the regis
tration lists of the two previous days
and secure the affidaviJs of two ire
sponsible parties saying that the voters
n rnCi6nntc nf r6
in which they were registered. This
done, the committee, through its tools.
would demand that these names be
erased from the registration lists under
that section of the new election
law which says that sit shall
be the duty of said board
to erase from the registers the name of
any person inserted therein who shall
be proved ON the oath of two qualified
electors of such district, to the satisfac-
tion OF the board, to be in any way dis
qualified to vote in such district at the
ensuing election With the names OF
say one-half of the Democratic voters
erased on the last registration day too
late to be rectified and again registered,
the Republican tricksters figured on
making ten-Strike.
But it didn't work to any extent in
the precincts referred to above.
An Infamous Scheme.
In the Third precinct of the Sixth
ward the judges of election were Joseph
Guion, John Ryan and William
W. Leyde, the latter being the
Republican member of the board. The
registration of the first two days went
along nicely without whimper from
Mr.. Leyde, but yesterday w. b. Bourne,
the Republican committeeman from the
Sixth ward, got Mr.. Leyde in tow, and,
so Mr.. Leyde states, had him sign what
he supposed to be challenging list.
The other signer on this peculiar docu-
ment was man named d. G. Ryan, and
the paper turned out to be list of 15S
voters, and Mr.. Leyde had sworn that
he knew that all of the 15S were not
qualified voters. This paper was served
on the board late last evening.
and the presiding judge, Joseph
Guion, who is acquainted with
nearly every man registered was so in
dignant that he ordered the servers of
the paper out of the booth. ALI three
these men registered, and they rightly
refused to consider the affidavits. With
volley of vain threats the gang of
defeated heelers departed, and before
they resort to any legal proceedings
will doubtless read that portion of the
law which says that their affidavits
must establish the disqualification of
the voters named to ''the satisfaction of
the board"
But note few of the names this
gang of political marauders attempted
to diSfranchise:
F. Hart 15S Fairfield avenue; I. Godbout,
242 Fairfield avenue; D. Murphy, 249 Fair
street: T. A Lynch. 136 Robertson street;
Dave Thompson, 162 Fairfield avenue: Jos
eph Godbout, Fairfield avenue; N. Marrinan,
159 Eva street; w. Fl. Lafavour, 235 Fill
more; Pat Quinlan, Eva street; Charles S.
James Mcdonald, 169 Eaton avenue; j. B.
Maynard Jr., III Eaton avenue; j. Richard
son, "a Eaton avenue.
1t is due to Mr.. Leyde to say that he
was not in sympathy with the vile de-
signs of the tricksters at the Republi-
can helm.
Still More Flagrant.
In the Third precinct of the Fourth
ward the scheme partially worked and
10S names were erased, but nearly the
entire registration of the first two days
was contained On the af6davitS pre-
sented by Henry Johns and having the
signatures of two Republicans, who
were afterwards made clerk and Judge
respectively of election in that pre-
cinct.
Shortly after the opening of the cleo
ton booth on Fourth street. between
Minnesota and Cedar streets, yester-
day noon for registration purposes,
an objection was made against
M. 81. Egan and John W. Frost, acting
as Judge and clerk respectively, on the
ground that neither resided within the
limits of the Third precinct of the
Fourth ward. Both Egan and Frost
then resigned. and an election was then
held by the voters, heaped by Henry
Johns and gang of Republicans gath
cred together for that purpose. Under
the circumstances the election could
have but one end, and G. r. st. John
and E. l.. Lott, both Republicans, were
chosen judges.
But why were st. John and Lott Sc
lected by the '.people?" The answer to
this came shortly afuerward when
Henry Johns appeared and presented
the affidavts of these same gentlemen,
st. John and Lott, in which they
solemnly swore that nearly three
fourths of the voters duly registered in
the precinct on the two previous regis
tration days were disqualified to vote in
the precinct under that portion of sec
tion Is of the election law of 1889 quoted
above.
1t appears that this st. John-at least
this is his account of the matter-was
instructed to make inquiries as
to the residence and qualifications
of some of the voters registered