The morning call., 1890-11-01
BREAKERS AHEAD.
The Registrars Plan to Stop
Fraudulent Voting.
Over Two Hundred "stuffsrs" Spotted -
Who Will Be Arrested if They At
tempt to Vote on Election Day.

Tuesday next promises to be a day of
sensational surprises, and the defeated cam
didates will not be the ones most surprised
by any means.
If there is do miscarriage of a scheme
now perfectly matured to perpetrate the
most Infamous frauds ever told of a ballot
box, by nightfall on the day of election the
prisons OF this city will contain 200 OF more
OF the most surprised mortalS that ever
showed ballot.
Notwithstanding the silly farce of purging
the register, lately exhibited by the Election
Commissioners. there isn't a particle of
doubt in the minds of people familiar with
the election machinery Of this city that
gross fraud has been practiced. The Regis
trar has been convinced of it all along, and.
so far as it was in his power, acting under
farcical law, he has endeavored to expose it
The election law has this year more than
ever before demonstrated what fooliShly
impotent statute it is when it undertakes to
direct election affairs for great city like
San francisco.
But Mr. Smiley has not been content to
rest with the purgng farce of the Election
Commission. He has taken The records of
his Office into his own hands, and aided by
corps OF competent officials has made
personal canvass OF the district where he be-
lieved the most fraud was in operation. The
facts that he has unearthed are simply as
founding.
Mr. Smiley had reason to believe that the
water front had been and would be the
liveliest scene of stut1ing. He accordingly
made personal canvass of the entire dis
trict, consuming many days III his work, and
he feels abuEdantly rewarded for his efforts.
He first compiled the names OF ali who
Lad registered from that territory. He
then went 10 the proprietors of the lo1ging
houses and other places where the suspicious
registrations are and asked TO See the books
ami records OF the concerns. u was found
that John Andersen, 4 sailor, registered at
certain house October 4th and remained
there one night. Then he disappeared,
probably at sea, and mas not been seen
since. Mr.. Smiley then turns 10 bis own list
and finds that somebody has registered the
name of John Andersen October 10th, giving
as his place of residence the clearinghouse
mentioned and his room the same as the one
actually occupied by Andersen on the night
ID question.
This is simply sample of hundreds of
like cases. All of the books OF the sailor
boarding houses contain hundreds OF just
such entries, and these names have been
registered by the great army OF FOUNDERS
that have taken the water front for their
field OF operations.
In some cases the proprict0rs of the
houses are lin with the machine" but not
always. In The majority. however, the
clerk UT some attache uOeS the manipulating
of the books, and IN every Instance they
have been stupid enough not to doctor the
books so as to carry cut the deception. That
is, where the book shows that Andersen
occupied such room ON the 4th, it also
shows that he has not occupied It since, and
that dozen others have. Thus the fraud
in almost all cases has been comparatively
easy 10 detect.
To clinch the discoveries already made,
ReOiSrrar Smiley las additional t.yi
dence. The Federal Census Bureau is in
complete sympathy with his work and has
given him tree access TO all Its records, also
all the skilled assistance he has needed to
carry out his investigation. The Census
Bureau has the name, nativity, age, resi-
dence, occupation, description and present
whereabouts of all the names Contained OH
the Registrars list and in TACT OF all the
seafaring men ON the Coast. BY tie aid of
this bureau Mr.. Smiley has been able to
ascertain to certainty all about the names
on his list, and further, with the aid OF the
bureau and the records of the seamen's
unions, knows to a man just who on the
water front is entitled to vote, and just how
many Of the hundreds that have registered
from that district are "stutfers."
Mir. Smiley'S next step was to inform
the United States Supervisor of Election of
the results Of his investigation, also the
United States Marshal, and engage their
cooperation. Supervisor Holland has as
sured him that a competent force OF officers
will be provided on election day to watch all
the polls in this district, to tile end that
every man who attempts to vote name
known to be suffer" will be arrested on
the spot.
80 complete has Mr.. Smiley's work been
that there is absolutely no chance for mis-
take. Nor have his Investigations been con-
fined to the water front. herever else ne
has had suspicion of fraud his vigilance has
been alike rewarded ana the fate of the
''Stutfer" is told beforehand if lie approaches
the bailot-hoX next Tuesday to execute his
nefarious work.
So much time and energy has never be-
fore been expended in this direction, and it
will be something entirely new in the exper.
fence of the professional suffer" lie has
been engaged so long aud SO uuinterruptedly
in his unlawful occupation that he regards
himself too skilled for the law.
But if he keeps on in his present course
about three days longer, there is no doubt
but he will wake up on the 9TH and find him.
self like Othello, with his occupation gone.