Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-09-24


other devices by which repeating an
other irauds might bo successfully per
po,raiod at elections.
la the statement OF MI. q. q
Richards before the Senate commlttee
he said.
In the nolcction Of tho deputy rcgistrai
for onch precinct. care "a taken IN all IN,
important precincts that m lrro-ponsi.
bic, ami In many instances, disrepuiAbl'
electors nro chosen. Men who would NJ
soon 10 Engaged In fraudulonily striking
OIL and adding names to tho list Of voter.
n to be employed In some honorable
pursuit., arc selected to hear pnd dotor.
mine objections to the rights OF electors
to vote. The judges Of election
arc appointed the same way, and 10 .
considerable extent from the same class
Of people.
IL may BIO noted that this gentleman
haa frequently been appointed By the
Commission a. Judge Of election. lie
should know OF what no speaks.l
The came gentleman appeared before
the House committee and elaborated
/ his charges 10 a much greater extent
than teiOre the committee OF the Sen.
ate. la one cnse he becomes specific,
and states;
We have often called tho attention Of
tho Commissioners to such appointments
and protested against them, but 10 no pur-
pose they continue the creatures In
power. For some limo the deputy regis
trar for tho precinct In which ] lived la
Ogden has been nnn who for many
years has had public and notorious
reputation " being gambler, SALOON
man, md proprietor OF low dives. hc
makes up the list Of voters, Keeps che aii.
davits for registration and hears all OBJ
ioclionS 10 the right 10 vote Of persons
registered. That ward IN the key to tho
political situation locally, ~ tho hotels,
boarding houses, saloons and dives are
MI In that ward Tho opportunities for
crime are there, and are utilized. DO you
suppose that tho Commission arc ignor-
ani OF tho facP Certainly tho people Of
Ogden do not think they are.
Mr.. Franklin =. Richards Ia brother
OF the last namad) wns more consorva.
tive In his statement before the Senate
Committee, but stated ms o. appoint
ments made by the Commission that
they were:
Men who were irresponsible. who
could not be made 10 respond In dam
ages for anything thai they might do,
aud Ia some Instances corrupt men.
That " true. say that class OF
men has been selected, aud In sofuo casos
repeatedly.
Q.-Aiter protest. Ayes, sir. amer
protest know whereof | speak In this
matter. Tho Commission have
appointed mon known to be professional
gamblers, without any pocunlary
responsibility, and whose word would
scarcely DO taken on oath.
These arc
CHARGES oF A VERY sERIoUs NATURE,
and were thore any truth ia them, the
Commission would freely admit that
its duties had not been well performed.
Their weakness lies Ia their absolute
faisity.
Its true that In SOME instances
complaints have been made TO the
Commission OF tho acts OF i,s up.
pointcus. II ~ not true that these
complaints or protests have been I'M
needed. In every Instances investtga.
cation. has been promptly made, and
" wrong was founu, 1t has been
righted as far rs tho power OF the
Commission could go. In many In
stances complaints were, on Invest.
CATION, found to be unwarfanled by
the facts. In one notable instance the
vice-chairman and secretary OF tho
Peoples or Mormon party, 10 which
both Messrs. Richard belonged, pre-
ferred charges In writing which were
Of 10 serious chn rauler that tho chair
man called the Commisaion ~ meet
In special session In Salt Lake city To
Investigate them. This was IN Dec.
cmber, 1859. The Commission eat for
nine days hearing evidence upon th.
charges preferred, and came 10 tn,
unanimous conclusion that they were
usfouSDED AND FRIVOLOUS.
A full report Of the charges, hearing
and finding was made In the report OF
the Commission TO the Secretary OF the
Interior for 1893. IL IN not true that
tho Commission has ever selected "a
corrupt man." "known Gambler" or
a "difreputable charhcterp for registfa-
ton or election officer knowingly. aud
II by chance such a person has been |
appointed, II has not ye, been brought |
to the knowledge OF the Commission.
The Commission has, since Its Of
ganIzation, acted uniformly upon the !
rule OF selecting for county registrar,
one Of the best and most intelligent OF |
tho citizens OF the county who would |
accept tho position. lie has always |
been callei upon to nominate for |
deputy registrar, u competent and re-. |
putab!s elector Of the precinct TO be |
registered, and the appointments for |
the deputies for thosv precincts have |
generally been appointed ON the county |
registrars recommendation. The OK. |
oeption has been, when some objection
has been made to the person thus re-
In which case investiga-
ton has always been made, anu sOmo
other person appointed, II the objec-
ton proved to be well founded.
Referring TO the specific charge OF |
MIR. q. q. Richards that In his pre-
oinct In Ogden, "the registrar for |
many years has had public and
notorious reputation Of being gnm-
bier, saloon man, aad proprietor Of
low dives" and HIS insinuation that
tho Commission was not ignorant OF |
the fact, the Commission has to say,
that Immediately upon the publication
OF Mr.. Richards statement made be-
fore the House committee, the chair.
man and another member OF the Com.
mission proceeded to Ogden and made
INVESTIGATION INTO THE FACTS.
They found that the registration
officer OF the precinct tSecondl In
which Mr.. Richards lives, was one
Studor, That he had no such
reputation Us Mr.. Richards attributed
10 him, was not known ~ u gambler,
\ saloon man, or proprietor VI low
liyep. That his registration work had
always been well done, that no com.
Illaintl had ever been made TO the
In regard TO him, or
The performance OF his duties, and
That none OF the Ogden peonlp