Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1892-12-23
ELECTION FRAUDS.
SOME Very Crooked Work Uncarthed
inSan Miguel COunty-COntests-
Legislative Matters.

Hon. George W. Prichard, of Las
Vegas, informed the New MEXICAN
yesterday that contests growing out
of the Democratic frauds at the last
election in San Miguel county have
been filed against Lorenzo Lopez,
late candidate for sheriff, Jesus NJ. Ia
foya, for treasurer, Juan Jose Herrera,
as probate Judge, and against A. c. Abey-
tia and Lorenzo Lucero as county com
missioners. These we're declared elected
at the November election; but Col. Prich-
ard says, as one of the attorneys for the
contestants, that there is more than
enough evidence to support the contests.
For instance, in Los Alamos precinct the
charge is made that the ballot box was
broken open, and Republican ballots
taken out bodily and destroyed and Dem
ocratic tickets substituted
In the Arroyo de los Yuta5 precinct
the Republican tickets were stolen
and destroyed, and ninety-eight. Re-
publicans were prevented from voting
because there were no tickets Tor
them In Tecolote a great number
of votes were cast for the Demo-
cratic Peoples party, and then the same
men went over to another precinct some
miles away and voted again. This sec
/ OIL d ballot was cast although the election
officers must have known that the men
had already voted at Tecolote.
There must therefore have been con-
siderable fraud practiced, colonel? asked
the reporter.
You may say on my authority, and am
in a position to know, that there were
hundreds of fraudulent Democratic-Peo-
Piles party ballots cast in San Miguel
| This is not mere talk, we will prove it in
almost every case by direct evidence.
"Now take, for instance, the payment of
poll tax. The law requires that it shall be
paid sixty days before general election;
pay this tax, but they voted just the
same. In many cases they had fraud
ulent receipts, in others they just voted
without any regard to the law"
Colonel, that is a serious charge and
ought to work the ruin of any party"
"You may well say it is serious. Now,
when our grand jury was in session and
we're investigating the books of the col
lectors we discovered that in almost
every instance the amounts of money re-
turned as collected at the late election for
poll taxes was just about what the Re
publicans paid, less the collectors COM
mission. The Republicans were the ouly
ones, it may be said that paid this tax.
The so-called Peoples party had no need
to, because, by fraudulent arrangement
previously entered into, receipts were
issued to them on which dollar had
never been paid. We will prove this"
Were there any other influences used?
"Oh, yes, there were other species OF
fraud that entered ntothe case, all of which
will be exposed, in order that the record
of the case may be the property of every
voter who believes in honest and fair
elections. The investigation will be a
drag net affair, and the facts will be
brought to the light of day and the scorn
of a righteous indignation"
LEGISLATIVE CHAT.
The Democratic members of the legis
lature from the counties of San Miguel
Mora and Colfax, are to meet for con.
ference tonight at the Office of Felix
Martinez, Las Vegas.
The Democrats of Clayton and eastern
Colfax county are quietly working III
the county division scheme, and Ration
has named citizens committee "to look
after the county seat matter"
The right of j. D. W veeder, Peoples
party representative from San Migue
county, to occupy seat in the Legislative
council is to be contested by Hon. Tomas
c. de Baca, late candidate for the place
on the Republican ticket.
According to the official returns on file
in the office of the territorial secretary
Hon. Celso Baca's majority as a member
of the lower house from Guadalupe coun
ty is rs votes. Mr.. Lorenzo Labadie
) late Democratic candidate for the place
has filed a contest against Mr.. Baca, who
is an Independent Republican,.
Representative-elect Kuchenbecker, o
Gallup, will be in the city Friday night
and leave here Saturday with the rest o
the Bernalillo county legislative officer
for Santa Fe. Mr.. Kuchenbecker is I
candidate for speaker of the house
and we will miss our guess if he is no
Observation-Disclosures Citizen.
Hon. Robert Bland, Colfax county
representative in the house of the incom
ing legislative assembly, is fair, homes
and capable member, worthy man ant
good citizen, and will command the re
spect and confidence of that body. AL
though differing in politics we know hi
will work for the welfare of the territory
in every instance.-Rato Range.