Los Angeles herald., 1892-04-21
A TIMELY ACTION.

There was a meeting OF the executive
committee of the Democratic county
committee, at the Office of Sheriff Glib
son, yesterday. The question OF the
new booths which the board OF super
visors have authorized to be constructed
was introduced by Hon. S. M. White,
and that gentleman, and others, pro-
ceeded to point out striking defects in
the manner of their construction which
nullify the law, and convert system
which was intended to prevent fraud
into subtle agency for its commission.
A discussion of this feature OF the
booths resulted in the adoption of the
following memorial to the board OF su-
pervisors. We quote it in full because
it presents with great clearness OF state
ment the evil of which complaint is
made:
To the Honorable the Board OF supervisors OF
Los Angeles county:
GENTLEMEN The Democratic executive COM
mittee of this county respectfully protests
against the form of booths or compartments
which are now being constructed pursuant to
your order, for use at the coming election. You
are of course aware that the adoption OF the
brought about by general desire to suppress
fraud and prevent bribery at the polls. The
booth or compartment which you have adopted
will facilitate bribery instead of preventing it.
and while it may be that you have technically
complied with section 1903 of the political code
as amended in 1891, it is obvious to the most
casual observer that the spirit of that enact
ment has been, inadvertently no doubt, vio-
lated. We have examined the booths now in
process of construction, having directed our at
tention to number already completed. we find
that these are made so as to permit twopersons to
enter adjacent compartments at the same time.
the separation being effected bya sheet of gal
edge of the table or desk designed for the
stamping or marking of ballots. There is
nothing to prevent Il person in one of these
compartm nts from passing a ballot under
that portion of the division board which ex
tends outward from the edge OF the table This
ballot, when so passed, may be marked ana
handed back. as was actually done, we are in
formed, at u late election held in this county.
and where these booths were used. With the
aid OF these booths which you nave so provid.
ed, the corruptionist will make his bargain
and not having voted himself, will send the
voter with whom the arrangements are being
made, to one OF the compartments, such voter
booths the bribe taker will hand his ballot
under the convenient board which has been
described, to the briber; it will be marked,
passed back, deposited and the wrong fully
Under section 1906 of the political code, not
more than one person shall remain in or occu-
ballot, and in any event no longer than ten
minutes. 1t will be difficult to eject voter
within ten minutes. During that period, by
proper pre- arrangement, number of ballots
may be fixed, aud when the person thus en-
gagged is compelled to vacate, he can readily be
replaced. Our attention has been directed TO
this cond tion of affairs by those who have
heen watching the practical operation of your
booths within the past few days. and your at
tention is earnestly called to the matters above
set forth in the hope that you will not permit
those who have heretofore disgraced our elec
tions TO continue the pursuit of their nefarious
business
can be readily remedied, either by making the
booths single or by carrying out the division
board at least eighteen inches farther than
now, and by causing it to eXten I down to the
g ound. so that there may be no underhand
work.
BY order OF the committee.
MARTIN G. MARSH, Secretary.
1t is not necessary to arraign the mo-
tives of the board of supervisors in or
der to condemn, in the most emphatic
way, mechanism OF these booths
which would put a premium on bribery.
The Democratic party has suffered
greatly in the past from the action of
partisan board OF supervisors. In 1886
fourteen hundred voters were crowded
into the White House precinct, with
the result that the Democratic state,
and county ticket lost
several hundred votes. The effect of
this chicane was to lose to the Demo-
cratic party a congressman, an as
semblyman and at least half of the
Offices. The natural outcry at
the outrage was go great that the man
who put the job up introduced bill
into the legislature providing that the
districts should be go arranged that not
more than two hundred and fifty votes
should be cast in any single precinct.
1t ie, of course, the duty of the super
Visors to modify the construction of
:hese booths so that the spirit Of the
lew law may be carried out and brio.i,,
made impoesible-at least made as diff
'ult rs possihlA which, until the millen-
um shall have put in an appearance, is
about all that can be expected.
At this same meeting OF the executive
committee another matter OF great i'm
portance was considered. The board of
having made up its mind to
redistrict the supervisor districts, Major
George S. Patton offered resolution re-
questing that that body should, in view
OF the fact that the Democratic party is
temporarily unrepresented in the super
visors, confer with a committee OF the
Democratic county committee before
making the changes contemplated. This,
also, was most timely action.
The new law should receive fair
trial.