New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-27
AN INSTANCE OF MACHINE TR1cKERY
HOW ENROLMENT MATTERS WERE HANDLED IN
ONE OF TEE sOCALLED "sILK:sTOCK-
ING" DISTRICTS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

ING" DISTRICTS.
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Sir: I will give YOU "A sample OF what occurred in
one election ds;rict-the Fifth. o. the XXVth As
sembly District-on the occasion of the so-called
rolment OF Republicans last Saturday night. Let
me premise by saying that this district is socaled
Six stocking" one. in that It Is situated between
Fifth and Sixth ayes, and whose voters mostly
OF the gentemanly class-in fact. nine-tenths of
them it has a regularly organized association.
with a captain. secretary. etc.
The secretary week ago requested to hand
over his books to the subcommittee OF tho County
Committee for revision of the roll inspection Of
records, or some such trivial matter with the as
surance that they would be returned the next day
day after. With this assurance given the Sec
rotary passed his books not thinking FOR
moment Of any rickery in store. In the mean time
the place for holding the enrolment had been de-
clded upon and word sent 10 the captain Of the dis
trict The place was be the held for
voting selection quite right and proper, az 1t
would be well known to enro.lers.
Saturday night. at O'Clock. l went 20 the en-
rolling place given out. and was told that the
place for enrolment had been changed that 1t was
at so-and-so's Office Sixth-ave. on my way
I met the secretary and a gentleman who had been
appointed by the captain Of the district one q
the enrolling officers. They going TO assume
their duties as officers When We arrived OF the
newly appointed enrolling place whom should we
find In charge but well-lnown adherent OF the
Platt gang with two others In chairs, with new en-
rolment books in front Of them. I'VE asked by
what authority they assumed duties which belonged
to men selected by the captain OF the district. to
which the leader replied by showing typewriter
authority from Messrs. Thornton and Smms. the
Subcommittee OF TIE Assembly district. Mr..
Gardner the other committeeman. but be It said
TO his credit he would lend himself to Platt's
tools and refused 10 sign. Nothing could be done
further We saw Il was useless argue with the
tro-they were there. and going TO stay.
They did not recognize any captain OF the district
or any one else except Messrs. Thornton ana
Smms VINO gave them their credentials. When
asked why the place OF enrolment had been changed
Qor the original had Inc drawn through ~, they
knew nothing OF that; ali they knew was that the
place Inserted ia their authority ana blythe
wav IL was he Office OF the leader.
We then tried to find Messrs. Thornton and Simms
for explanation OF this crooked work. We nrst
went to their headquarters. at the Ashland House,
10 be- told that they had moved that day to the
Gilsey House. where we went. 10 find that they had
County Committee Headquarters. where we went,
only 10 find i.s doo-s locked then 10 Fourth-ave
and Thrtieh-st. TO find that another district cap
tain had been served the way. but was taking
house. 1t being II O'Clock. ceased our
quest for justice and rght-which We would not
have received had we found the committee
but they would have heard some Interesting taiK
concerning Plat. Lauterbach * CO. and the
methOds OF fricksters.
Their game in this district will be thwarted at the
priuA rics however. Every voter VIII Rave eA-
planod him this dhstardy attempt upon IN.
prerosatyes Of their district captain. the retention
books OF the secretary. AID the appointment
OF three Plat enrolling officers The en-
roInent viii he scanned for fraudulent enrol
mcnts. OF WHICH We know .. many. and woe beu3s