Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-05-30
A STORY OF STUFFED BALLOT BOXES

walter II. Hayes, Who Believes He Was
Cheated Out of the Republican MONT
nation for city Solicitor, Proposes TO
Prosecute tho vIolators OF tho Primary
Election Law-First Referred the Matter
to the business Mems Republican Club,
But tho Club Ignored the Matter.
Walter IL. Hayes, who was recently
one of the Republican candidates for
the nomination for city solicitor, but
who claims that he was counted out by
the election officers appointed by the
party machine, has been totally ignored
In his claim, and will now institute
action on his account. He says he will
prosecute the election officers for viola
tons OF the primary election law.
The nomination was held on Satur.
day, May 4th, and on Monday, the 9Th,
Walter H. Hayes, the defeated candi-
date for city solicitor, addressed the fol-
lowing letter to H. G. Morse, president
OF the Business Mems Republican Club,
Mr.. Hayes believing that the organiza-
ton would take cognizance of ii and act
accordingly.
Mr.. HAYES LETTER,
Mr. IT. G. Morse, President Of he BuAinsSs
Mems Rcpablicaa Club-DEAR SIR: am
informed that one Of the purposes Of your
organization is to promote purity at cleo.
tons, both primary aud general. and as
such purpose has been declared in the
public papers Of the city, believe that
such is the case Therefore, / wish to call
your attention to an act in relation to
primary elections, being chapter u. Vol.
XVIII, Laws OF Delaware, and printed on
pages l5O.l54 of the Revised Code of
this Tint lntN rnntttraI 100 all
election officers shall be sworn or af
iirmed, that the clerk shall keep publicly
poll lists, that the votes Shall be
publicly counted. that two ballot boxes
shall Dr provided and used, one for the
reception OF votes, the other to receive the
votes after they are counted. am credbly
informed and believe that none of these
provisions were observed at the nomiua.
tons held by both the Republican aud
Democratic parties on Saturday last.
also call your attention to the provisions OF
the said act which makes ita nisdemeanor
i'll any one violating its provisions. The
grand jury of this county will meet to-day
at II O'Clock, and will probably remain i'll
session until Thursday next. II YOU wish
any evidence OF these facts it is very easy
to obtain the same, Yours, respectfully,
WALTER II. HAYES,
REPLY OF PRESIDENT MORSE.
Mr.. Hayes received the following
reply on tue succeeding Monday, May
l3th
Waiter IT. HayrS. d'tornsy.atlam, wa
numgtOn, Del.-DEAR SIN: Your favor ot
May 18th reached me this morning upon
my return from the West. shull be
pleased 10 meet You and get II further
understanding Of the matter referred to III
your favor. VIII try To make an ap
pointment to see You tomorrow. usAess /
am called away. Yours very truly
H. q MuHSF.
THE COMMITTEE NEVER CAME.
On the same day that the letter wa,
received from Mr.. Morse that gentleman
called on Mr.. Hayes and after a tall
with him assured him that the matte
would be thoroughly looked into unl
also told him that committee appointed
for that purpose would wait on him ant
receive from him any Information Ii,
could give. But the committee neye
came and Thursday the Business Mem
Republican Club endorsed the rim!
ticket without reservation, thus total,
ignoring the claims Of fraud which hai
been made by the defeated candidates
WHAT MR. HAYES SAYS.
A reporter of The GAZETTE called OF
Mr.. Hayes Friday morning at bis office
No. $50 Market street, and asked TO
his version Of the affair. Mr.. Have
made y fun and plain statement an,
furnished the reporter with copies o
the correspondence between himself an,
the representative Of the Business Men
Republican Club, as printed above.
MIR. Morse called on me- Mr. Have
said, ION May l3tn, tie day receive
his letter, ami he tnt1rmed me that IN,
letter had boon laid before the Bushes
Mems Club, and that q committee ha
been appointed with directions to confe
with me, MI Morse did not give IN
the names OF the gentlemen on tue com
mittee, but he said that MIR, Capelle wa
a member, aud understood him to sa
chairman, and that he would see IN
about the matter.
81 Informed Mr., Morse that | had eyl
dence sufficient to convict the nom
nation officers IN the Fifth, Sixth an
Seventh wards for violations of the pr
mary election laws, and that | stoo
ready and willing to furnish to thel
the proofs, If the club would take tb
matter up and push 1t through.
Mr.. Morse then left and | have neve
had any communication whatever wit
Mr., Morse since, nor with any membe
OF the committee, nor the commHte
itself. H..
ILLEGAL AND FRAUDULENT.
"Ihe evidenccin my possession woul
show that the nomination election va
, illegal and fraudulent, in that the ele,
ton officers We're not sworn, no DO
lists were kept as required by law: In
the ballot box WAS not opened aud puI
: llcly exhibited 10 the voters before con
, menclng to receive votes, as REQUIRED h
! law; that only one ballot box was use,
!, where the law requires two, and that
p. several districts they refused To cou
the vote out publicly in the presence
the watchers appointed by me and Il
other candidates, these watchers brin
T refused admission to the presence OF Il
/ officers for half an hour after the coun
/ Ing commenced after the close of Il
polls; that the ballot boxes in the Fift
r sixth aud Seventh wards contained
0 least 1000 ballots before the pol
opened,
i. BALLOT BOXES STUFFED.
e 81 have evidence Of one Of the elc
q ton officers ia the Fifth ward open
d Boosting that 500 ballots were in u
box in his district before the pol
opened, and also that one of the Office
Of election in the seventh ward stat,
r publicly the night Of tile nominate
l that the Dox in his district was fixed b
$ fore the election commenced.
"On the Friday evening before Ii
! nomination an officer OF election in d
= seventh ward came to me- and asked Ii
4 if wanted anything crooked done
r his district. replied that did not O
!. wanted was an honest ana fair non
:. malinn hell LIZ tkau- nLnt.A =. -