The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-01-28
Ananias at Work.

AudntdS NJ WOTks
The Scranton Republican yesterday
landed squarely in the Democratic
column. but by way of preteXt Tor
such somersault. it gave string or
charges of alleged Irregularities at the
recent primaries most of which are
prefaced by such phrases as 1T is said
''it is alleged" lit is rumored," and the
like-expressions which betray the
papers insincerity and exhibit 1t In the
light Of Il deliberate inciter of party
disturbance upon mere hearsay. Such
vague accusations, until supported by
tangible evidence, are beneath con-
tempt.
Certain specific charges, however, de-
mand attention. The charge in refer
ence to Emil Bonn In connection with
the primary in the First district of the
Twelfth ward was answered by Mr..
Bonn himself, In letter printed in last
Saturdays Tribune. In that letter he
said:
Messrs. Louis Follet and Fred G. Ehr-
hardt were the regularly elected ana re-
turned vigilance committeeman ana as
such were published in IL list by Chairman
Clemons and attested by Secretary Dale.
Mr. Ehrhardt being candidate FOR dele
gate declined to serve on the vigilance,
whereupon j. H. Thomas. chairman OF
the county committee, In conformity with
rule three Of the rules for the government
OF the Republican party. appointed Free
man Cover to fiji the said vacancy and
furnished him with a certificate OF his
appointment. When the time arrived for
the opening of the polls, II. W. COyle.
well-known Democrat residing in the Sec
Ond district and who owned the polling
place. aided by other well-know Dem
ocrats and few Republicans, prevented
Mr.. Cover from taking his authorized and
legal seat on the board by keeping the
polling place locked, and then by mo-
tion declared carried at the curbstone,
William WetZel was declared one of the
vigilance. This act dissusted majority
OF the Republicans present and another
caucus was the result. with Fred Hopple.
elected by a vote, acting with Mr.. Cover,
the legal vigilance. Now, why was Mr..
Cover denied his right to serve on the
committee when Il was a well-known fact
that Mr.. FOllet was an out and out Moir
man and they We're thus assured IA fair
and honest count? At this caucus nearly
fifty votes were polled and certainly "A
majority of the Republican votes thus
elected Mr.. Ehrhardt
Mr.. Bonn's word is certainly as good
n this community as Mr.. Scranton's.
lf it isn't he can get afiidavits in cor
roboration. OF the other charges made
with reference to the South Side. the
serious ones concern the First and
the Fourth districts of the Nineteenth
wards. In the First district it is
charged that the ballots were not even
counted, but were returned arbitrarily:
while in the Fourth district it is al
legged that the MOir ballots were
thrown on the floor. These charges,
however. In each case have no evidence
to sustain them. They are simply
made upon the supposition that what
ever joseph a. Scranton says must be
accepted as true independent of cor
robOrative proof. We say now to Mr..
Scranton and his fellow Democrats
that II they will produce their evil
dence in this matter before court of
justice it will be met fully and fairly.
Until such evidence is so produced,
mere accusation will not go.
The same line of wholesale arraign-
ment independent of proof is followed
by the Republican in relation to the
West Side, except where it says: I'm
the First district of the Fifteenth
ward deliberate plot to cheat Mr.
Davies out of the delegates in his home
precinct was only frustrated by the
closest scrutiny. On this election board
was young Edwards. clerk in william
Connell's office. Forty-five more bal
lots We're found in the box than the
number of voters named in the list kept
by the vigilance. When about fifty
votes had been polled. Edwards inef-'
fectually tried 20 have no further list
Of the voters kept. and no more tickets
numbered. Failure to accomplish this
saved the district to Moir; of the forty
five excessive ballots, forty-three were
for Ripple
That this assertion. albeit specific. is
q deliberate and unqualified lie is
proved by the following affidavits:
v Scranton, Pa, Jan. "a, 1896.
State of Pennsylvania, County of Lacka-
wanna. S.:
Personally appeared before me. W. 5.
Millar, an alderman in and for said county
Of Lackawanna, David NJ. Jones. who.
upon being duly sworn. does depose and
say, to wit: That / am one of the vigilance
committee OF the First district of the FIJI
teenth ward, of the city of Scranton,
county of Lackawanna, state of Pennsyl-
vania that / sat on the board in con-
junction with my colleague, Mr.. John NJ.
Edwards. at the recent caucus for mayor.
treasurer and controller said caucus be-
ing held at the regular polling place Sat
iirday. Jan. 4. 1896; that at the very be-
ginning before a vote was cast, at the re-
quest of Thomas ID. Davies. one voter
from each side was admitted with the
vigilance as spectators, Frank Jones ap-
Spearing for the Mofr-Davis- Westpfaili side
tand John T. Lewis for the Ripple-Will-
lams-Widmayer ticket: that these two