The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-08
MANUFACTURING POLL"
BoBoEs GRIND OUT VoTEs o a
YELLOW JOURNAL.

HoBoEs GRIND OUT VOTES o 4
YELLOW JOURNAL.
nusy Times in tho Back Rooms OF Park How
snloons-when They get u Batch Made out
Thsy Collect from tho yellow Journal snd
Return to the snIosns-Mustp't Vote for Tracy
The Doll OF the I'VE boroughs OF Greater New York
was prosecuted . : " with unrcmitting diligence
and care yesterday. = . . In collecting aud can.
wasting the returns = . . the same care has been
taken . . . as in a municipal electlon.-Ertrdc
IRON one Of the newspapers ,chfch print daily an al.
legged poll Of citizens on the Ma vordltv question.
Ten men, ragged and unkcmpt, but with the
Rleam of hope In their eyes, sat in the rear
room Of tho saloon at % Park row yesterday
afternoon. They took up all the room at two
tables. Before each man was a pile of printed
cardboard slips, with spaces on each one, for
citizens to write their selections for Mayor and
their own names and addresses. The ten men,
alive to the profit in their system, and aware
that the newspaper employing them had no
preferences between bogus and genuine sigma
tures, were industriously filling in tho spaces
and manufacturing the votes, which appear
daily in tho newspaper, as ali expression Of the
popular sentiment in the Mayoralty contest.
Further Town tho block. at 90 Park row, an
other squad Of hoboes was engaged in the same
enterprise. They made no effort to change tho
style Of penmanship on different slips. Such
gubtarfuge was entirely unnecessary. Their
method Of collecting" votes being known to the
newspaper. which is conducting the contest"
there was no necessity for concealmcnt.
In several other resorts, frequented by tramps
and lod inmates, tho same sort of
thing went on yesterday. Tho alleged can
vassers were welcomed with open arms In the
saloons, for each trip to the newspaper office with
. batch of bogus votes meant a return ina few
,,opn,ota Nth apon0h p,opev IN purchaae lipunr
It is doubtful II even that giant Of all fakes.
the Low petition, Is a greater humbug than the
Mayoralty poll conducted by the newspaper
referred to. OF the $50 canvassers, which IL
claims to have at work. it is doubtful II two
dozen are honestly engaged in getting tho opin.
ions OF citizens o The n rest Inst NIL in tn the slips, slips
work by the natty young man with the gay
waistcoat who seems to DO in charge OF the
squad,
A citizen came to THE sun office yesterday
afternoon with the following complaint:
for two days I've been watching these tramps.
who are supposed to be collecting votes for a
newspaper. They make three or four trips an
afternoon to the newspaper office, coming back
each time with, packages OF ballots, each OF
they lust sit in the back rooms msu of these PARK
day long. 1 not only object to this bambooz.
bogus votes, but 1 also object to any, scheme
which keeps these men supplied with liquor
money turn aa IN nay the lon bsllo Ines sn nd P tSog as spend aai' th Ss
money as fast as they get it. The result is that
they're drunk al day long, and a nuisance in
A SUN reporter. DESTROYS of seeing the thing
t Iish sn ais Gwn in sy TSIIe Ge the q nex TO sns Ii has tSS q Of
L.eanvsssers" get. their blank ballots stu turn in in
those that they have filled out, and get their
IN tho hall, outside. There were two lines OF
MISUNDERSTANDING men. many of whom were
drunk. In one line were the men who wanted
blank ballots, in the other men who: were turn
cured %f d. '%I.' policeman sn.' in Sup l%ll uniform IF aafe p MSs
keeping. the men In order. He had evidently
been detailed TO the work.
THE sun reporter picked out ono weary
looking man. who left the building with o batch
Of ballots under his arm, and followed him.
row. He met several other '.canvassers'' COM
ing back with flled.in ballots. and greeted
them cordially. Each man, as he left the first,
"Tn be back in a few minutes"
The first man disappeared in the back room
of tho saloon and a few moments later the re-.
porter strolled in and saw him. with several
others. writing away on the ballots as fast as
came out in about half an hour with his
ballots under his arm and a broad smile on his
face. He went straight to the newspaper office.
turned IN his ballots, and; after receiving his
Pay. took mis- place in the line of those waiting
The reporter dropped in at the saloon at 90
Park row and there found the men at work as
described above. Dozens Of others kept filing
in and out. of other saloons along the row all the
afternoon. and all the indications are that yes
terday's vote will be described as the biggest,
since the poll began. in this mornings issue OF
the newspaper. 1t, ought to be, for such in
dustry among the hoboes has not been seen in
many a day.
The canvassers are a shrewd lot. The news
paper is one Of those which are against the Re
publican candidate, Gen. Tracy. The can.
vassers appreciate the fact that II tbev would
Keep their Jobs they must. keep Gen. Tracy last
in the race. They are doing it with great sue.
cess The papers candidate. Henry George, is
being doomed at a pace which would make it
appear that the election is as good as over and
that there is nothing left but the shouting. Al
together, no bigger bunco game than this al
legged poll was ever tried on the public. For.
~tunately 1t is being conducted by a newspaper
the general character of which will prevent
Inch credcnce being given to it by the public.