The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-21
THE REGISTRAR
UNEARTHS A
GREAT FRAUD
United Labor Party
Petitions Bad.
ARE FILLED WITH F0RGERlES
THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO
THE GRAND JURY.
Grace and Smiley, the Chairmen,
May Have Trouble Over Their
Efforts to Break Into
Politics.
ARE FILLED WITH F0RGERIES
THE EVIDENCE PRESENTED TO
THE GRAND JURY.

Registrar Biggy rejected the petitions OF
the two so-called United Labor parties
with w. P. Grace and James Smiley as
chairmen. In addition to rejecting the
petitions of these two parties, covering
nineteen candidates, Mr.. Biggy presented
the petitions and other evidence TO the
Grand Jury for the information Of that
body.
The reasons for such rejection are set
forth In a specific manner by Mr.. Biggy
in his letters to Grace and Smiley, which
were sent last night. The reason for pre-
senting the petitions to the Grand Jury
is that on all the petitions were indisput-
able evidences of fraud and forgery.
The following copy Of the letter sent to
Grace shows what was found upon In
vestigating the petitions:
SAN FRANCISCO. Oct 20. 1898.
w. P. Grace, Esq. United Labor Party1Dear
United Labor party presented by you for nj
ing with the names of certain candidates there
Ballot H' have BEEN July Examined by me as to
the form required by law and as to the genu-
ineness of the signatures OF the persons whose
names purport to be thereto subscribed. and L
find follows;
First-The United Labor party is not party
within the meaning OF Section Is6, Political
Code, and candidates nominated by electors are
not the nominees Of political party. but the
individuals nominating them.
that 1--WE represent the United Labor party"
The statutes governing nominations do not
permit the nomination Of a person as the can
didate OF regularly existing politica! party
to be made by petition OF unorganlzed elect
not nominated by a political party and has no
right to be placed upon tie ballot as the can
dldate Of an organized existing party.
Third-Section 11SS provides the manner In
which candidates may be nominated otherwise
sign N person and add to the same his resi-
dence, giving street and number. The law
SUCH certificate of nomination any name but
his own. or any person making false oath TO
such certificate Of nomination. shall be pun
ished by imprisonment IN the States Prison
not exceeding I'VE years.
Fourth-Frank Buckley, by whom one OF the
afhdavits TO the genuincness OF signatures to
said certificate OF nomination was made. is not
one of the signers to said certificate. and Wal
ter Higgins, who swore TO the genuineness OF
another paper is not an elector of the city
and county Of San Francisco.
subscribed TO the various nominating papers
22S are found TO be forgeries. and only 467 are
registered and at the address set opposite their
to be written by few persons.
SIxth-The certificate Of nomination is not
per cent OF the entire vote cast in the city and
county OF San Francisco at the last general
The various nomination papers are fraudulent
upon their face and in violation of the statutes
I therefore decline to file the certificate OF
nomination presented by w z. Grace OF the
limited Labor Party Respectfully
" J. BIGGY. Registrar Of Voters.
A similar letter was sent to Smiley, in
which was the following statement:
More than 200 names presented signers OF
q former petition of nomination which was
reject ed by ma are now attached to the second
| certificate of nomination containing different
set OF nominees from the first; these alleged
electors joined in nominating other candidates
! than those now presented
Fffth-Seventeen hundred and twenty -eigh'
names subscribed thereto have been examined
| &c riac- ara 9fR rad q M a
| the address set opposite their names. More
! than 1900 names fictitious and are writer
| by a few persons other than those they pur-
port to be.
The United Labor party represented BY
! Grace sent in petitions for the following
nineteen candidates: ]. H. Witty, Franz
Ed. J. Smith, D. E. Tobin, Ed. Whelan
| e. Richards, John J. Lynch, Walter Hig-
| gins w. P. Grace, Frank W. Neill, P. f
| Norton, G.. f. Powelson, D. P. Duncan
| ]. b Colbert, Peter Petersen and Charles
| A. Bracket.
The party represented by Smiley sent
! petitions for c. W. Baker, James Smiley
| ]. w. Singleton, John Moore and William
All other petitions have been found
| proper, and by this evening the candi-
! dates will all have their NUMBERS on the
The investigation of these United Labor
! tickets has been going on In the Regis.
| trar's office since last Saturday night and
| n remarkable state Of affairs has beer
unearthed. Out Of a total of 1908 names
! on all of the petitions It was found tha
! but 500 were genuine, there being 1874 for
! geries and 90S9 names that are not on tn
! register The balance of the names were
! so indefinite that 1t could not be decided
| what they were. In order to thoroughly
| sfft these petitions 1t was necessary Z
take every name and go to the certiti
| Gates of registration and compare the sig
natures of the signers with the genuine
This work was thoroughly done by. th'
Registrars deputies, and the investiga
| ton showed a most gigantic fraud.
The subject of personal petitions ha1
been a troublesome one In the Registrar
| Office for many years, and this is the frs
time a systematic investigation has beer
| made. The result will be a revelation Il
many candidates who have be. been in in tn h
the alleged United Labor party for TIL
purpose Of getting support there Thu
petitions presented the appearance o
having been copied to q. large extent di
| rectly from some list of names, and thu
! great majority of the names were writer
| in the same handwriting.
--------------------
PROF. VAN DER NAILLLN HOME