The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-11-18
rlection Frauds in Philadelphla.

Election Frauds In Philadelphia.
The Washington, D. c., Post says
"On numerous occasions during the
past fifteen or twenty years The Post
has called the attention Of its Phila-
dephls contemporaries TO the fact
that considerable numbers of Wash
ingtonisns, hayiug no right of suf-
frage 10 Pennsylvania. were trans
ported TO the Quaker City on every
recurring election day. to oe voted
early aud often. The Post has stated
that men who had never resided n
day in Pennsylvania. and others who
made 10 pretense OF a right to vote
there, made up those interesting ex'
cursion parties. The Infamous busl-
ness was carried on with little at
tempt st concsslment. Indeed. some
of the excursiopists were so delighted
AT getting free ride aud sn abun-
dance OF creature comforts, both
liquid and solid, that they could not
restrain their inclination to talk
about it 10 their associates in their
places of business or boarding houses.
With a little encouragement they
would enter into details as to the
number OF votes they had cast in a
day. 1t was this careless discussion
Of crime by its perpetrators that
brought the matter TO the knowledge
OF The Post.
For all these years and until last
week the unconcern of the criminals
was matched by the Indifference OF
the authorities of Philadelphia. The
Post had become almost convinced
that it's warnings were regarded more
as an impertInence than in any other
light that the loud professions Of a
determination TO detect and punish
election frauds were insincere, so
often had they been made but TO be
followed by inaction. But something
happened last week which threatens
serious depression if not aunihilistion
to the traffic in Wsshingtonians for
Utilization in swelling Republican
majorties in Philadelphia.
" The Philadelphia Press has re-
peatedly stated that it was possible
to return so, 900 fraudulent votes in
that city, and that it had been done.
la last Sundays issue of the Press
the leading editorial discusses ap'
pslling ballot crimes 1t states that
one of the methods by which election
frauds haye been perpetrated in some
Of the wards Of Philadelphia for years
has been pretty fully exposed in the
evidence taken before Magistrate
Eseubrown on Friday afternoon. The
Press reproduces the statement made
by one of those arrested for the crime,
which shows that in the Thirteenth
Division of the Seventh Ward, where
the Press asserts there has not been
au honest election for years, men who
were brought from Washington acted
as election officers that before any
citizens had appeared at the polls TO
vote the bsllot-bOx was stuffed with
200 marked ballots that sfterward
10 more marked ballots were stuffed
in the box that of the 339 votes re-
turned from that division only ia
had been honestly cast, 2l5 being
fraudulent. The Press says the evi-
dence also duplicates an ez member
of the Legislature in the CRIME OF
marking the ballots with which the
box was stuffed. This. in brief. says
our Republican contemporary, is the
story of the crime committed in one
division of the 1000 voting divisions
of the city.
/" In order to support its allegation
Of so 900 fraudulent votes. the Press
submits that if single election divi'
sion can return 2l5 fraudulent votes
it can be readily seen how 50 600, ol
more than $1,000. may be piled uT
without encrosching upon any divi-
sion where there is a disposition to
hold an honest election; the twenty
seven divisions of the Seventh Ward
alone, on the basis OF the operations
in the Thirteenth Division. could re-
turn a fraudulent vote OF 5000.
"Why 1t is that repeaters are i'm
ported to cast Republican votes in q
city that would be Overwhelmingly
Republican on an honest vote is q
mystery that we cannot fully explain
we only know that it is fact. We
cannot explain why several varieties
of apples grow on the same tree-bu'
we know they do. And in the domain
Of art, one branch Of which is praetl'
cal politics, there are developments
as inexplIcabe by the uninitiated s'
in nature's realm