New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-09
ELECTION FRAUDS CHECKER
SUPERINTENDENT MCULLAGHs REPonx
OF HIS BUREAUS WORK.
"RAINEs LAW" HOTELS ESPECIALLY DExouvc,u
--PAUPERs REGISTERED FROM PUBLIC IN
sTITUTIoNs LEGISLATION
RECOMMENDED


Albany, Jan. S-The report Of John Mccu,asA
State Superinte l1ent OF Elections for the Grea,s.
New-York District. has been received at the Cov-
ernors Office. and will be transmitted to the Les,,-
laturc on Wednesday. Its general characterstc.
are complaints that the law opposed by N.
head OF the Police Department. the DIstrict-A,
torney OF New-York County and the Democr.u.
organizations In New-York and Kings counties \,
also charges that the lower courts threw obstacle
in the way OF punishment for violators OF the Law
and gave outrageously bad decisions.
In spite Of all these obstacles. Mr.. McCullash
SAYS the law was successfully administered ana
II his figures are correct 1t is highly probable tina,
its enforcement elected Colonel Roosevelt Governo,
He shows that Of 3,i04 dodgers found in lodging.
houses only 403i registered. leaving 300 who d,d
not register vote He says the lodging -hous~
proprletors cheerfu.ly obeyed the law TO dsilv
sworn report but that It entaed enormous
amount OF work upon their clerks. II the view
Is taken that a one-nght residence entities a man
TO register then the provision requiring daily re.
ports from lodging houses is OF no avail and only
imposes a hardship upon proprietors without rea-
son. He suggests that the Legislature compel 4
continuous residence OF thirty days.
The Superintendent asserts that the ''Ranes Law
hotels presented the most extensive field for Illegal
registration The investigation OF these places
demonstrated gigantic scheme Of illegal regstra.
upon them He shows by several instances that
the number OF guests registered on the day BE-
ginning the thirty days required TO claim voting
residence was many as twenty times greater
than on preceding days In three Assembly die.
tricts he cut OF at least two thousand persons
who would have cast Illegal votes. He believes
that some radical legislation Is necessary TO pre-.
vent wholesale registration OF fraudulent voters
from these places. In requires only registration
Of from two to five from each Of these hotels 10
determine the result OF a general election
The Superintendent finds that fragrant attempts
at debauching the franchise were made In ire regis
tration OF pauper inmates OF public institutions Of
the city of New-York. The deputies found start.
ling increase In the number OF so-cailed unpaid
help and an investigation demonstrated 'hat many
Of the men who had been registered as voters had
b.ar inmates OF the institutions for years and had
hs,n placed upon the payrolls only few weeks
before the investigation at nominal salaries of from
e. to $40 a month. He believes mat IN" only enec-
five means OF preventing these persons IRON being
registered is 10 provide by law that no person shah
have the right TO claim public institution |" .
voting residence .
AS to the New-York Police Department. Mr. Me-
Cullach SAYS that the majority of the patrolmen
assisted his men. but that a sTnall minority IN I'M
peded and embarrassed the work %nsevrr
influenced by the attitude Of the Chief OF Police
who while RETAINING from any 9c c ag upVa "a
publicly announce his opposition to the work % ns
Department and even so far forgot the duties OK
his office as to publicly advocate the use Oh Volencs
by the citizens against the deputies ms ad d
to the citizens. following upon the same sa "a ,s
from the public platform by an Ex-Governor OF tne
state OF New-York. calculated TO raise apprss;
hensive feelings to the conduct OF the ponce ana
the citizens toward the deputies. $500
More than three thousand complaints were ~
ceived and investigated. many OF them enseuye rf;
Mr. McCulagh finds that duplication ana inuii.
nil alton of books OF record have grown 80 lnder
the Primary Election law that u Is inposslole l1r
= olao IN
He believes there should be some method o, IN. IN.
structing inspectors other than confronting them
with n huge law which even a lawyer "Vuiu nna
II hard to understand He believes INA, ,he ~, IN
az the inspectors should cease with the close OF tne
polls and that four canvassers should take 'her
He thanks Factory Inspector O'Leary ior as s
ance rendered In preventing Illegal registration ''0"
sweatshops. -. .u,,s, ,,a "a.
sunp of a certificate of registration to every voter
enrolling In cities OF the first class which was em
bodied in the law. Is impracticabie, The certincaW
are purchased from 'foaters so he asks that v"
provision OF the law be repealed =. -.
nended leaving on hand balance OF N26H II.