Smyrna times., 1899-08-02
OPPOSING HONEST ELECTIONS
is GOVERNOR STONE OF PENNSYLVANIA
DICTATED TO BY MACHINE MEN?
An Analogy Closely Drawn Between the
Recent Action of Governor Stone, of
Pennsylvania, and Governor Tuu-
nell, of Delaware.


nell, of Delaware.
The action of Gov. Tunnel in veto
ing the reform election bill, substitut-
ing lead pencil for ink stamps in mark
ing ballots, which had passed the Leg
i'll his message, has much i'll it in pur-
pose as dictated by machine men, as
charged against Gov. Stone, of Penn
sylvania.
A Philadelphia paper of last week
said:
"There can be but one purpose in
the action of Governor Stone and Sec
retary Griest in opposition to the pro-
posed constitutional amendments, and
that is to throw everything possible in
the way of legislation looking toward
honest elections. Their course can be
explained on no other grounds.
'"To accomplish that purpose tho
Governor has resorted to an usurpa-
tion of authority, while the secretary
of the commonwealth employs the un-
| dignified and unmanly method of re-
fusing until the last moment decisive
reply to pefectly proper question by
a representative branch of the Govern
ment. This is most humiliating po-
sitiOn for the Governor and Secretary
of the Commonwealth in the second
| State of the Union. The Governor
has admitted that his usurpation is
open to question, yet he declined to
facilitate a movement to get it before
the court, where alone it can now be
determined, and Secretary Griest dared
not be honest with himself and with the
public in a matter which is of the
greatest public concern.
"The conviction has become very
general that by evasion and suppress
sion these high officials have intended
if possible, to defraud the people Of
their natural right to amend their Con
stitutiOn so that better security fol
honest elections may be enacted. Th'
proposed amendments are merely an in
itial step, but is a vital one, and ther,
is grave need of it if elections in som,
of the centers of population are not t
become more and more dishonest anC
fraudulent Those familiar with thi
subject do not need to be told wha
opportunities for fraud exist under tn,
present system of enrolling the voter
in Philadelphia. With all the recen
changes in the law intended to proven
the crime, the lists are padded by dis
honest assessors to the extent of man!
: tens of thousands of names ever,
year.
: "The paralyzing statement is mad
by those whose knowledge is authori
tative that as many as $4,000 fradulen
votes have been cast and counted i
: Philadelphia at a single election, ant
recently. No man with grain of self
respect will pretend that there ha
been an honest election in the Sevent
, Ward of Philadelphia for a number G
r years, and there has been almost,
not quite, as bad a condition in tn
Fifth, while fraud is a conspicuou
feature in nearly every downtow
/, ward. Other sections of the city ar
l not wholly free from it, but in tn
1 lower section the business Of maxim
4 elections dishonest has been brough
y to the highest degree of perfection.
is persistent crime made easy by di'
a honest assessors lists.
''It will not be changed until til
: Constitution has been amended as pre-
S posed and personal registration I,
t quired. No man who wants homes
# elections will place himself in oppos
s tion to the proposed change. 1t
S more unfortunate for Governor Stor
) and Secretary Griest than for anybod
n else that they have seen fit to go out
g their way to obstruct this initial NOV,
n ment for honest elections. They cal
Q not defeat it wholly; they have on
h delayed it at the cost of their dignit
: and manliness.