The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1900-02-07
ELECTION FRAUDS
MUST Be STOPPED
Republican State Convention WI
Declare ia Favor Of
Ballot Reform.
THE EVIL NOT WIDESPREAD.

lie EVIL NCi NtDLoi NM.
De-..erats and others with selfish
Fr.eresss Cannot, However. Make
Political Capital Out of Election
croo.edneSS sn Few Districts in
the slams Of philadelphia.
f5peciaI correspondence)
Earrisburg. Jan. 30.-Because a cou-
rle q cases CT election frauds were re-
Gently unearthed in the slum districts
OF Philadelphia a great howl has been
raised all orer the state in an attempt
10 place the responsibility of this
crookedaess upon the Republican or
ganization. This is not done through
any particular desire to advance the
cause OF reform, but with a view TO
help along the Democratic party AMI
The political ambitions Of few men
who. while claiming to be Republicans,
are deFoting tn sir time TO assaiiinS that
party because they have failed in their
eIorts to secure positions through the
Republican organization.
The Republican party Of Peaasyiva-
MA is too great an organization, alldits
record is such that any fair minded
MN would not charge II with counte-
nancing corruption at elections, TO al
low even the discredued Democratic
leaders to continue 10 spread the re-
ports connecting party leaders with
tits nefaricus work. The coming Re
partv platform. denoUnce in the most
emphatic manner ali Illegal practices
al tie rolls Il viii call FOR the arrest
and conviction of all who shall he
guilty OF election frauds Of any charac-
ter. and viii demand of the next leg
islature The enactment Of such legisia-
ticn rs win pace additional safeguards
about the ballot and insure even in the
hotbeds Of depTavity, in the slCn2 Gls-
tricts OF the iarGe cities as free and IS
fair an election as is had in great
majority of the voting precincts Of the
commonwealth under existing conci-
tions. There viii be no opportunity or
reason to question the sincerity OF
these declarations or OF the party
leaders who viii frame these declare
tons. and the state convention, which
VIII be composed Of representative Re
publiczns from every county in the
commonwealth. will adopt theplatform
By a unanimous vote. This, then. can
be taken as Dledging the honor of the
Republican rarty 10 see that this prom
iss in the platform shall be carried ont
Al The next session Of the general as
scnhly.
The rrvaa!te Democratic orG1Diza-
ton which met here last week had but
two verses n their song. One was for
the gloriEc3tioa Of BRYAN and Gufey
as the national and state leaders Of
their cause. and the other w2s a sweep
ing arraicnment Of the Republican par
" as the partv of corruption. They ar
raigned Republicans as the party Of
trusts and corruption in national legis-
lation end as the party whose reign Of
power was cnly continued through cor
ruption at the polls.
Their aati-tariT fulminations were
exploded in many campaign. but with
Snese couple Of election cases in Phila-
delrhia as their excuse they sought to
make out that the great majorities
tllroughout the state for the RepubIi-
can ticket at the last election were
manufactured by means Of the msniD-
Clation of the returns and the "stuff-
ing" of TIE ballet boxes Since the
Democrats have denar.ed the second
verse Of their song has beer taken no
hv some Of the so-called Republican
Insurgents. who have "a holier than
tl,cu" way o. nresa8ting themselves be-
fore the public. and thev. too. wish TO
poee as the especial champions Of a
pure ballot s.
PEOPLE NOT FOOLED.
Now the facts are the people are not
being fooled by any tactics cfthis char
acter. They know that the Republican
party. through its state organization.
IS responsible fer the many reforms
that have been Instituted within the
last ten years-all aimed toward a Sc
cret ballot. a free and open election
and a fair count and proper return Of
al the votes cast ct every election.
horOueh. county or state. They know
that the present ballot law insures I'll
these conditions when there IS an in
teiiigent and law abiding constituency
to see that the provisions Of the law
are carried out. Complaints as TO in
perfeCtions in the law come from very
Few election districts. As a rule the
voters. since they have become far1il-
iaT with the method OF marking the
ballot. are entirely satisfied with the
present law in its general provisions.
bCt If amendments can be made to
-he act which would place additional
safeguards in the vav of blocking The
schemes Of the political heelers in the
sarge cities there would be universal
satisfaction expressed araongthose who
=
tho most sacred Of American institu-
tiors.
That an honest EFFORT viii be made
by the leaders Of the Republican or
e3nizatio1 to bring this about is be-
yond question. They are thoroughly
alive 20 the sentiment Of the people on
this subject and they win see 10 II
that the ballet law is strengthened in
this particular at the coming session
% TIE legislature. These Who are as
sailing the Republican Organization
in Philadelphia because OF the two
cases % election frauds Just exposed
are unfair in their assaults. as they
are no doubt insincere in their criti-
cisms. They wish TO make the Re
Ir:blican organization responsible for
the acts of a few men. There was no
occasion for the leaders of the ReDUb-
lican organization TO encourage or
oountenanee fraud at the last election
in the Quaker City. The result OF TIE
election was a f0Teg0ae conclusion.
There was practically no opposition OF
Z serious eharac.cr ID the Republican
ticket. Not a single ward in the city
could be placed in TIE doubtful list.
There was therefore NJ reason why
the party mama o should seek 70
have a false recur$ $12Ge
CONFINED TO THE sLU8.s.
1t has been notorious for years. how
e~er. that in a few election precincts.
in which the dives Of tie city ere To-
Gated. an evil has existed. which exists
II every large city, where election
frauds were frequently committed.
These frauds are not confined 70 any
party, but Republicans and Democrats
alike among the inhabit2nts OF The
sums were guilty at various times
Of fagrant violations of the election
laws. Many times. for the mere mat
ter CT supremacy in voting precinct.
without regard to the personality OF
the candidates on the ticket. most
rep-ehensible practices have been re-
sorted 10 IN cooking up the election
returns. At the last election tive
cases. one in the Fifth ward and the
ether in the Seventh. resulted in ar
rests Ct alleged guilty parties. Then
the work Of these ballot box suffers
las revealed in all its awful details.
Tire and tine again have arrests been
Ia 7nr - - Ts-r-.