The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-11-05
CHAIRMAN SULLIVAN on ILLEGAL
VOTING.

Chairman Sullivan, of the Democratic
county committee. has issued a statement
in which he charges the Republicans with
"a systematic scheme to colonize and re-
peat voters on election day" He names
several hotels and lodging houses from
which he says these colonized voters and
Iepeaters will attempt to vote, and says:
Our election officers have been posted as
to who are the fictitious voters and ar
engagements have been made 10 arrest every
che OF them who attempts to vote on cleo
ton day. We propose TO have fair cleo
ton If IL is possible to get ii, and We do
not intend to end our steps against illegal
voters on election day We propose TO see
10 IL that every man whom we ascertain
TO be an illegal voter shall not only be ar
rested on election day, but shall be prose-
cuted thereafter At previous elections
when committees have been Informed OF
violations of the election law no steps have
been taken to prosecute such violators.
Since / have been chairman / have made
ali earnest endeavor to have fair and
honest primaries, and 1 think to very
great extent j have succeeded, and now
propose to use the same vigilance in secur-
ing an honest election and intend TO follow
up all individuals who violate the law and
prosecute them after election in every case
where IL is possible.
When an otherwise reputable citizen tenn
porarily engaged in disreputable work un-
der what Grover Cleveland calls ''the stolen
banners of Democracy puts forth such
charges as the above he makes himself
to some extent personally responsible for
their truthfulness. The Journal ventures
the assertion that there is not a word of
truth in the charge, and that Chairman
n Vraak hos nit wit a
knowledge whatever or upon information
that is totally unreliable. The day has
passed in Indiana for colonizing or repeat
ing voters. and, a lawyer, Chairman
Sullivan knows this as we'll as anybody.
Our election laws, fortified by the Austral-
ian ballot law and the law of 1897 concern
ing the taking of polls, all supplemented
by the vigilance of the poll-takers ard
challengers of both parties. make illegal
voting next to impossible.
1t is quite likely that Chairman Sullivan's
warning against repeaters' is intended
TO cover a scheme to exclude legal Re
publican votes. He says: I'VE have made
careful poll of all the places and know
exactly the number of legal voters from
each, and arrangements have been made
to arrest every illegal voter who attempts
to vote" The Journal sincerely hopes that
every person who votes or attempts to
vote illegally will be arrested and pun
ished, but man is not illegal voter be-
poll list The law provides effective means
for preventing any person from voting
illegally, and it also provides for getting
in legal votes. The right to challenge a
provides simple and final way of estab-
fishing his right, provided he is a legal
voter. and Republicans should be prepared
to do this in every case where legal voters
are challenged. Chairman Sullivan init
mates that every person whose name is
not on the Democratic poll list will be re-
garded and treated as an illegal voter or
repeater. This is very much in the spirit
of Richard Cookers advice to Democrats
to assemble at the polls and If the Of
fetal count does not agree with the count
of noses outside to pitch the election of
ficers into the street and seize the ballot
boxes. That will not be done, nor must
any legal voter be deprived of his vote
simply because his name is not in a Demo-
cratic poll list. The talk of colonized vot-
ers and repeaters is all sham. The thing
for Republicans to do is to be on their
guard against a systematic effort to ex-
clude legal voters and to be prepared to
get the votes in as provided by law
The Journal heartily approves Chairman
Sullivan's announced intention to follow
up all individuals who violate the law and
prosecute them after election" and hopes
he will carry out his determination irrespec-
tive of politics. In the only case of con-
viction for violation of the election law
that has ever occurred here in which two
members of Chairman Sullivans party
were sent to the penitentiary. it is not re-
called that he or any member of his party
aided in the vindication of the law