New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-08-06
BALLOTFRAUDS IN CANADA
PUBLIC OPINION AROUSED AND
PARLIAMENTARY COMMISSION
WILL INVESTIGATE.

Montreal. Aug. 4 (speciaD.-The Canadian peo-
pie have been much disturbed in the last year
or so by increasing evidences OF widespread and
deep seated electoral corruption and there is much
discussion to the best means OF Graduating the
evil. or the improper use OF money IN cleo
tions has been an incident Of democratic govern
ment here elsewhere, from the outset, and there
have been from time to time scandaious reVe-
lations of the by which political parties raise
immense campaign funds for the debauchng OF the
electorate.
All of these practices tolerated to some
extent by the public as being almost inherent IN
Canadian political institutions, but the political
machine mana gers presumng this competency,
have of late years gone a step further and have
succeeded at last In shocking public opinion
The wastefulness Of the old methods OF buying
votes with cash has long been apparent to the
political manager. large percentage or TINS
money adheres to the fingers OF those to whom
Il is ntrusted for distribution, and IN any case
under the Canadian ballot, there is no assurance
that the goods purchased are delivered In great
majority Of they are not. and very SAD tales
are told by politicians of the degeneracy of voters
who sell themselves but fail to stay bought uhul
they reach the polling booth.
For instance few years ago the Government OF
the day made a desperate attempt 10 capture d
constituency in this province which was hstorl-
caIIy identified with the opposing party and had
been made vacant by the death OF the sitting
member. An immense fund was taken into the
county, and there hardly a voter that dld not
have an opportunity of handling the long green
But when the votes came to be counted 1t was
found that the enormous expenditure mao eHecteu
a change OF only ten votes. 1t turned out that
the managers of the other side had instructed us
members to take all the money onered ana turn 1t
into their own campaign fund. and this was done
in many instances. An experience like this is
calculated TO make the most hardened corruption
ist hesitate at buying votes.
So a new and it was thought much safer
method of making elections sure was devised. II
- uaTvan7 nj rnnNT
can genius who declared that he did not care how
the people voted If he were allowed to count the
vote. An elaborate system was built up Whlch was
aimed directly at the sanctity OF the ballot ooA anu
there is only much evidence that 1t has been put
into operation a great many times in the last nine
years 1t can only be operated by the party con-
trolling the election machinery-that Is by the
party I'm power. Therefore. the stigma OF Htro-
ducing it must rest with the Conservatives Dut
when the whirligig of time gave the Liberals the
opportunity to do likewise they embraced II WIN
great fervor and even added a few new FEATURES 10
it, Both parties very deeply tarred Win TIC
same stick. 49,,
substitution of ballots before they go into the
ballot box Is the chief feature Of the scheme In
the elections of 1895 in the constituency OF Wac
donald, Manitoba. an expert went up ironi 90
rio and coached all the deputy returning oihcetS
that were open to suggestions Of this sort no" 70
substitute a ballot already marked for the one
rendered by the This was 6y no means on Of
cult do where the voter ana ne TSeSe IS coun-
tnffon on the Canadian ballot which has to be
deptV in place of dropping the counterfo on the
floor would carry II to MS coat he vii hGlrew
bogus ballots were placed and when ne wiz bogns
his hand he held eeEeted in the U p8 10 the Box
ballot which adterw %ad not work what is known
as switching the ballots was Tesot Ster the vote
mscaied them that is he credited votes TO one
candidate which were really cast LOT afterward es-
"a hshed by sworn testimony no fewer tnan tp ~
were SO OF course fraud
would be immedia ely detected upon an rsnted
where the majority as gysn By e T6e Of this
officer is over sixty Tner eescatv IS hidden
In some places the deputy returning 9i t Marty
workers then ySter WAS ne p9 box 40 and return the
6a ,t o Even tie him which in turn marked
and deposited by another voter and so on hr,hsr
this NAY votes eerf he bought Another device for
the deputy returning officer to spoi. nSSs reTed
lot BY TeE ha Th At piece he count o e
reject this ballot One 0 OF Two Sbbdvison Would
make big difference in the vote of large con-
The party managers were sometimes met ' with
the difficulty OF obtaining the services OF uspu,tH9
and the obstacle was overcome by characterlsIIc
netn4HS' outsiders trained in this class OF work
were brought into the constituency ana HsnmeS
the names of respectable men and took the oatn
with unbushing effrontery ,,,, ro+ no tsrt
secret and in the last four %bc6 years Sas
there has been series OF fbaI there is much
need for he two political parties 70 improve their
methods After the election of 1895 one OF me
fEpnp6 oYeens evidence and dozen depT-
ties had to stand trial All the voters IN each
31tr,s,nn u,ere made to swear how they had voted
and this established the fact that everywhere there
bnJ been substitution of ballots. Political teeHhe
ran so high however. that in only one case was
a convection secured; in all the other cases me
AS the result of a preliminary parliamentary IN
,,estigation ROYAL Commission has been APP
nointed 10 hold an inquisiton into all cases OF
eiecoraI fraud in the last nine years ana II mas as
uncover the workings OF both political macnlhes
The Commission is composed OF three emlp 3SI
conbridge and Judge McTavish. Counsel nave
boen a nnointed by the Commission for both po-
iiticaI parties and a start at the investigation Will
,5a In, he