Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-24
REPORT SCHEME FOR FRAUD
stoy 70 Efso. that Strike Breakers VIII
Be Registered
THIRD WARD TO Be CENTER or ACTIVITY
Residents of Unton Pacihe shop. said
20 BE Ftxes TO Increase vote for
Company Choice for
Congress.
THIRD WARD TO Be CENTER or ACTIVITY

Congress-
Reports received last night indicate that
the Ninth precinct Of the Third ward is 70
be one Of the danger points in registration
today; that 81 that place an attempt will
be made to register a large number Of the
men who since the strike on the Union Pa
eihc railroad have been res ding temporarily
in the shops Of that company as strike
breakers. These men have been hsrded to-
getber from all quarters Of the country.
coming from the cities OF the east prin-
eipally. The strike began during the latter
part Of June. but il was two weeks later
before the Importation OF scahs in any nun
Der began. 80 that the Oldest residents Of
the Union Pacific shops could not have been
there more than four months.
The report IL that the colonization plan
IL being directly engineered by men in the
shops who formerly Lived in town These
men. it h said. are all in lire for D. H
Mercer and are "out for the STUFF" 80 far
As other candidates are concerned. 1t is
said that the plan goes deeper than the
present election, as the men are to register
as democrats TO throw on suspicion from
their real intentions and to take part in a
reslignment Of the democratic party II they
are permitted to retain their jobs with the
railroad company until next spring. A
watch Is being kept and illegal voters will
b arrested.
While the names and reputed places OF
residence OF persons who have fraudulently
voted at he last republican primary have
been published. thus proving beyond all
question that fraud was perpstrated. other
oircunstAntisi evidence Of that fraud con-
firms the charges. One Of the most holly
contested primaries which were ever held
in this city were in the sena-
torisl contest Of 1900. At that primary a
larger proportion Of the total vote was
brought out than had ever been previously
cast There were contests in every ward,
and at that primary there were cast SOS
votes. LgSt month there WAS no contest IN
the Ninth ward and practically none in the
Third In these wards there was a decrease
In the vote last month from the primaries
Of 1900 OF z4s votes. yet in the nine wards
Of the city there was a net increase OF 240.
or an increase in the seven wards Of the
city outside Of the Third and Ninth Of 4ss
votes. or more than 10 per cent Of the total
vote cast in the seven wards. This in
crease in the vote over 1900 represents,
practically. the majority by whieh Mr.. Mer-
Ger apparently carried the city primaries.
That this does not really represent the
actual vote Of the people who take part in
the elections ordinarily is shown by the
fact that at the last primary there were
more than 1000 votes cast upon ahidAvits.
a number Of which have been found to be
defective in form. and a considerable num-
Der voted by persons who are not to be
found at the addresses given by them at
the time they cast their votes. so that from
this showing IL is easy TO see where the
votes which nominated the nonresident
congressman came from
An inspection OF the certificates and an
dRvits on file with the secretary Of the
republican county committee shows that
out Of the total number OF votes cast BY
sfhdavtt 5S4 voters gave the reason that
they were out Of tAe city during The days
Of the last registration. ninety-one Of them
said they were sick or had sickness in their
families during the days Of the last regis
~tration. eighty-four Of them declared they
had become OF legal Ege since the last reg
istration and eighty-four were not qualified
citizens AZ the time OF the last registra-
tion. The remainder were for reasons not
recognized by the Law. or the certificates
which are shown to have been issued BY
the clerk upon afhdavit are not on
file in the once Of the secretary Of the
republican county committee. so that
reasons cannot be aseertained.
The large number OF persons who swore
that they were out Of town on each day
OF the last registration will more than
make up the majority by which Mr.. Mer-
Ger carried the primaries. In a number
Of instances IL has been aseertained thai
these people were not out Of town all OF
the days Of the registration, but some OF
them were out Of the city on one Of the
days. while others say that they DO not
know whether hey we're out Of town, al
though they have sworn that they were.
In one instance = man was found who do
not know what excuse was placed upon
his Ahldavit.
In this connection the attention Of HIS
Mcdonald was called to the Endsvit in the
case Of c J. Spain. the Eighth ward voter
who voted in the Sixth ward upon afhdavit
signed by Mcdonald. Mr.. Mcdonald said
eff my name Is on that Andavit guess
signed H. but ] have no recollection Of the
matter. nor do I r~eeoIieeg Mr.. Spain thAr
day. II is all news to mt. and I guess ! has
better look the matter up"
A good story is current in Democratic
circles which shows that all is not har.
noniOus in the ranks Of the Enterrihed. i
vas known for some days previous 10 tn,
nomination OF candidate for congress b.
that party that George W. Shields. the pres
ont county attorney. aspired 10 the place
but hts name was not presented 10 the con
~vention. the nomination going TO G. n
Hiteheoek- when the time came for IN,
county COMMITTEES to collect the sinews o
wal they as usual levied a eontributioi
upon each candidate and once holder
Among the omee holders was the late as
pirant 20 congressional honors- That as
sessnent has not been paid and In dsfensi
Of his failure 70 pay the county attornsl
A. alleged 10 have said that he didn't car,
20 pay the assessment as long as ROsswate
IS not making a strong night upon Hitch
EOek"
Mica nnIr nr I'll nnraHrnr