The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-29
MORGAN DOING 0DELL'S WORK
SAYS TAMMANY Law CHAIRMAN.
AND COLLINS AYERS IT'S TRUE.

Deputy Attorne,-G eneral Satisfied That
the state superintendent ONCE 10
Being Turned to Partisan Account
Will Lay the Facts Before His CHIEF.
George W. Morgan, State superintendent
of Elections, was directly accused yester-
day by Charles H. Knox, chairman OF the
Tammany Hall law committee. and by
Deputy Attorney-G eneral Cornelius r.
Collins, of using the machinery OF his
bureau to help the Odell machine. MIR.
Morgan was charged with turning over
the Information which comes to him through
his bureau to the Republican law commit
tee, to help that body in making its appli-
cations to the courts to have names stricken
of the registry lists.
It was also asserted incidentally that
Mr.. Morgan has secretly opened branch
Office In East Tenth street, where, invariably,
the affldavits furnished to the Republican
law committee were sworn to.
Mr.. Knox wrote a letter Thursday to
Deputy Attorney G eneral Collins, saying
of Supt Morgan:
Instead OF conducting his office in non
partisan manner. II appears that he Is furniso-
ing the information he acquires to the he
publican organization. and that motions TO
strike names from the list are being made
by lawyers representing the Republican
party on information furnished by MIR. Nor
gan. II he has any legal proceedings to In
stitute. the Acknowledgement and his assist
ants are the only lawyers, under the law.
he can employ. and the information obtained
by him is for use by him and not for use for
partisan purposes.
The result in the courts. where practically
no registered voter has been stricken from
the rolls shows the great wrong that Mr..
Morgan is allowing others to perpetrate
through the machinery Of his office. The in.
formation he received ought to have been
Investigated by the Acknowledgement, instead
Of which motions have been made indis-
cririnately to strike thousands OF citizens
names from the registry list without justif-
cation. us appears from the fate these motions
have met with in the courts.
Mr. Collins sent to Supt. Morgan yester-
day communication in which he said
plainly that he was satisfied from his own
observations that the accusations made
by Mr.. Knox were true. He added that he
was satisfied also that in practically all OF
the cases where applications had been
made to the courts to strike names from
the registry lists, the applications were
made on information furnished by Mr..
Morgan. The letter went on to say:
learned that the method followed by you
was to obtain Information through deputies
other a Republican would in almost
al a0 0ban wRen
these deputy superintendents would report.
the Democrat would be directed to sign the
would then be forwarded to an ONCE in room
3l5. Temple Court. where the Fepuonoan law
committee was in session Tor the purpose OF
hn
| ft am told that the once used by you where
the deputies swore TO these afhdavits was at
Knew wy you had had until cleaned the informa
ton from my investigation. These applica-
tons went into t ne na the
citizens affected was through the mail. or
the very large number OF applications made,
those granted did not exceed two or three
per cent.
Mr., Collins pointed out to Supt. Morgan
that he had failed to obey the law in not
consulting with him, as the Attorney Cen
erals representative and consequently,
the legal adyiser 81 Inc s up snsI nTo
ceedings he prompted. Mr. Collins said
that as It would be useless to prefer charges
against Mr.. Morgan to the Governor he
had determined to lay all the facts in his
possession before Attorney General Cum
There can be no question that it was your
to tie proposed proceedings referred to. The
y ,aSl ocai Capacity but that the name Of an
eleotor was used in the title does not change
i being clear thst the use
stances was mere .subterfuge. to give some
color Of justification to the appearanee, on
soSnee aedi'' With Your department fhe
lawyers who appeared are not 10 blame. for
the reason that they may be justified, per
10 advance the interests Of their political
party. but as for yourself; am constrained to
s 1Ste Of 1.-THE the many interviews which we have
course e You did: and your keeping Il from me
than a deliberate using on your part of the
facilities furnished by, your ONCE for the
e4 g IF tbs to
you that. Il have str wen. under the direction
Of the Attorney General to perform peri I'M, my duty
Influenced by any consideration Of politics,
and and the results Of my efforts. together with
jeot, Is proof, positive that this statement e
have been sufheient 70 deter YOU under Al, Al
difrer In y our Political opinions would ip t.
hH would Sff RaTe @sa
operating g. the heads q which were Of diiIerent
general general unjust harrassins and annoyanoe
| of citizens which has resulted from the many
| applications made.
III we had had consultation on the sub
| ject Of these applications, II would have been
| easy 20 have permitted the Republican law
| yers to appear in court as anxious curia:
which would have been all that any political
party could have asked to insure the guard
| ing of its interests. My investigations
| showed that while you furnished this nforma-
ton directly to the Republican representa- res a.
tives. not one particle OF ipiorm nr Was
law committee.
i have determined to forward this whole
matter to my superior, the Attorney General
OF the State for his advice and direction,
for the reason that personally feel that 1t
The Governor Of the State, inasmuch as II
would be impossible for him TO act imparti-
ally. he being the chairman OF the Republican
my information guiding and directing you
In the performance OF your duty.