The Springfield herald., 1904-12-16

election frauds in Denver as result
OF the Supreme Courts inquiry into
the contempt cases against election
officials in that city has attracted the
attention of the entire country.
Never in the history of Denver cleo
ton thieyery has 1t been SO extensive
or SO brazenly committed, and never
before has punishment followed SO
swiftly upon the heels Of the crime.
The most astonishing feature Of the
whole matter Is that the frauds were
perpetrated in utter defiance of the SUI
preme Court Injunction and in the
very faces of the official watchers of
the Supreme Court who were stationed
at all voting places.
There is but one explanation for this
extraordinary contempt for the power
of the highest court in the state.
Heretofore Escaped.
Heretofore the Denver election
thieves have escaped punishment upon
one pretext or another. They knew
that they always had the protection OF
the Police machine" of the Demo-
cratic organization and the assistance
of the best legal talent in the Demo
cratic party to keep them out OF jail.
They felt that they were immune. And
indeed they have received the protec-
tion and assistance of the Democratic
organization, leaders and lawyers, SO
far as they could give it. Senators
Paterson and Teller have both ap-
peared before the Supreme Court and
done their best to save the election
crooks from legal Punishment, but this
is an instance where their political
power was of no avail.
No Jury to "Pack."
When the ward heelers figured that
there would be some way OF getting
around the Supreme Court injunction,
they reckoned without their host. In
the first place, there was no jury to
take up time or to be packed"
The court enjoined the evil-disposed
to behave themselves and conduct the
election lawfully and honestly. Those
who violated this order were
promptly hauled up and promptly sent
to Jail. A high court rarely If ever in
terferes with a lower court in its ef-
forts to enforce respect for its author
ity and dignity. and the appeal of Sell
ator Patterson to the United States
x,f
and his friends of the lower wards will
have to serve their sentences to the
end.
Many Policemen Among Offenders.
Another surprising feature of the
whole proceeding is that such large
proportion of the arrested and con-
victed election crooks were policemen
and other law officials and public en-
ployes. -
OF the first forty-one arrested, nine
teen were policemen, detectives and
court constables, deputies and other
police and county employes-just the
men who should have the most respect
for lawful authority. The very men
who are daily called upon to carry out
the mandates of courts and enforce the
law were the first and most reckless
offenders against the Supreme Court
and the election laws.
In some places the Supreme Court
injunction when served was torn up 1t
is said that Alderman Mahoney, one
OF the arrested men, tore the injunc-
tion into bits when it was served upon
him at the polling place. In some
places the Supreme Court watchers
were thrown out and assaulted.
Violence at the Polls.
At others, Republican judges were
thrown out, and in some instances Re
publican judges were denied clerks
to which they were clearly entitled un-
der the law. In several polling places
fighting and rough-house tactics were
pursued and Republican voters run
out, assaulted or intimdated.
Thugs and bullies crowded around
the tables and ballot boxes in several
places and by the use of foul and pro-
fame language and rough tactics gen
orally kept numbers of voters away.
Repeaters were voted in squads, as has
been proven by the examination of two
or three ballot boxes by the Supreme
Court. The Republicans have copied
the poll books and are now canvassing
the city to see how many of the ficti-
tious names were voted which are
known to have been on the registration
books.
In one precinct 500 registered letters
were sent to names from the registra'
tion books and all but thirty-three of
them We're returned because no such
persons lived at the places named.
The re-caLvass now going on in the
bad precihcts." together with the rev.
elations made by the Supreme Court of
other forms of fraud, indicate that