The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-10-23
Frederick Quelch, an Englishman,
Who Secured His Papers Reg
ularly, Is Scratched.
WILL ASK FOR MANDAMUs.
Election Commissioners Order
Says No Names Removed in
Revision Shall Be Re-en-
tered, Whether Right
or Wrong.

The right of judges and clerks of regis
tration. who sat as boards OF revision Fri
daE. October II. to strike from the lists of
registered voters the names of men who
had legally secured naturalization papers
from the st. Louis Court Of Appeals. or
any other court which has Jurisdiction to
ISSUE papers to foreigners. will doubtless
be reviewed by the Court of Appeals
some time before November 4. when the
corrected and revised list of voters will
be published for the last time.
Frederick Quelch. ianitor in the Post
Dispatch building. who lives at No. y74s
Semple avenue. will apply to the Court Of
Appeals this week for a writ of mandamus
against the Board of Election Commits
.%sioners. ordering them either to re-enter
his name in the registration books or to
appear before the court and show satis-
factory cause why his name should not
be re-entered.
Quelch is an Englishman by birth. but
he avs he is a fulI-blooded American by
adoption. He came to America in 1890
and settled at Dallas. Tex. In May, 1882,
he took out his first naturalization pa
pers at Dallas. He removed to st. Louis
In 1900. and secured his second papers
from the st. Louis Court of Appeals on
october 8 of the same year. Since then
he has voted the Democratic ticket in
every election in ST. Louis. and not until
the recent registration had any objection
ever been raised as to the legality of his
papers.
But ouelch was to suffer from the sys-
tematic campaign of i~ntimidating voters
which has been inaugurated by the Re-
publican politicians OF ST. Louis. Al the
held Sunday. September Is. at
which the Republican Election Commits
publican judges and clerks. who had been
chosen for the registration on the follow
Ing four days, Instructions were given
out that all naturalized foreigners pre-
Court Of Appeals during the few years
preceding and following the year 1907,
when 1t is alleged SO many fraudulent pa
pers were issued. were to be denied reg
Should it happen that for any reason
foreigners holding such papers were al
lowed to register, then the judges and
ion were to be sure and remove any such
names. This programme was followed out.
NET NO OBJECTION.
Quelch met with no objection when he
registered on the second day Of registra-
ton in the Twelfth Precinct Of the TWEEN
Ward, where he has always
voted since being in St. Louis. and where
he : known as a Democrat, who. under
the Democratic candidate is not worthy.
But the judges approved his papers and
said that he was qualified to register.
The day following he received a notice
him to appear October Il and show cause
why his name should not be stricken from
the list. This he did, but the Republican
be removed. although he produced
papers which had been regularly issued.
Friday he went to the Election Commits
sioners' office while the board was in res
fore the board and reciting his troubles.
But an order had Just been issued by the
board to the effect hat no ones name
could be- re.entered. Whether tbe eve E nses
able to prove themselves qualified voters
not.
This order was issued by the Commits
by unqualified voters who had reg
Istered in the regular registration. but |
whose names had been removed by the
Board Of Revision. when Il was found
hat they were fraudulent or had removed.
It was discovered that many persons, not
qualified to vote. were having their names |
re-entered. on the plea that they had re-
consequently their names had been strick-
IN of by the judges OF the revision with
out cause.
1t was to stop this fraudulent transfer
led voters that the Commissioners were
to issue the order. Persons qualified
% vote and who are rightfully entitled to
the privileges OF franchise have no re,
iress IL their names la been removed
the list. n COMMISSIONER say |
there was no other solution OF the prob
EN-. and b state that they made the
voters be denied the right to vote
han that many names Of illegal voters be
entered on the lists.
could offer Quelch no aid when
ne went to see them However. Quelch
a strong disregard for the Re
Commissioner Mr.. Aloe: for he
says Mr.. Aloe was equally as insistent
IS the Republican judges that his papers |
we're fraudulent.
PAPERS ARE LEGAL.
oueIcii then went to see Jehn II. Muir
ply, Clerk of the st. Louis Court OF APP
,eaIs, to make sure that his papers had
been legally issued. Clerk Murphy made
| careful examination of the court rec
,rds and of Quelch's first naturalization
He'd In the archives of the court. He
that Quelch's papers were as regu.
arly issued as they could well be, n
American. fully entitled to all the prerog-
that go with American citizenship. |
Now Quelch says that he is going to
orce the Commissioners, II, possible; to
center his name OH the books regardless
" their order.
I'm a determined Englishman." he said.
and I'm q jealous American. / am jeai- |
nus Of my vote an If possible l am 60
to ave that vote this fall. I know |
am entitled to 1t and I am going TO see
+ the Court of Appeals will not give it
me. ! believe they will.
There. another thing I know. too" he
nto the legality Of my papers in taxing
They assess and collect my taxes
but when I go to exercise
he right which the American Constitu-
says the payment of axes entities
mar to exercise. / am accused of hav.
ng secured my citizen ship fraudulently."
Quelch Is, apparently, well educated and
alks iuently and correctly. Janitoring. he
;ays. is not the business he was intended
or by his parents. but. janitor or no jan
tor, he gays he Is going to vote In No
-ember or find out the reason why
FOLK TO SPEAK IN COUNTY.
Yemocrats MeAtings at