New-York tribune., 1906-09-28
DENVER'S ELECTION FAIR.
City Not a Sink of Corruption, as
Charged by Its Oun Newspapers.


Denver. Sept. 27-Judge Ben B. Lindsey Of the
Probate Court has completed his count OF the
ballots cast in May last and the announcement Of
the result. while causing chagrin to the anti-cor-
poration managers, proved conclusively that the
election the fairest ever held in Denver. This
decision closes incident which has been marked
in the annals Of political contests in this city for
the bitterness of the warfare waged by the Munich
pal Ownership League supported by Senator Pat
terson and the sensational journals. There has
been throughout frantic appeal to the passions
of the people,
Under the existing law all questions affecting the
granting OF franchises, extensions of franchise
grants or terms upon which franchises may be
granted must be submitted to the people to be
voted upon at public election Qualified voters
must be taxpayers, not necessarily payers OF taxes
on realty or personal property, but payers Of poll
tax, school taxes, etc. The first referendum was
held in May. The corporations seeking extended
privileges were the Denver Northwestern & Pacific
Railway Company (the Mofrat road. the Denver
City Tramway Company and the Denver Gas and
printed its application for the franchise sought,
its argument why It should be granted and the
exact text OF the franchise itself. but caused wide
circulation of this matter. placing the IN the
hands OF every qualified voter. The object sought
was intelligent appreciation by each voter OF
tho privilege desired by the several companies and
honest expression OF opinion by ballot In the
campaign that followed the corporations were at
tackled with desperate bitterness.
In round figures, 1900 votes were polled. The
count showed that the corporations had woni the
Moffatt railroad by about 5000. the gas and elsc-
trio company by about $50 and the street railway
company by about 1s5 votes. Tho antt-corporation
people declared that the elections were decided By
brazen frauds. A resident taxpayer induced
to bring suit, the expenses OF which borne By
the sensational press. recount was demanded.
THE Rocky Mountain News said:
II the boxes containing the ballots cast on the
light and tramway franchises will he ssrestsS and
scores Of election officials who certified to false re-
Nag Z OF when Re
managers discovered that the franchises had been
their msohines they TO Rs
sna S S Of the
change the returns. THE News' Fortunately dis
sent search Of S MISSING So1es es 'f peoSr S6
spirators became alarmed. and contented them
they heped to as
THIS sch.me was es by 20 S ns
sons order removing the boxes from the custody Of
count the ballots and the entire sinister piof viii
be laid bare.
The recount was conducted by Probate Judge Ben
b. Lindsey. who was record In many speeches
for his hostility TO the corporations. He had once
stood as the Independent candidate for Governor.
and had some national reputation for having organ
ceedlngs were remarkable Henry L. Doherty' 70 pres
ident of the Denver Gas and Electric Company,
sworn on the ground that the had jurisdc-
ton in the premises. Judge Lindsey refused TO
listen to any argument, and held Doherty in con-
tempt. In order to force the question before the
supreme Court. he maintained his position and was
committed TO Jail for contempt. George n. Ordway,
president OF the Elections Comm ission + A Will
ianlsl chairman of the Republican Central Commit
tee; William Davoren, chairman Of the Democratic
Central COMMITTEES, and other conspicuous in
business circles here were also summoned. They.
too, refused to be sworn, the ground that the
court lacked jurisdiction. Several Of them also
We're held in contempt and committed to the jail,
from which they were released by order OF the Su-
preme Court OF the state.
For three months the yellow Journals have been
oenouncng the corporations and holding up the
whole of Denver sink OF corruption
On Friday Judge Lindsey announced the result of
the recount No contest had been made in the
confined to the gas and electric companies and TO
the tramVay company. He announced that after
all the boxes had been opened and all the ballots
IN all the precincts had been counted scintilla
OF fraud had been disclosed. There was a change
OF 6S ballots in the $4,000 polled on the tramway
franchise. and this trivial amount arose In some
instances as a difference between Judge Lindseys
Interpretation and that of the election Judges as
to the intention of the voter: beyond that there
few clerical errors
While the yellow journals were holding the fran
chises up by the recount the companies were
stopped in spending millions in additions and i'm
provements The Denver City Tramway Company
alone had by new extensions various parts of the
city committed itself to build seventy miles OF
trackage and agreed to pay into the citv treasury
5000 month, or $4,000 year for twenty years,
while the Denver Gas and Electric Company had
agreed TO reduce its rates and pay 10 the city $4,000
a