The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-08
lBLLL0Y REFORM CONFERENCE.
CfHTG FEDERATION MAKES PLANS
DIR NEW LAWS.

.h- NAH.. ACNACOD AANNiaA0tOh
err Zen County, Pa-Harriman's
ero-DanEers Of Immigration.
Exe Seth Low presided yesterday
Nftafhe at the closing session OF the
b0nf6lBhce which the National Civic Fedora
ton oalled to DISCUSS reforms in the election
and primary laws OF the various States OF
thu Bnion. Delegates we're present from
Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin,
Conneoticut, Massa chusetts. Pennsylvania
and Georgia and at times the debate was
spirited on the proposed changes in the
method Of voting at the primaries as well
as upon the changes that should be made
In the corrupt practices acts now in force.
Mr.. Low said that the subject of corrupt
practices at ele ctions was attra citing atten-
ton all over the United States and that the
people had come to think that the results
Of elections here and there were often de-
termined by the use OF money. Further
more, it Is believed that the electors are
being progressively debauohed by payment
for their votes and the feeling Is growing
that something must be done about 1t,
Mark F. Sullivan Of this city stirred up
something of a hornets nest by r~eciting
from his personal observations how the
primaries are carried on in Green county,
Pa. He said that when n friend of his,
q native Of that county, told him of
what went on at these elections he refused
4 to believe it as It sounded too much like a
romanoe With this friend he finally made
a visit to Green county, which Is on the
Ohio border and peopled almost exclusively
by native Americans, and witnessed from
an inside point Of view the actual methods
There were 900 voters at one primary
and from 90 to 10 per cent. Of them we're paid
for the votes they cast. The price for a
vote ran from $40 to SIS. The buying OF
votes was done openly and no attempt
was made at concealment. 1t was a recog-
nized and well established custom in the
place and the speaker doubted that a clergy
man in the whole county could be found
with sufficient courage to denounce the
practice. Most OF those who took money
for their votes were well to do farmers,
and they considered the price paid to them
as O part of their regular annua revenue.
Otherwise Greene county was q well behaved,
well regulated, God-fearing community.
care you aware" said E. V. Sturges Of
Scranton solemnly, pointing his index
finger at Mr.. Sullivan, 'are you aware that
Pennsylvania has reformed?'
Getting no answer MIR. Sturges proceeded:
VA tlluh lH0 ktllll6tLuii IhS bCVh "ihhOD
ing O private theatrical exhibition especially
prepared for his benefit. Anyhow, Greene
county is so near to Ohio think that any
shortcomings in the primaries there ought
70 be charged to Boss Cox
IN the discussion that followed it turned
out that Greene county was the only sure
Democratic county in Pennsylvania and
that O nomination there for local Office was
equivalent to election,
William Church Osborn read a paper on
the need Of a stringent corrupt practices
act in this State, saying that elections here
were often determined by the use OF money.
He explained the nature OF the various bills
bearing upon the subject, which are now
before the Legislature and told Of the adj
yanoed ground taken by the Federation to
prevent corrupt practices. Speaking of
the powerful influence of money in politics
h kr. Osborn said:
tYou remember that Mr.. Hartman testi-
fed before the insurance investigating COM
mittee that he did not owe his political in
finence to Mr.. Odell, but that MIR. Odell
owed his inluence to him N What M Mr.
political operations of Mr.. Odell.'
Congressman Terrell Of Austin, chairman
OF one Of the House committees on cleo
tions, told Of tho workings OF the primary
y law in Texas. He also discussed immi-
grafton and the negro problem. He said
Ia part:
You Of the North feel more keenly than we
4 Of the South do the danger Of promiscuous
Immigration and your cities feel 1t more
Intensely than your agricultural people =.
Under q short sighted and dangerous Federal
policy our northern border, instead OF being
\ refuge for the oppressed who seek our
shore, has become the dumping ground for
the criminal, the ignorant, the pauper and the
anarchist from Europe.
Existing conditions force on us the rear
that the foreign born voters in our great
cities have come TOO recently from Europe
properly TO distinguish between liberty and
license, for they vote before they are properly
aaatmIlated into our institutions. They con-
tinue TO comc-ln defiance OF the protests Of
both the native and foreign born laborers
who are already here. Their knowledge OF
out institutions is not elevatln9 Tor 1t was
chiefly obtained by listening to the harangues
: of the demagogue or by witnessing or assist
ing the corrupt methods Of municipal cleo
tons.
When we consider how the dangerous vote
nj the foreign element may DO reinforced by
the reckless, the vicious, the indolent ana the
ignorant among oar native born population.
the outlook is alarming.
The speaker defended the poll tax i'm
posed as O qualification for voters in Texas
and declared that the negroes were not in
fimidated there. He went on;
We secure the negro In all his political
rights. and there we stop, for we draw the
line OF social eQua lily. The education Of
the mind alone cannot qualify a man as a
companion for gentlemen. A good govern
ment by the people can only be permanent
when a majority OF those entrusted with the
ballot worship God. protect the sanctity
Of the home and cherish the conjugal rela-
zion. These virtues are most conspicuoua
among Teutonlc. Scandinavian and English
speaking races.
How is 1t with the negro9 Although they
constitute less than one-fourth OF cur popu-
fation they bring over so per cent. of the
divorce suits In Texas and furnish two-thirds
OF the criminals. The same proportion
holds good everywhere.
Our great trouble with the negro In Texas
q not at the ballot box, but from his sensual
nature. In servltude he was restrained by
fear and taught the discipline Of self-re-
etralnt. Freedom came, and then he heard
the call of the wild and Is dominated too
much by inherited passions developed through
long centuries of polygamy in the jungles
Of Africa.
Another stir was created by the speech
Of James @. Monahan, collector OF Internal
Revenue at Madison, Wis. Mr.. Monahan
savagely attacked the primary law of the
state in particular and the La Toilette