Evening star., 1907-11-10
Mr.. PLATT MAKES CHARGE
Says Republican Judges Connived
With Democrats.
PROPER MATERIAL WANTING
Claimed That Ballots Were Thrown
Out on Trivial Grounds, 5000
in Baltimore.


day are being made right and left in the
city tonight. 1t is openly charged that
George r. Gather, the republican candi-
date for governor. was counted out and
that by the connivance of republican cleo
ton officials. Chairman Platt of the re-
publican city committee. In discussing tine
result, said to The Star correspondent
tonight:
Gather unquestionably carried Balti-
more city, and was counted out. There
were 5000 ballots thrown out in-Balti-
moro. OF these 5000 were republican. I
am certain. And these, II the judges
had done their duty. would have carried
the city for Gather.
"Of course we haven't the right sort Of
proof right now that these men were
crooked. We only have scattered reports.
We haven't gone into it thoroughly yet.
But we know of one precinct where there
were ninety ballots thrown out and where
one republican judge voted to allow them
to be cast out. The other republican, who
was straight. refused to stand for the
deal, and finally allowed forty to stand.
and made a fight for about fifty of
the ballots where there were X marks out
side the lines: others where stars were
used instead of X marks, and others
where there were plainly distinguished
marks on the ballots to Identify them. But
cast out. There was another precinct
where we heard that all of the repub-
lican judges, except an extra challenger
there under a prohibition credential. left
the room for about ten minutes to get
drink Now, what could have happened
II 1t had not been for that extra chal-
lengeI no one knows. Another precinct,
In ward 10, we heard from. and as for
the Meadow district downtown-well, one
hardly expects to find the class OF men in
that neghborhood that are fit to serve al
judges and clerks. That is the trouble
There are other cases, but It is hardly
worth while going over them
Committee Was Handicapped.
"we," he said. tried our best to get
straight, honest officials. We tried to do
it last spring We secured the very best
material that was offered. and X things
went wrong, we'll what can be done?
Securing election officials" he con-
tinued. 'is very much like looking for
candidate. Naturally. you go to the very
best that are on the market at first. Then
II you can't get them to serve you Keep
on coming down the list, and eventually.
perhaps, you have to take some one that
you did not want at all. but you simply
have to report. That Is our position. IT
1 could secure body OF 1ooO men
who offered their services. men OF class
that was unpurchasable and who would
fight for the rights of their party. Il
might be different. AS 1t Is what hap
pens? We want a man who we know Is
tells us business prevents him from serv-
ing Then we try to argue with him
II he declares he will not serve and II We
compel him to- he will not care what nap
pens In the election booth. 30 we give
him up II we don't and ne goes before
the election supervisors. then we find out
that they listen to his story, and he does
not have to serve That's what we are
up against
"As for the democrats-wel. they take
crooked ones. and they don't care about
It at that. If we wanted to handle cleo
tions that way perhaps we might not
have much trouble II we had the money
to buy up the crooks. But we don't be-
lleve in that. :. and we don't hn,n ~ want any
Chairman Platt also declared that
Timanus was counted out last spring In
the mayoralty election and that he shared
the same fate as Wachter fou- years ago.
Had Money to Burn.
It is a well-known fact that the demo-
Gratis had money to burn-their fund. con-
tributed by the public service corporations
doing business In Maryland. amounting
to s125.OO0 in round figures
The republican campaign fund was
about $15 600, and covered all the legiti-
mate expenses Of the campaign.
1t is significant that the returns from
heavily democratic wards were late IN
coming into headquarters the last being
received at $50 O'Clock Wednesday after
noon. just twenty ty-four hours and thirty
minutes after the polls closed.
The democrats now solidly en-
trenched in power. the "old guard in the
saddle and will prepare an amendment
for disfranchisement before the legisla-
ture.
This amendment Is being prepared by
Isaac Lobe Straus the incoming attorney
general. and will be passed by the legis-
lature for submission to the voters. and
the suffrage fight of 1905 is on again.
The democratic leaders acknowledge that
they will pursue this policy. At the same
time. they claim that they will eliminate
from the proposition Objectionable points
IN the Poe plan. which, in part. caused its
defeat two years ago by nearly 35 900
majority. conference will be held
shortly In this city and prominent repub-
lican leaders In the state will be asked
to attend and aid in framing an amend
ment that will be acceptable TO both
parties.
State Really Republican.
The maJorties in the two houses mean
that the democrats have the power,
under the constitution, to pass a dis
franchising amendment. to be submitted
to the people two years hence, and as
they are committed to such a PROPOSE
tion by their last state platform there
is no doubt that they will proceed to
pass an amendment for submission to
voters.
fair count would have demonstrated
that Maryland Is the closest A.oIitioel
state In the Union. If the iniauitous
ballot law were not manipulated TO the
advantage of the democrats the state
would be largely republican. Since lS96
the state has cast large republican ma
jorities for the candidates for Congress-
and for President. with the exceptions OF
the election Of 1904. when Mr. Boya-
parte, who was the sole republican
candidate for presidential elector. won
success. His was the first name on tho
list of candidates. and his vote was so
far in excess of that of every one Of his
democratic competitors 1t was "onsid-
cred at the time that but for the opera
ton of the election law all of his repub-
lican colleagues would have been sue
cessful by a least 1000 majority.
Last year the republicans swept tho
state in the congressional election by
6.93O majority in all the districts, show
ing that In a popular vote the state is
easily republican-if ballots are counted