New-York tribune., 1908-02-20
HUGE ELECTION FRAUDS
STACKS OF FAKE BALLOTS.
Long Inquiry by Committee Shoes
Up GIa1ing Ur0ngs.

The special committee Of the Republican
County Committee appointed last November 10
consider election frauds in this borough is ready
to report, and expects to submit the result of
its findings at the Republican County Com
mIttee meeting tonight. The Tribune learns
from an unquestionabIe source that the report
viii throw some strong light into the election
methods that have held heretofore. The COM
mittee discovered that the minimum of abso-
lutely fake ballots that is. ballots that had abso-
lutly no right TO be cast never fell below $4,000.
and in important elections such as the Hearst .
Mcclellan contest the number Went far above
that figure.
In making its Investigations. The Tribune learns
that the committee confined itself almost wholly
to the fake ballot as distinguished from the
purchased ballot. Members Of the committee
believed that the fake ballot. or that ballot cast
by a voter who had absolutely no right to do
so, was more harmful than that cast for either
one candidate or the other. according to the
side from which he received his money.
\ in close touch with the election ma
chinery in this city. although not connected with
the county committee. pointed out last night
that the number Of faxed ballots had in
creased tremendously. while the number OF pur-
chased ballots had decreased, due to the voters
becoming more intelligent The number Of
fake" ballots had increased, he said, because
Of the tremendous growth of population making
Identification more difficult each year
The report will point out that a common plan
of voting the f1oaters is to furnish each lodging
house keeper or other herder Of the floating
tribe with a list of names of ballot thieves This
is memorized by the shepherd of the motley
flock and can be recited gIibIy if he is ap-
preached by an inspector. The same list is
usually furnished to any given lodging house
each year. While the chief vote fraud evil has
its roots in the lodging houses the number Of
faxed" ballots furnished by owners Of private
houses and even flats, voted often by men who
never slept in them, is tremendous.
REMEDIES TO BE SUGGESTED
In taking up recommendations for renedytng
the evils investigated the committee will prob
ably report it was learned. that il is necessary
to establish further checks upon the identity Of
the voter at both registration and election and
to make the check on the claim Of residence
more stringent. It was discovered that the per
sonaI registration and the reports Of the hotel
and lodging house keepers are in themselves in |
effective. a gang of hoaters can now put names
on the registry books which will be voted on
later by another gang.
one absolute means Of Identification is found |
IN the thumb print system. This. however, will |
probably not be recommended by the committee, |
but il will undoubtedly report in favor of adding /
two columns to the registration books and TO the
poll books In the first of these it will be recon- /
mended that there shall appear the name of the I
tenant or householder with whom the voter
lives. while in the second there shall be printed
a above each line sort of oath. attesting the /
truth OF the statements made to the registry
clerk In this line every voter will be required
to sign his name, ostensibly simply 70 swear 10
the truth of his statements, but actually TO fur
ntsh a means of identifying him with the man
who votes on his name.
Information contained in the first additional
residence of a voter who is a boarder or a |
odger AS TIE law now stands the voter simply
states his street number and the floor he
ives on
QUESTIONS FOR VOTERS.
If a voter alleges illiteracy list of twenty or
more questions which he is required to answer
viJJ be put 10 him. and of course the questions
With his answers will go TO the polling place.
where, II he is challenged, he must answer the
anne questions. These include fathers. grand
athers and grandmothers' names. and such
,ther intimate information as an ordinary
oater could not possibly memorize and repeat
fter the interim between registration and cleo
ion
1t was found IN making the Investigations
Continued fourth gags.