The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-12-05
A CORRUPT BALLOT
GRAND JURY SCORES SYSTEM IN
 CHICAGO.
Report Says 1t Es Doubtful If An Hon- est Election Has Been Held TheFe En Many
 EeARa.

Chicago, Dec. 1.-The ballots of men long residents Of other cities, the bal- lots of temporary absentees, the ballots of the insane and even of the dead were cast in the primRry election of last August in Chicago "Repeaters of willingly unseeing judges and clerks of election. and fraud, rampant to an extent hitherto unknown in a city new CT famous for the purity of its po- liticai atmosphere rendered the result ant charity nominations nominaIly worthless.
 These and other startling allegations were made today in the report of the special grand jury, which. after several weeks of delying into charges grow inR out of Chicago's first primaries and returning slxtyone indictments against two scores or more of politicians and others, adjourned.
 The Investigation. owing to physical Limitations, merely scratched the sur face of the situation. according to the report and doubt is expressed thaS there has been an honest city or gener- al election in Chicago in years. The finding of the induisitoriai body charac- terizes the primary election as a dis grace to the city Voting machines are urgently advised as step in a reIne dial line and wider application of civ il service. It Is stated that while the jury cannot affirm that no frauds were perpetrated by civil service employees 1t Is significant the inquisitors found none such. On the other hand. the re. port remarks the fact that although the police were In the vicinity of every polling booth, the investigators receiv- cd no aid from them in seeking Go fasten responsibility for the conditions which prevailed.
 Referring to the fact that Frank L. Loesch the special States attorney ap- pointed to conduct the investigation, had been compelled by injunction to perform his public duty without com- pensation, even drawing on his own purse for necessary expenses in one in- stance the report sayns
 we denounce the men who have thrust on the county the shame of forcing Mir. Loesch to perform his public duty with out the compensation to which he is enc titled and which. thus far. he has ably earned. and we denounce the measures by which these men have achieved this irnobie end and we especially condemn the recent disgraceful conduct of the Superintendent of Public Service which deprived Mir. Lesch of reimbursement of funds for emergency and other ex- penses to the amount of 911, which. with generosity ana nlBn sense ot duty, he advanced from his private purse"
 Continuing, the report says:
 "Frrom the facts coming to our knowl- edge we express serious doubt whether there has been any honest general or city election in Chicago for years past
 "We report that in our opinion much of the said fraudulent voting was dont in pursuance of general schemes ol corruption, the nature, character and extent of which we had not the time to fully develop.
 ..The attitude of the po1lce' the re- mort continues, twas one of giving neg alive aid to such frauds by seeing and hearing nothing that was to the pre- iudIce of their patrons however well 1t may have been seen and heard by others no better situated than the policeman at the polls.''