The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-02-19
SENDS MESSAGE
ON REGISTRATION
GOVERNOR HADLEY URGES b.
PARTISAN ELECTION
BOARDS.
TOUCHES ON FRAUD NAMES
Disputes Grand Jury's Eelectlon Re-
port In City Of st. Louis-Ac-
eepts Election Commits
! s~loners' Report.

Jefferson City.-In a message to
the general Assembly, Governor
Hadley discusses elections in st. Louis
and Kansas City. The message was
accompanied by the report of the
board of election commissioners OF st.
Louis, on which the governor makes
comment. The governor said many
excellent suggestions are incorporated
in the report Of the commissioners.
In the course Of the message Gov.
Hadley says a bipartisan board Is an
inspiration and a necessity.
mo question can be of greater i'm
portance in a republican form of gov
eminent than that of honest cleo
TONS" says the governor, "for, unless
we have honest elections, we do not
have a republican form Of government
at all.
Such a Board Needed.
"A bipartisan board is In itself both
ar inspiration and a necessity to fair
ness. This has been demonstrated to
be true in the recent work of the gen.
eral assembly in the investigation and
determination of the question as to
who was elected lieutenant governor.
The objection that Is sometimes Of
fered that a bipartisan board Is in
advisable, in that it prevents prompt
and definite decisions being made.
The judges and clerks Of election
are now equally divided between the
two leading parties, and the same
reasons exist as to why the boards
of election commissioners should be
equally divided between the two polit-
ical parties.
Il also submit to you herewith a re-
port made on February 9. 1909, by
the board of election commissioners of
the city of St. Louis in reference to
certain charges of fraudulent registra-
ton that were recently made by the
grand jury Of st. Louis.
Touches on Fraud Names.
From this report is is evident that
the charge made by the grand jury
that there were 5000 fraudulent
names upon the registration books of
the city Of st. Louis vas al estimate
based upon an examination of the
re registration lists in IL out of % wards.
'In those II wards the grand Jury
was of the opinion that it had discov-
cred 1928 fraudulent names upon the
registration books. AS Is shown by
the report, the grand jury was clearly
in error in this statement. On a con-
sentative estimate it Is clear that
there can not be more than 300 of the
names included in the grand jury list
which are fraudulent.
While the manifest ~inaccuracy OF
this grand jury report emphasizes the
necessity of care and conservatism in
the making of charges as to fraud in
o%nstrates the truth Of the proposition
that there can not be too close a scru-
my and examination of all of the pro-
ceedings incident to an election.
An Injury Is Done.
"A dishonest vote cast in the city
of st. Louis Is Of as much injury and
concern to the people of the entire
state as it is to the people of that
municipality, and in case the members
OF this general assembly have reason
able grounds to believe that the regis
tration lists of the city of st. Louis
are padded or that the election had
not been fairly conducted in any re-
gard, there would be occasion for
such investigation and legislation as
would correct and prevent a continu-
ance Of such abuses"
The governor then declares there
was no charge of fraud in st. Louis
as result of the general election in
st. Louis, except on the United States
senatorship. He adds that the recount
for lieutenant governor established
this fact. The governor also says
there has been some criticism of his
action In permitting the election ON
missioners to hold over until after the
spring election, but justifes 1t on the
ground that a new board could not
select judges and clerks in time.
State Lid Petition SO Feet Long.
jefferson City.-Representaitve Haw-
kins, of Dunklin county, presented the
record prohibition petition In the
house. 1t was thirty-three feet long
and contained TAB names of residents
of Dunklin county. About thirty pro-
hibition petitions were introduced by
other members.