The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1912-01-11
Why the Ring Fears Full Vote.

The New Orleans Democrat, COM
menting on the heavy registration and poll
tax payments in New Orleans, says:
Just year ago the politicians were adj
vised that the people of this city were
going to cast, in the coming primary, big
vote-the largest ever polled in Demo-
cratic prim airy in New Orleans; and they
received the same warning from the parish
es. The first intimation Of this disaster to
ring prospects came from the poll tax office,
where the payment of poll taxes ran up
over So, OO0-that is, 5000 above the pre-
vious year and 18, 900 above the election
when Behrman slipped into the mayoralty
through the neglect of civic duty on the
part OF so many electors. Those who were
ia the treasurer's Office when the books
were closed, and it was announced that
the $4,000 mark had been passed, will
never forget the look of amazement and
CONSERVATION written on the faces Of the
ringsters present-how sadly they took the
news that there was going to be a full vote
polled in the 1912 primary.
There was no pretense then that heavy
poll tax payments, q big registration and a
big vote were favorable to the ring, for the
ringsters and everybody else knew to the
contrary. There were hurried conferen-
ces and strong appeals to the workers who
stuff the ballot boxes, secure fraudulent
certificates and steer the ring-owned
voters to the polls. cit is question of
your bread and meat" they we're warned.
s'Unless you get to work on the voters it
will mean real hard work for you, and you
will have to earn your living by the sweat
of your brow, not by the easy task of slip
ping extra tickets into ballot boxes"
For year the ringsters have been work.
ing at the voters as they have never
worked before. But in spite of their work
''the glooms'' held possession of the ring
headquarters for weeks while the leaders
tried to talk themselves into better spirits.
''It may be-" said the Mark Tapley of the
organization, ''that the anti-ring voters
will get tired of paying poll taxes and will
not pay those of 1911, or possibly they may
neglect or forget to register" Both of
these hopes have been doomed to disap-
pointment, and the ring is now face to face
with the fact that there is going to be full
vote in January, the fullest ever cast in
New Orleans since we eliminated the negro
from politics. A full vote in the past has
always meant. as the ringsters well know,
their own defeat, for how can they possibly
win with only $4,000 to $4,000 votes, held
because of the offices. fat contracts and
other political favors, in total registration
OF nearly $4,000.
To this rule-a big vote means certain
defeat for the ring-there has never been
an exception in the last quarter of a GEN.
tury as the following record shows:
1S88-the Young Mems Democratic As
ISOLATION election. White registration
large, Vote large. Ring beaten by an
average majority of IL, 1856.
1S02-Lottery election. White registra-
ton small, 3O,739. Vote small. Ring
successful by 1927 majority, electing Fi,z-
patrick mayor and the famous doodle
council"
1S96-Citizens' League year. White
registration very large, 45,007. Ring
beaten by majorities of from 1926 to
11,181.
1899-White registration small, 1926
Vote small, 1850. Ring successful by
1854 majority.
1904-Poll tax payments and the white
registration the smallest ever known il
New Orleans. Vote also the smallest ever
known, "a 1874. Ring elects Behrman by
3842 majority, thanks to the neglect oil
10000 self-disfranchised voters, who faileo
to pay their poll taxes and to register.
Thus it will be seen that in no election
where the registration has ever reached
10000 or the vote SO, 900 has the ring evel
won, and that its last victory was won in &
total of only "a, 1874 votes. With the pres.
ent poll tax payments of 52,125, registra.
ton of 49,351 and prospective vote O
SO, 76O, any child in the first arithmetic
class can figure out what the rings
chances are to-day.
There is no mystery about it. A large
majority of the voters of New Orleans, 81
or 70 per cent at least, are anti-ring