New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-01
WATCH BALLOTS KOEN|G.
TO POLL INSPECTORS
Warns Election Officials To Be
on Guard Against Familiar
Tammany Tricks.
BURDEN ON REPUBLICANS
County Chairman Points Out
Organization Is Responsible
for Check on Fraudulent
Voting Tuesday.

Samuel S. Koenig, president of the ke-
publican County Committee Is going 10
issue instructions to every one OF the re
publican election inspectors, poll clerks
ballot clerks and watchers TO use eNcep-
tionaI diligence this year to prevent an!
tinkering with ballots. In the Mcclellan
Hearst recount 1t was discovered that Tue
count had been fairly accurate, but II was
generally believed that Hearst was de-
feated by putting fraudulent ballots ih'o
| the boxes.
II is understood that in past years the
Tammany inspectors have absuacteu par
lots from the bottom Of the pile III tho
| morning, taking them out and marhli7
them, folding them and destroying III.
stubs. Then later by sleiSht OF "",'u
work one of these ballots marked LOT 'ne
| Democratic candidates was suosutuIeu
for one handed TO the inspectors by ea'h
| man known 10 be opposed to the Demo
| crafts The stub torn off the real Dahot
IS put in the box and the ballot itsei' :
hidden under the inspectors coat anu
| later destroyed. ,,,,
Mr. Koenig will instruct the kepuoii'a'
inspectors to watch for these trchs' ii'
also urges each voter to act as MS o"n
! ipsnector bv not taking his eyes oil MS
| ballot from the time it leaves his mana
| until if is deposited in the ballot DON
Tho head of the Republican orSanlza-
tion made the following statement last
night: ,or
because the election officials, unde'
the law. must be chosen from the Demo-
| cratic and Republican parties. it is upon
the shoulders Of the Republican orSahi%d-
ton that the final burden of the caihPa's"
must be borne
eff Republican ballot clerks will be sure
| IN see TO il that ballots are not haHueu
to ANYBODY but TO the voter, ana ON!
| then when it has been found that ne =
entitled to vote, and before signing state
ments on the close of the polls VIII IooN
| IN the unused ballots and see to II tha'
/ they are all on hand in numerical oruei'
and If watchers will pay special ATTENTION
| 70 the handling Of ballots. many ais
| honest practices will be frustrated.
, "snecjal attention is being paid this
vear 10 the character of watchers as
| signed by the county committee anu
| these watchers, in conjunction with secret
| service work being done this year. oushl
| m make II impossible for crooked WoTk
! to be done.
Watchers and voters alike are warned
! particularly in the more congested dis-
| tricts of the city, against the familia'
trick of fights and fake fights and other
| similar occurrences designed solely to dis
tract their attention from the business III
/ hand.
Watchers and voters alike should IN
sist that no lettering is permitted within
a hundred feet Of the polls. Watchers OF
voters who cannot get the police to at
tend 10 this important point should i'm
mediately notify the county committee
where arrangements have been made to
attend to just such interferences with the
rights Of voters.
DESPITE many arrests and convictions
election officials are still TO be found who
are ready to take a chance and special
efforts are being made this year to round
M those men who have not yet learned
that elections must be fairly and honestly
conducted in this city, 1t is for the vot-
ers themselves TO aid in this work.
"Ex1erience has shown that the num-
Der of ballots returned to the Board OF
Elections does not always tally with the
number Of unused ballots which should
be on hand, and this discrepancy has fire.
quently been accounted for by the condi-
ton of the ballots found in the box.
The Republican organization has worked
as unit in every phase of this fusion
campaign with the single motive OF de-
feating the Tammany ticket and electing
the entire fusion ticket and that dill
gence will be increased rather than abat-
ed in the final hours of the campaign,
and upon Election Day, when by law the
whole brunt of the fight for an honest
election will fall upon that organization.
To this end we appeal to all anti-Tam-
many voters with the warning that the
success which fusion has practically won
now is not stolen on Election Day"