The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-05-15
COrrupting the Electorate.

II would seem that here IS no law
in Louisiana to reach the lndlVld-
uals who are guilty of frauds at
elections or who corrupt the cleo
torate. Possibly in the Corrupt
Practices Act of the last Leglsla-
ture. operative since January OF TN"
present year, there may be some de-
terrent to such dishOnorable and
outrageous practices, and unless
frauds at elections can be checked
and stopped it will become the i'm
peratiye duty of good citizens, who
do not connive at such frauds, To
become radical in their resistance
10 such high-handed proceedings.
At a recent sitting the State Su-
preme Court of Louisiana affirmed
the decision of the Criminal District
Court of the Parish of Orleans III
the election fraud cases involving
100 odd election officials, commits
sioners and clerks, who were indict-
ed and charged with classifying the
returns of the vote cast for the
amendment of the State Constitu-
ton. submitted to the electorate, at
the State election held in Novem-
Der 1912.
These individuals, charged with
frauds, have escaped on a technl-
cality Of law, which is, in effect,
that an election held for constltu-
tional amendments is not safe
guarded with the requirements pro
vided for political elections for the
selection of officials Of the State
parish or municipality,
But it may not be amiss to recall
the glaring frauds perpetrated in
the City of New Orleans at the cleo
ton held for an associate justice OF
the Supreme Court, where fraud
was unnecessary, but the .rascally
instinct of some Of the commission
ers and the clerks at some 81 the
polling places during this election
was irresistible, and, as if to keep
their cunning at such dishonorable
tricks, altered the result to theiI
fancy. These rascals were arrested
as q joke and escaped the punish
ment that should have been meted
to them.
II is charged that the blame must
rest on the Legislature. whose laws
are defective and therefore give en-
couragement to frauds at elections.
especially in elections such as was
held in November Of last year on
constitutional amendments, but ac-
cording TO the provisions OF the
Corrupt Practices Act of 1912, swim
ding at elections and corruptine
the electorate should be made al
most impossible.
The crime of corrupting the cleo
torate is not essentially limited to
New Orleans, nor is Shreveport ex-
cepted from such disgraceful
methods.
II IL q fact we'll known that in
Shreveport, as in New Orleans and
elsewhere. there are purchasable
voters, but these would soon be-
come q nullity if men of prominence
did not encourage, indirectly, such
methods.
The gist of the entire issue,
viewed from any perspective, is
that few men with money have il
in their power to control any elec-
ton, with the purchasable voters,
whether the issue be political or
economic. It is about time the peo-
pie were awakening to the sup
pressing of the individuals who are
purchasers and sellers of votes. And
II, as declared, there is no law suf-
ficient to reach and punish such
rascality, the Legislature must en-
act such law that will assure and
will secure, as far as human power
can devise, honest elections when
ever held and for whatever purpose
it is being held.