El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-07-27
VOTE BUYING IS
CHARGED BY TOM
LEA AGAINST RING
Says Voters We're Herded in
Mexican Precincts and
Voted Like Donkeys.
tcontinued From * one.l

=. Faivey, chairman Of the COMMITTEES,
Is a ''ring" man He had no oppO-
/ sition-
Purchase of Votes Charged.
| The purchase Of votes in the pre-
| cincts below the tracks resulted in the
| defeat Of Eugene Harris" said Tom
Lea, Democratie county chairman.
Frank < Alderete and others heEded
urday. For days before the election
! they held them in droves and they
voted them like cattle on election day.
It was certainly an inspiring sight for
| an American to witness this work OF
the ring, particularly in precinct 2.
| They bought up the votes days before
election and delivered them on cleo
/ ton day"
COrraIed at City Warehouse.
Mexican voters were herded in the
city corral on Magoffin avenue Sat
urday morning and hauled 10 the polls
/ in automobiles. Residents on Magoffin
near the corral say that the Mexicans
were in the corral early Saturday
morning and there were more than
100 OF them waiting to be hauled 70
the polls. By 10 o'clock the 8Iexicans
had been hauled away and voted. and
the machines were then used in other
parts Of the city 10 get out the vote
Count Was Honest.
There are no charges OF fraud in the
count or in the matter OF votes cast
Ballard Coldwell Saturday night de-
clared that 'in spite Of the unfairness
I Of some Of the judges, the ring ticket
is elected" However neither Cold
well or Lea charges that there was any
tampering with the vote or the rolls.
That the Mexicans who he says were
purchased to vote for the ring were
legal voters, Tom Lea does not ques-
ton They were merely voters entitled
TO vote, he says, who sold their right
Of franchise. This could have been
OFFSET, he declares II the American
vote north Of the tracks had turned
out
Count Is Slow.
In many Of the precincts the officers
had to spend all day Sunday counting
No. 2, at Alamo school. was the last
precinct counted In No. -, the home
precinct Of Eugene Harris, at the Mesa
fire station. owing TO an error in keep
ing the county, It was necessary to
votes Sunday, after the first count had
been practically completed
County chairman Tom Lea remained
at the county clerks office all night
Sunday night until 10 o'clock waiting
for the returns. Practically all the
candidates remained up Saturday night
all night.
came home from Port Arkansas, Texas.
to vote, after staying up all Saturday
night to watch the returns, left Sun
day morning on his return to the
managed the anti campaign, left Sun
day for San Jose, Calf. to Join Mrs
Ware and visit his two sisters, who live
there He has not seen either sister
since he left Tennessee. 70 years ago
Officials Send for Candles.
At precinct No. g at the corner OF
Boulevard and Cotton avenue, the fuse
burned out OF the electric light con-
nection and the election officials were
wrapped in considerable darkness until
they could telephone for candles from
the ring" headquarters. The election
officials agreed TO finish the count at
the home Of viii I. Watson near the
polling place. as he had no opposition
for reelection. The counting OF the
ballot was delayed two hours.
Elect Contrasting Delegates.
Contests developed at precincts Il
and Is, when the meeting was held 70
select delegates to the county Demo-
cratic convention. At both polling I
places two delegations were selected TO l
attend the county convention and there I
will be a contest over the seating Of 1
these delegates.
At precinct II John NJ. Wyatt was
elected chairman OF the "anti-ring
meeting and Percy McGhee, Of the
ring meeting. Each meeting selected /
its own delegates The same thing oc-
CURED at the Sunset school The con-
flict in No. Il promised to cause real
trouble for a few minutes as the men
who attended the two meetings
crowded into the garage, where the |
vote counting was being done Tney
were finally persuaded to leave win |
out any real trouble.
Work Under Difficulties
At precinct No. IS, at the Altura
Park school. the count was made oy /
the light OF candles and smoking OIL I
lamps. There Is no electric light con-
nection in this school building and the 4
election officers worked at a disadVah- /
tage with the bugs and bad lights.
One voter at precinct No. 19 MADE
run for the polls before they closeo' 4
caught an automobile and rode It on /
the running board, only to arrive three /
minutes after the polls had been oe-
clared closed and the belated VoIeI /
lost his chance at suffrage.
Elect Cobb a Delegate.
For fear that Zach Cobb would not 4
be elected from his own precinct the
voters at Altura Park school selecteu
him as a delegate to the county con-
vention.
The officials at No. II were con-
sidered the most fortunate Of all the
election officers. There were but .
votes cast at this polling place, Wnlch
was located at the Globe Mills ana Ine
vote was counted and the balLots
turned in before o'clock.
"Ring7 Leaders Celebrate.
Ring" leaders held a belated ceie-
Dration of the organization victory
sunday night A Mexican band and a
roWd Of enthusiastic political work
rs paraded the streets after the re-