Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-15
milk TICKETS
USED AT ELECTION
OF JUNGLE JOE''
Federal Government Will
Investigate Charges of
Gross Corruption in 18th
Illinois District.

DANvILBE. ILL.,, Jan. 15.-vote buying
and other forms of political rascality on
scale equaling the revelations made at
Terre Haute, Ind, are alleged to have
scandalized the recent election in the
18th Congressional District where ex-
Speaker Joseph G. Cannon, of this city,
was returned winner over Frank T
OHair, the Democratic candidate. Both
parties are charged with sharing in an
unparalleled debauching of the ballot.
The Federal Government is at the head
of the movement to expose the alleged
corruption. Inspectors have been sent
from the Department of Justice to lift
the lid" that was clamped down on the
work of election crooks Immediately on
the closing of the polls last November.
and, II is said, United States Attorney
Frank G. Daley. worked to clean up Terre
Haute, will transfer his activities TO Dam
vile as soon as he has concluded his
monumental and impressive work in the
Indiana town.
Among the many accusations on which
the prospective investigation by the Fed
eral authorities is based are the follow
ing:
That $4,000 was distributed In Vermil-
lion County, of which SIS, 600 was used to
buy votes. This is ex-Speaker Cannon's 8
county.
That a bribe of $4,000 was offered E. F.
Royse, Progressive candidate for Con-
gress in 1912. to withdraw.
That 1000 votes were bought in Dam
Vile and VermillIon County.
That milk tickets" given for votes pur-
chased are negotiable IL the candidate
wins have circulated widely in Danville.
TWO HUNDRED WITNESSES.
the call of the prosecutor. many of whom
have confessed to various forms of cleo
tion thievery.
William II. Stephens. chairman of the
Progressive State Committee; Il. F.
gress in 1872 and d. G. Williams, Sher-
III of Vermilion County, are the men
who have rounded up the evidence.
Stephens prior to 1919 was Reppubii-
| can leader and knows just how the
| Organization works, Tho system In
Vermilion County and the sntirGIsiistrict,
| he says. Is dominated by officeholders
and ex-officeholders who expect to get
in again.
Buying votes IN this county is a rec
ognized commercial industry" says Ste
phens. "They are on sale like groceries.
have seen money change hands, visited
pay-off stations and seen men of wide in
/ nuence mtngte Win cA-COnNlCIb anu sun
men, preparlnsg plots to steal elections
MILK TICKETS" FOR VOTES.
e. f. Royss explained the milk ticket
method. "one of the judges In the polls
is a cog in the machine" said he. When
| the voter leaves the booth he must have
his ballot so folded that the x can be
seen by this judge. The judge signals
| the 'hxer' outside that the vote is right.
When the voter goes out he is given a
ticket that in common parlance is called
a milk ticket
| ut calls for payment OF S or more
according TO his price and influence. This
| is payable Immediately at a pay-off sta
tion. The value of the milk ticket is
conditional. II the candidate wins, there
| Is come back coupon that allows the
voter to collect s. or $40 more. If the
candidate loses, there Is no come back
and the voter receives only the original
price OF his vote.
81 have seen votes bought right here
on the streets in my own precinct. In q
Congressional election the quotations very
from IS to $50, and a come back Az
city and county elections votes can BE-
bought for g and 50 and come back i"