Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-09-03
WARNS BAD RULE
WOULD CORRUPT
POLICE OF CITY
Third "Lest We Forget"
Article States Issue for
Voters to Decide
LEWIS ADDS HIS NAME
Eight Signatures Now Affixed
to Expose Series-Registra-
ton Frauds Brought to
Light


which was issued today.
"Cltizene may Judge for themselves
whether the improved condition VIII con-
tinue should the contractors organisation
resume control OF the police and use
II. not for investigating and prosecuting
r~riatration crooks. but for black kjacking
independent citizens. as In former days.
The leading independents who are issu-
lne the articles gave this as their sum-
mary of the third article. which is a
review of the registration frauds OF Few
years ago -
William Draper Lewis has added his
name 10 the list OF prominent men who
are signing the articles. In a letter from
him AT his summer home at Northeast
Harbor, Me-, he heartily indorsed the
articles, and asked that his name be
signed 70 the remaining articles. The
list now contains eight names. These IN
clude Richard L. Austin, Samuel s. Fels,
Charles r. Jenkins, Theodore J. Lewis,
Francis b. Reeves, Charles u. Tryon,
John c. winston and William Draper
Lewis.
TEXT OF THIRD ARTICLE.
Todays article follows;
ut ia a matter Of common knowledge
that in the good old days before the up
heaval of 1905 and the passage of the
registration law OF 1906 bands of repeat
ers went from polling place to polling
place on election day in the interests
Of the Organization Citizens, however.
have not realized TO how dangerous an
extent frauds against the ballot have
been practIced even under the personal
registration law.
'slnce its passage. II Is no longer pos
sibie for an unknown man to be brought
into the polling place on an election day !;
vouched for by an irresponsible straw
man; for him TO be voted. and then
spirited away before a warrant can be
obtained for his arrest. Since 1906 the
registration law has enabled citizens to
have comparatively clean elections, IL
they will take the trouble to watch the
work OF the division registrars and. fail
ing to obtain honest results there, TO ap-
peal to the Registration Commissioners
and the courts
'Yet eternal vigilance by Independent
citizens is still necessary. Fraudulent
registrations have occurred in wholesale
numbers since the passage Of the law on
occasions or in localities where repre-
sentatives Of the contractors organiza-
tlon felt that their work was not being
watched by citizens.
ONE NOTORIOUS CASE IN COURT.
"One notorious case that was brought
into court in 1909 will serve as an illus
tration The previous year had been one
of complete political apathy following the
election OF the contractors candidate for
Mayor. and registration frauds fourished.
IN the 10Th division of the 10th Ward,
bounded by Arch. Race, 18th and 2lst
streets. citizens noticed, at the Novem-
Der, 1908, election. a great number of
:, cSl-s and strange looking voters Some
Of these recited their names and ad-
dresses TO election officers from little
slips OF paper carried in the palms of
their hands. The Election Board was
unanimously Organization Republican;
challenges were disregarded. and a total
vote was polled far beyond the possible
voting population Of the division.
This stirred decent people Of the neigh
borhood TO make an investigation. They
canvassed every house. What they found
far exceeded their worst fears. First
page newspaper stories published the re-
suits as the facts were developed from
day TO day before the Board of Registra-
tion Commissioners and the Court OF
Quarter Sessions
1.-THE registration of the division had
grown that year from normal 25O to
s6S. on appeal to the Registration Com
miesioners. 123 names were stricken from
the list. and Of these more than 100 were
proved TO have been not innocent re-
n0vais. but fraudulent at the time OF
registration.
"A. b.. said on the register to have
lived one year In the division, had died
three years before.
&C. d.. said to have lived there nine
months. had died three years before.
"E. f., said to have lived there two
years, had moved from the division four
years before.
20. H.. said to have lived there six
months, had moved from the division six
years before.
*. Y. H.. registered twice on the same
day from the same house, though there
Vas only one of him there and yet both
Of him had voted In the November. 1903.
electionl
This duplication OF names was one of
the most vicious features OF the case.
In II cases. the same. or almost precisely
me same. name had been registered
twice, One repeater came In giving the
name Of @. L. Smith, III North Lambert
street tfhe last name Is altered so as not
70 Disclose the identity OF the real and
honest citizen whose name was thus
spused), but when the bogus @. l.. Smith
had answered falsely all the questions
SVEN to him and came TO sign the reg
lplef ne had forgotten his name. was
apparently confused by the name OF the
street and signed @. l.. Lambert
Yet the registrars saw nothing strange
IN this. and only a little later on the
same day thought nothing Of IL when the
real q l.. Smith came IN and registered
nve lines below on the same page. Nor
"eH tnENe hh3lhluk 10 arouse their 6us-
pieions when two men. al different times
came In and registered at street numbers
which had no existence and which placed
their homes somewhere on the green
grass surrounding 81. Clements Church
A. 10Th and Appletree streets!
fne hegistration Commissioners strucl,
OF the fraudulent names, dismissed the
Tour registrars from office and esta ablished
precedent, AZ the insistent demand IN
the Independent and Democratic Com
nhsfioners, BY swearing out warrants
Tor me feeistrars' arrest and forward.
n -re tle enAe 70 the District Attorney !
once Tor prosecution The trial OF the
tt'rtteIa in toe Quarter Sessions Court
><crpied = number OF days. and 90 Wit
Hte>es were called by the Commonwealth
~ describe IN detail the enormous fraud
|I the 100 fraudulent names % wers
H4u4uIently voted on AZ the Presidential
<'e.t'on Of 1908, as appears from The ON.
gal feeofos The foliowlns tabulatiof
*<h show the effect upon the vote IN ths
4tf'tion Il this cleanup which begar
early Ia February, 1909;
nEFoRE THE CANVASS.
Organisation independent
@pteunef 1866 .... lsl a
AFTER THE CANVASS.
q |fpfuafy 1909 ~ % Is
<Naf pf'inaly 1919 So n
Il |nf did lbt Contractors Oreanization
..|..... ..... I...I -. ~ -