St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-04-08

check upon the high-handed pro-
ceedings.
Many voters came to the polls in
fear to cast their ballots contrary
to the marks indicated by the pink
tickets.
A voter unfortunately made in the
admission in the presence Of others
that he had voted for me and was
denounced publicly on the streets
in my presence, by one of the city
judges, for having voted contrary
to the instructions as per the pink
ticket. He was reminded that he
was under obligation to the ring for
favors conferred.
The coercion and oppression were
so strong that had a prominent
citizen and physician take me three
or four blocks away from the poll
ing booth and put me under a
pledge of secrecy to make the
simple admission that he had dis
regarded the instructions and had
cast his ballot for me.
STENCIL HOLES USED ON PINK
TICKETS
The nenchmen of the bosses
worked all day with the pink tick
cts. some of which had holes cut in
them like stencils, through which
holes the ignorant were made to
scratch their pencil marks after
placing them over the official bal
lot.
The public polling booths were
used by the ring as their private
property, the notorious pink ticket
as well as the photograph OF the
ring candidate being posted upon
the walls.
A majority Of the city employees
were diligent in their work at the
polls to carry out the mandates of
the ward bosses.
The saloons were permitted to
operate on election day in that city
in violation of the election laws.
The statutes of the state require
that all safeguards be thrown
around the individual voter such as
the erection of a barrier fifty feet
from the polling booth that the
voter may cast his ballot free from
outside interference, surveillance or
intimidation.
In many instances these regula-
tons were willfullly violated.
The official ballots were permit
ted to be handled outside of the
oolls and on the streets.
The officers of the law stood by
and saw these laws violated without
Interference.
Ward healers who were so nu-
merous in attendance around each
polling place were permitted Ito
surround the voting booth, enter
and mark the tickets for many OF
the voters who did not request as
sistance nor were they entitled to
it. They were permitted to view
the marking of the tickets and de-
story the secrecy of the ballot.
END SIS CHAIN WORKED
SHAMELEsSLY
The statutes of the state require
that all elections shall be conducted
in accordance with the Australian
ballot system to the end that the
sanctity Of the secret ballot be pre-
served and that the inviolable
right Of each eleetor to cast his
own ballot and vote for the candi-
date of his choice without intimi-
dation or interference be assured.
This was VIGOROUSLY ~disregarded.
A system known as the endless
chain method was openly and
shamelessly in evidence, this being
the system where the official bal
lot is marked by the henchmen on
the streets, the voter depositing the
marked ballot in the box and re-
turning the official blank ticket Civ
en- him by the commissioner to the
same henchman from whom he had
received the marked ballot. Each
blank ballot to be in turn marked
and cast in accordance with the in
cfp,,otion IF tho ward b0cS az in
dicated by the pink ticket.
I personally attempted to witness
the count and was refused admis-
sion to the room, the doors of which
were closed and guarded by a po-
liceman on the outside. In this
particular instance / would say
further, not content with being re-
fused admission and notified that
the door was locked, I again de-
manded admittance and was again
refused, when I saw through the
glass door the commissioners rise
from their seats and grab up a pile
of ballots
For these several reasons which
I have specifically mentioned and
many Others of like character
which | have not mentioned,I con-
slider it my duty to make this pub
lie statement to the people of my
state that they may know how cleo
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