The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-02-26
To the People Of theSstate Of Louisi- i
ana.

I'D baiE IGOpiGs#Ol 1aAlsssaA A1eetGs VI LOuiSl-
ana:
On the twenty y-sixth day Of Janu-
ary promised you, the people Of nv
state, to make a statement embodyinp
my reasons for not voting in the
Democratic primary of the day pre-
yious. and to tell, whether nominated
OF not, what j saw on election day in
the city of New Orleans.
In keeping with this promise will
say that witnessed at the polls in
New Orleans acts that SO fired my IN
,iignation as a citizen, d freeman and
i Democrat that after carefully and
seriously considering the situation it
was my honest and sincere conviction
that yout the good people Of Louisi-
ana, should be informed as to the un-
lawful and fraudulent manner in
which that election was conducted at
the diatum Of the ward bosses of the
city. / was convinced BY what i saw
that it would be Of more benefit to
the people of my state for me to re-
main where was to be an eyewitness
to these corrupt practices than to re-
turn home by the MONDAY train to
cast my ballot as + had intended to do.
AS j stood at the various polling
booths of that city and witnessed the
principles of freedom of thought,
freedom of act, freedom Of speech.
and every principle upon which
this American government is found
| ed, ruthlessly trampIed upon, /
was justified IN Waging nncompromis-
| ing war upon ward boss domination
than ever before since i entered pub
lie life, now twenty years ago.
| witnessed almost every form of.
election fraud as practiced excepting
lin a few precincts and wards where
| lfactional fights served TO put a check
upon these high-handed proceedings.
Many voters came to the polls IN
| fear to cast their ballots contrary to
the marks indicated BIZ the pink tick
cts.
A voter unfortunately made the ad-
mission in the presence Of others that
he had voted for me and was de-
nounced 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 fayors con-
ferfed.
The coercion and oppression were
ESQ strong that ] had q prominent citi-
zen and physician take me three or
/ four blocks from the polling booth
4 and put me under Il pledge of secrecy
Ito make the sim pla admission that he
had disregarded the instructions and
least his ballot for me.
The henchnen Of the bosses worked
faithfully all day with the pink tick
cts, some Of which had holes cut in
them like stencils, through which
holes the ignorant were made te
scratch their pencil marks after plae-
ing them over the official ballot.
/ The public polling booths were used
i by the ring as their private property
the notorious pink ticket as well as
photograph Of the ring candidate be
ing posted upon the walls.
X majority Of the city employees
were diligent in their work at the polls
i to carry out the mandates of the
ward Bosses
i The saloons were permitted to op-
crate on election day IN that city in
j violation of the election laws.
The statutes of the state require
that all safeguards be thrown around
/ the individual voter, such as the erec-
i ton Of barrier fifty feet from the
4 polling booth, that the voter may cast
i his ballot free from outside interfer-
i snce, surveillance, or intimidation.
i In many instances these regulations
| were Willfully violated.
i The official ballots were permitted
to be handled outside Of the polls and
! on the streets.
The officers Of the law stood by and