The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1916-02-26
FRED. CLAIB0RNE'S PROTEST.
Methods by Which Elections Carried in New Orleans
Exposed, Denounced and Repudiated-Co and
Oppression Of Voters Charged.

lsaw these laws violated without in
/ reference
Ward heelers who were SO nurner-
ously IN attendance around each poll
| ing place were permitted to surround
the voting booth, enter and mark the
! tickets for many of the voters who
did not request assistance nor were
| they entitled to it. They were per-
mitted to view the marking of the
tickets and destroy the secrecy of the
ballot.
The statutes Of the state require
| that all elections shall be conducted
III accordance with the Australian
ballot system to the end that the
sanctlty of the secret ballot be pre-
served and that the inviolable right
OF each elector to cast his own ballot
and vote for the candidate of his
cholce without intimidation or inter-
ference be assured. This was notori-
ously dlsregarded. A system known
IS the endless chain method was open
/ " and shanelessly In evidence, this
being the system where the official
ballot is marked by the henehmen on
the streets, the voter depositing the
marked ballot in the box and return.
ing the official blank ticket given him
by the commissioner to the same
henchman from whom he had re-
ce1yed the marked ballot. Each blank
ballot to be in turn marked and cast
IN accordance with the instruction OF
the ward boss as indicated by the
| pink ticket.
| | personally attempted to witness
the count and was refused admission
to the room, the doors of which were
! closed and guarded by policeman on
the outside In this particular in
stance / would say further, not con-
tent with being refused admission and
notified that the door was locked, I
again demanded admittance and was
again refused, when I saw through
the glass door the commissioners rise
| from their seats and grab up pile
of ballots.
/ For these several reasons which
| have specifically mentioned and many
others of like character which I have
not mentioned, ( consider it n1y duty
| to make this public statement to the
i people Of my state that they may
know how elections are conducted un-
der ward boss rule In New Orleans,
1 that they may take steps as their best
i Judgment and conscience shall dictate
4 to prevent d like recurrence iii the
4 future.
Il The great political issue for Louis
8 lana today is whether we shall have
free and fair elections and an honest
count or whether the Democratic
Iparty shall be dominated and eontroll-
ed by the bosses, especially Of the city
lof New Orleans, and their methods.
il If the people desire that the Demo-
q cratic party and its principles shall
: survive and control in the state of
Louisiana they should see to it that
the counsels Of the party be not donai-
mated by boss influence.
J The system Of boss rule can but act
J as cancer on the pody polite and I'M
less eradieated and destroyed the
! party itself must go TO destruction.
Il Holding to this view / wish to as
sure the people Of the state that ! in
tend to continue within the party my
i fight against the bosses and their sys-
TENS | have never submitted to
them in the past and my war against
4 them shall be more vigorously prose-
lcuted in the future, and this war
shall be carried on by me as Demo
crat and within the party
II If the party and its principles are
to be injured in any way it shall not !.
lbe through any act Of mine.
To the thousands Of free, untran1-
meled and independent Democrats Of
the state Of Louisiana who honored
me with their ballot for the position
Of lieutenant governor at the primary
election held on the tWenty-f1fth OF I
January / extend my most sincere
j thanks. and ! venture to express the
Ifope that they will find that my fu-
ture political course fully justifies
them in the warm support they gave
! me. Respectfully.
! FERD CLAIBORNE.