The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-11-16
The Federal Investigation.

nected with the Department of Justice,
may have caused associated chills to
go down the backs of some perfectly
respectable and prominent members of
the community but a lot of people IN
the city will welcome the federal in
vestigation of this or any other election
held in Kenosha. We are not inclined
to think that the investigation when
completed will show that neither
Democrats or Republicans or Socialists
or even Prohibitionists have been will
ingly connected with any effort to vote
any one illegally, but the coming of
the great United States to give a Ke-
nosha election the once over should
have salutary effect on elections to
be held in Kenosha in the future.
Tt is just possible that we men, who
pose as directors of political action,
have not taken seriously enough the
work connected with elections. 1t is
just possible that federal investiga-
ton will reveal enough smoke
without ire-to teach lesson of care
for the future workers in the political
arena. We haven't a doubt but that
the election laws were violated in
Kenosha on last Tuesday. We haven It
any more lingering doubt that they
have been violated on other Tuesdays
in the history Of Southport and Keno
sha. In fact, we believe, that If all
the facts were known that they would
show that there never was an election
held in either Southport or Kenosha in
which the law was strictly adhered to-.
Political management of elections is a
sort of heritage from the fathers. So
long as the memory of the oldest citizen
reaches, men have been voting by af-
fdavit in Kenosha. Republicans and
Democrats have voted them and the
only question has been as to which one
could vote the most in this manner
The fact that man voted by afida-
Wit is not prima facia evidence that
he is a crook. 1t is a prima facia evil
dence that he was neglectful Of one
of his important duties as citizen. A
lot of men in their zeal to aid their
party or political friends, never think
to look at the law. They never seek to
know how many afidavits a free-holder
may sign and they keep right on sign
ing them from sun-up to shutdown.
Most of them never read, the affdavits.
They have the assurance of the man
who wrote them that they are all right
and they sign them without seeking
any further assurance.
Just on this account it is not doubted
that if the federal agents go deeply
into affidavit voting in Kenosha they
will find that some excellent men in
the community have gone farther than
the length of their cable tow in signing
these afidavits for voters. IF they
could open the poll lists it is probable
that the investigators could find lot
of fellows who voted here who would
have found. it just as easy. to. have
voted in Chicago or Timbuctu.
This class of voters who believe that
the crime of perjury is all off ON cleo
ton day, are found in every city and
state and if the government started to
punish them all it would have to- tear
down the present prisons and build
bigger ones. We do not know these
men personally, but there has been
elections at which just such votes
were cast and it is most probable
that just such votes were cast at the
last election.
We take it that the federal agents
are interested only in safeguarding the
ballot. That they are actuated by no
political views in seeking to get facts.
That their Investigations are with a
view of correcting wrong and not for
aiding candidates Of any political party.
IF the matter is handled in a conscien-
tious manner, and one would expect
such handling from the United States
government, it should bring real re-
form in Kenosha.
It should bring careful study of cleo
tion laws, careful handling of the
rights and lack of rights of men to
vote. It should eliminate any danger
of these errors creeping into the bal
lots of Kenosha men and women in the
future. The investigation is not for
punishment, but for instruction. It
can be made of greatest value to the
men who handle political campaigns in
the future. It can teach that the bal
lot is something really sacred. Tt
might lead men into lines which would
teach them to be honest in filing their
reports of election expenses and even
go further and force the men elected to
feel that there was some real thing
encumbent on them in making political
promises. All of these things might
come out of this little E'once over''
given afidavits by a federal sleuth
The people out on Balm avenue prob
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