Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-10
In the Good Old Dogs.
-Phel.n Beale in Columbia News

My interest in honest balloting began during
my days as law student at Columbia UNI
vcrsity In 1905 ! sponsored candidate for the
democratic leadership of the Nineteenth Assem-
bly, district in which the university is located.
There were three candidates. plumber,
builder and panter-the last being my iaVorte
On primary day | proceeded to the polling pre-
cinct so as to vote and then circulate about the
district, Upon arriving observed an ambulance
in front Of the polling place which was most
appropriately in an undertaking shop, Entering
| found the chairman OF the election board having
his scalp sewed UP by surgeon. Inquiry elected
the response from several belligerent persons
that the chairman was sent to the hospital for
being fresh guy and that il "youse rah rah boys
Indicating the writer butt in, the morgue for
youse." I asked the four police officers present
for protection. The repy was that if had any
business in the booth TO getit done quickly and
pass on, otherwise | would be famed by their
night sticks. | stated mildly that it was my in
tention to be sworn in to succeed the chairman
and thereupon the election board, who needed
encouragement, elected me.
In front of my position | place table about
seven by four and one-half feet. This article
served two purposes; to rest the ballot box on
and to impede an rate voter in wreaklng ven
geanee upon the chairman when the latter chal
lenged a vote. Subsequent events demonstrated
the wisdom OF this preparation
The first alleged registered democrat was an
Italian youth about 10 years of age, who
swore in his vote as Prof Francis M. Bur-
dick OF the Columbia university law school. The
chairman charged him with perjury and handed
him over TO police officer A strongarm individ-
ual presented commission from the sheriff show
ing he was deputy and demanded as superior
peace officer that the prisoner be surrendered to
him. This was done and few minutes later the
youth returned to vote under the name of the
charman's roommate. The same farce was en-
acted and again this willing voter mpersonated a
Riverside Drive banker
BY now pandemonium regned in the booth.
Members OF gang Of repeaters, each warng a
white-headed pin in the coat lapel, openly swore
in votes without pretensc of deception. And as
an overwhelming exhibition of boldness colored
citizen calmly represented himself to be the chair
| man and insisted upon his vote being sworn in
| and counted as that OF the chairman, who origi-
| nally hailed from the south. Word had gone
through the district OF the happenings and the
polling booth was filled with struggling mass Of
| men anxious to witness the complete humiliation
| Of 'highbrow" politician. When things were
| quiet those near enough would accelerate matters
| by taking smash at the election officials espe-
cially the chairman.
| At the closing hour watcher insisted uppn
| being near the ballot box so as to scrutnize the
| count. When the box was opened this watcher
exclaimed loudly that he was i'll and collapsed,
falling across the ballot box, at the same time
opening his coat from which large number of
Daliots 1ell INTO the Dox. a lake tight was mne-
diately started and during the melee the i'll man
escaped. An examination of the ballot box dis
closed 7l9 ballots cast although the registration
books showed only l04 registered democrats
residing in the district, eighty-five of whom had
been marked as having voted The law required
all the ballots in the box to be mixed thoroughly
| and the excess number extracted by an election
| official, who was blindfolded for this purpose
| This having been done count revealed that the
chairnan's candidate had not received single
| vote.
| During the afternoon when the rioting was at
| i height the chairman appealed to the police
| inspector for aid Mr. Sweeney being the inspec-
tor in charge Of the district. The inspector
arrived two hours after the polls had closed and
accused the chairman Of fomenting the trouble
This Is the same inspector who few years later
was sentenced to serve year on Blackwell's
Island, and dismissed from the department.
This is brief description of the conditions that
| prevailed under the old primary laws; when the
authorities looked upon primary elections as
family disputes to be settled in the ranks of each
party and as unworthy OF serious consideration
even though the laws were Knocked and made a
Laughing stock. The attitude of the police off.
Gals on this occasion herein mentioned reflected
the views Of the municipal authorities, Mr.
Mcclellan then mayor Of New York CITY, was
competing with Mr. Hearst for the control Of
the state democratic convention, which had the
naming OF the gubernatoria candidate