Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-05-10
SEVENTY ASKS ROTAN
TO DEFINE PENALTIES
FOR ELECTION FRAUDS
Committee Intimates Frequent
Instances of Violation of the
Laws and Urges District
Attorney to Act
HONEST VOTE DEMANDED

! District Attorney Rotan was called
upon today by the Committee OF Seventy
20 give clear statement defining the
election laws and the penalties provided
for their violation, with especial refer
! enoe to those provisions covering illegal
assistance to voters
The committee, in its communication,
| sets forth that II has reason to rear tnat @
| at the primary election netX week tne
requirements of the law relative to as
/ sistance of voters are to be totally as
regarded and that wholesale assistance ls
to be furnished without the taking oil the
necessary afIidavts.
In such cases heretofore, the commlttee
declares. It has been the invariable excuse
of the election boards that they nave nVt
received n sufficient number OF such
affidavit blanks from the County Commits
sioners. 1t therefore asks the District Al.
torney TO advise the Commissioners OF
their responsibilities In the matter anu
of their obligations, not only IN the ques-
tion of assistance to voters, but that tley
be instructed TO furnish a sufficient num-
her of ballot boxes to the various eIection
divisions Previous inadequacy OF ballot
boxes. the committee asserts mas COM
nelled the depositng of excess ballots III
open receptacles, violating the cohteihp'aV-
ed secracy of the ballot.
Refusal of minority watchers certit,-
Gates by the authorized election officlals
in many divisions is also quoted as an
additional matter calling at this time for
action by the District Attorney eXplana-
tory of the law bearing upon that SUD-
jcct.
LETTER OF THE SEVENTY.
The commlttee's communication, which
l. b,, winston AS Cnalr-
man. follows:
Samuel p. Rotan, District Attorney
City Hall, Phila.
Dear Sir-As you are we'll aware.
we tire approaching a primary election
I'm which great issues are Mt stake in
the city, State and nation. In view
of the important questions lnNolVeu'
and the bitterness of the contest in
some sections of the city, 1t seems
to us more than ordinarily necessary
that the District Attorney should at
this time give n clear statement of the
laws governing the election, and the
penalties provided for the violation of
these statutes, with especial reference
to those points set forth in the sue
ceedng paragraphs.
The Committee of Seventy consistently |
has maintained that every facility of the |
law should be used to prevent Illegal as
sistance to voters, which is a plain viola
ton of the primary election act.
This committee is informed that in GER
tain wards the practice heretofore has
been to totally disregard the requirements
Of this law, and to allow wholesale as.
sistance to voters without the taking OF
the necessary atldavits.
We are further informed that the in
variable excuse of the lection boards
has been that hey had not received
a sufficient quantity of such affldavits
from the County Commissioners.
RoTAN ASKED TO ACT.
In view Of these facts, we ask you
to advise this committee, and in do
ing so inform the general public, OF
the penalties provided for the viola
ton of the said primary election act
We might suggest, also that this Is
an appropriate time for the public
prosecutor to advise the County Com
mlsloners of their responsibilities in
this connection, and of the obligations
imposed upon them by statute to carry
out their part of the enforcement of
the election laws,
Complaints also have been numerous In
'ormer years that an insufficient number
If the proper ballot boxes have been pro-
,lded' in great many divisions, and that
Is n result many ballots In such divisions
laNe 10 De uepOSlleu III open IeCepldCleS,
hereby defeating the laws design to
maintain the secrecy of the ballot.
We are further informed that in many
election districts throughout the city au-
horlzed election officials have refused to
the watchers certificates of
minority representatives or watchers on
aid boards, or around such polling
,laces, and we would like you to relate
he law upon that subject and to place
he responsibility for such recognition Of
aid credentials, and to put forth the PEN
.lty for such violation of the provisions
# the election laws.
1t is our understanding that the at
empted intimidation of voters by police
men in uniform, city office holders and
thers. is a violation of the act, and we
houd be glad to have you include in your
nswer a statement of the law on this
ubiect and the penalties provided for
iolaton thereof.
Respectfully yours,
JOHN C. WINSTON, Chairman.