Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-10-07
How States Crooked Election Machinery
Was Used to Defeat Fair and Honest Law

stitution, circulated. signed and filed,
on July 16, 1915. with the secretary
OF state and governor. a petition sign
on July 16. 1915, with the secretary OF
state and gobernor. Il petition signed
by ei.0S7 qualified electors of the
state, which petition was generally
known as state question No. rs, or
the Fair Election law measure.
This petition was attacked from every
angle known to the Democratic ad-
-ministration. but without success. AT
the time OF the filing of the petition
ballot title was submitted, which bal
lot title set out In brief the objects OF
tha measure. This ballot title was re-
jected by tn eattorney-general, who
after much parleying, wrote ballot
title as palpably unfair as his ingenui-
| ty could devise. This he not only
freely admitted. but 'Freclingly' boast
ed Of It as an achievement of his ad-
ministration.
Fourth. Under the constitution
and laws Of the state. this measure
should have been submitted to tne
! people of the state for ratification or
| rejection at the general primary cleo
ton held on the first Tuesday in Aug
ust. 1915. The Democratic macninv
of this state with the governor at its
head Oas not ready for this fair cleo
time, and under the then existing con-
ditions. for IL will be remembered that
| the supreme court of the United
States. in an opinion handed down by
Chief Justice White, had held the
grandfather clause null and void. The
governor Immediately called into o.
tstence an extra session of the legis-
lature for the purpose Of putting over
an election law that would surely put
| the Republican and Socialist parrico
out of business forever in the state.
| This extra session OF the legislature
| passed finally a registration law re-
curing that every voter In the state
should register with a specially ap-
pointed Democratic registrar. which
office was created by the provisions
! Of the law, and who, by virtue Of his
| office. became part of the Demo-
cratic machine on salary. They then
passed n resolution or proposed con-
stitutional amendment which was ~
| be submitted to the voters OF the
state. seeking to impress upon the
voters Of the state a literacy test, SIM
liar to the grandfather clause, which
| was held unconstitutional, and which,
! by the way. was provided by another
Freelingly title, and buried as conf
pletely rs was possible to do with
knumber Of other proposition, not 80
| complete however, but that the peO-
pie Of the state spoke In no<uncertain
terms in their refusal to adopt such q
measure by n vote of 90,605 yes tU
133,1l0 no. Such a slap as the DEM
pcratlc machine had not received IN
| years. At this Same special session
another bill was passed giving the gov
ernor the authority to pass over from
one election to another any initiated
| measure to suit his pleasure. This
/ curA uyao unepiaolu designed 40
that the governor could refuse to sub
nit to the people Of the state the
| "Fair election law" proposition at the
| August, 1915. primary. And so II we,i'
over to the general election in Novem-
Der, 1915, at which time they ex-
| pected to get out n much larger vote
than could have been done at the pri.
mary election. And too. there would
be SO much more for the people tc
consider, the machine felt that thou
sands would fail to vote on the eies:'
ton law proposition. basng theil
hopes on what has by them been DEG
1 ignated the silent vote The expenses
| to the taxpayers Of the state in put
ting into operation and paying for the
registration Of all voters Of the stat,
was more than. $4,000. all Of which
went to members OF the Democratic
machine.
Fifth. Under the conditions cited
in paragraph 4 above, the "Falr Eiec.
ton law" proposition was submitted
as state question No. Is at the genera
election in November. 1915. printed
under a vicious and misleading ballo
title, worded to deceive the voter al
to the actual purport of the measure
| Election Proper.
Sixth. Coming down to the cleo
ton proper, every Democratic poll
tician and spellbinder in the state
with but few exceptions went thruout
the state urging Democrats to vote
early and exhause the ballots pro.