Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-09-18
INDEPENDENTS ACT
| TOUNCOVER FRAUD
Twenty Warrants to Be Sworn
Against Alleged Wrongdoers
in Election
sG0RD0N is IN FULL CHARGE

Independents today Launched fight
against election frauds at the primaries.
'The fight may result IN the opening of
ballot boxes of numerous election divi-
ssions.
Twenty warrants are 70 be served to-
day on election officers and voters
lcharged with giving illegal assistance at
sthe polls.
The committee Of seventy obtained the
warrants, which are for men in the
First, Second, Twenty sixth, Twenty
ninth and Thirtieth wards.
More than 200 complaints to irrHgu
lsrities are under investigation today.
The activities of many city employees
ARE being scrutinizcd. Many City Hall
jobholders were reported 'sick'' on cleo
Ition day. If it is established that they
Violated the provisions Of the new city
eharter, prosecutions will result
Employ Every Means
In the campaign against ballot box
stuffers and election jobbery every pos
lsible agency is being employed.
While detectives of the district at
storney's staff are guarding the ballot
boxes in City Hall other county opera
.tives are running down complaints of
fraud.
The committee of seventy likewise is
idriying toward the bottom of the fraud
reports. -
/ According to e. L. d. Roach, of the
lcommittee of seventy, about 100 men in
Ehe First ward, who voted Tuesday, had
evaded the draft by claiming to be aliens.
"The arrests to be made today said
Mr. Roach. "Gre for men charged with
Sllegal registration, illegal voting or Civ
ling assistance at the polls illegally"
From the legal side the Independent
drive against all election frauds will be
lmarshaled by former Judge James Gay
iGordon, who has been retained as spe-
Ecial counsel for the committee of one
hundred.
II A4' Gain Through Publicity
Mr.. Gordon, after a consultation with
.other attorneys of the. Moore commit
Zee, issued this statement:
"a Consultation with representatives
of the committee of one hundred has
1ust. been had in connection with dis
closures of the gravest nature touching
hhe conduct of the election in certain
wards of the city.
.sMore than this l cannot now say.
If an investigation is made by the court
computing the returns, Mr.. Moore's
vote and that Of his colleagues on the
- nV,l
certain apparent results will be re-
versed. The Moore party has every
thing to gain by the fullest publicity"
Detectives are checking, up today on
twenty Six divisional ballot boxes which
have not been returned to City Hall.
while the legal time limit for their re-
fnrn has not expired, no chances are
being taken with the boxes.
It will be much easier this year to
obtain a recount of votes in any elec =
tion division than it was two years ago,
and Independents are ready to take
advantage of the new procedure.
New Election Act
The new method was provided in an
act passed at the last session of the
Legislature. The act, in part, follows
"Upon the sworn affidavit of three
qualified electors of any election pre-
cinet, division or district Of any county
chat, upon information which they con
sider reliable, they believe an act OF
fraud or error, although not manifest
hponsthe general return of votes made
therefrom, has been committed therein,
The return board shall, at any time
prior to the completion of the computa
lion and canvassing of all the returns
+ from the county, open the ballot box
pf such election district, and cause thu
fntire vote thereof to be recounted II
manner aforesaid, and if they discover
hny fraud or material error, they shall
correct, compute and certify the votes OF
such election district justly, regardes.
pf any fraudulent or erroneous return,
made by the election officers thereof
and correct any entries previously mad,
tn the papers being prepared by thc
trturn board accordingly