The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-03-12
Iie,IsTI,ATJoN FRAUDS.

~ ~ ~
iu all popular elections two things are of
capital importance. That cvcry citizen entitled
TO vote shall be permitted TO vote. tina, no ciu.
zen shall be- permitted TO yotc uIcgdD. Gwen
"a fair application ~ This rule and no man may
seriously quo,tion Dhc result Of any election. It
oven rcpcnH the Sacred righ, ~ revolution"
In The city campaign ON Il considerable mum
her Of people have not become partlsans ~ amy
Of the candidate Hut we doubt II thcrc is a
voter In the o,ry bat an a sort Of academic way
wishes the laws to be enforced and the best man
TO win II certainly a no, the desire of any
good citizen that the election result shall be
fixed through fraud
Yet that worry hing is being prepared for.
rndor tho clear ana easily understood rcgistrn-
ton law the registration ot voters ended at mid
night last saturday night The law vests no
discretion In the registrars at all. when mid
night came the books closed. And to register
any applicant after that hour Is n violation Of
the law; n fraud on the people.
Yet registration has been going on since.
Comparatively few precinct registrars have
ported to the county registrar. what the law
provides In this particular We arc unable to say.
But what the effect OF this dorelction is every
one must The precinct registrar who Is
more partisan than patriot is very apt TO avail
himself OF the opportunity to continue to register
his partisan friends in utter disregard Of The
law.
And that Ia precisely what liz happening In
many OF the city precincts Democrats have reg
istcred In Tulsa since the registration books
closed by law without even appearing in person,
mere telephone request has been accepted,
acted on and the certificate delivered, II Is free
" inserted that any democrat In certain pre-
cincts could register at any time. And that
many have done admits Of no doubt Whether,
as is charged these delinquent registrars have
canvasscd their precincts for the purpose oSgct-
ting all democrats is something that stands un-
verified, but we think it very likely. No re-
publican. independent socialist has been so
registered.
Here Is "A very serious matter indeed. How
foolish--how utterly credulous-those good citi-
zcns are who permit themselves to enter po-
litcal contest whore these methods are EN-
ployed in the belief that they have chance he
fore the independent voters of the community
The world does not attempt to say in which
candidates interest these fraudulent practices
are being committed. There are three demo-
cratic candidates. They and their partisans
must determine who 1t is that Is to be the bcnc-
ficiary of this law violation, who the sufferer
But that it is not only an outrage on our clec-
tion system a travesty dcccncy. "a cowardy
advantage taken Of those who advance their
candidates. under the emblem of rcpuhcanism
and over and above everything else. criminality
of the basest kind admits OF no argument what
ever.
once again desire to go record as op-
posing partisan activity In municipal affairs
The party brand neither adds To nor dctracts
from the dcsirabruty Of the administrators of
our local government. Neither states rights,
intcruatioualsm nor the tarirf are involved. The
essential things are good character, a correct
conception Of government plus business ability.
In this thing hcing complained of can he read
the unacceptable effect OF partisanism in local
government
But under the existing charter, which per
mits partisan activity, how. let us ask In all
sincerity is the hancful effect of Boss Ken
ncy's dictatorship to bc thrown of excepting
/ by the reputation and overthrow OF that par
/ tisau organization which has permitted itself to
! fan completely under his domination
/ The World may have no ticket IN free and
/ honest expression OF the voters. But It certainly
/ does stand uualtcrahy against election frauds
! and practices Of every character 1t has a
platform And that platform Is, Honest cleo
uons