New-York tribune., 1922-11-06

attitude toward che prosecution OF
crimes against the ballot that you took
iast spring against other csimex your
act would undoubtedly have gone far
20 deter people from mmitting
crimes, and, after all, the great pur-
Noae of criminal prosecution is to de-.
ter. net merely to punish.
IN truth, your attitude has served
10 indicate a complacenee which, an
fortunately, has too often prevailed in
this city toward the most serious
crimes that can possibly be committed
ior the preservation of society itself
depends upon the maintenance of the
purity of the ballot, and yet you ap-
pear to think that othes offenses should
engage your attention, and that atti-
tnde is an indication to those who may
be contemplating the commission OF
crime that they have little 70 fear
from your effice.
Every citizen is entitled To have the
ballot that he presents to the inspec-
tors put in the ballot box. and to have
Il counted as he marks il, whether he
s is Socialist, q Democrat, q Repub-
licar or the member of any other party.
When any part of the electorate is
denied the right to cast their ballots
M they Wish and to have them
counted 40 cast, the whole electorate is
threatened and the government itself
is in danger. and no other class of
crimes sufficiently menace the order
and secnrity of the community as to
Justify the prosecution of any taking
precedence over prosecutions Of crimes
against the ballot.
Speaks Solely as Citizen
Il happen to be candidate, bat am
interested in this subject solely as a
citizen and as the chief executive Of
this state, whose duty it is to see that
the laws are executed. | want no vote
that is not cast for me. intend that
other candidates shall not have votes
either cast or counted for them not
intended by the electors. Heretofore
there have been too many threatening
words before election followed by for
gatfulness and complacency after cleo
tiou.
"a few underlings may be sent TO
states prison, and then the matter OF
violations of the election law are for
gotten. am concerned, as every citi-
zen is concerned, and as you ought to
be concerned, in preventing such
crimes. Measures have been taken to
prevent and detect such crimes If they
are attempted.
Already there is n mass of evidence
Of illegal registration, of registration
from addresses at which the persons
claiming their residence do not actu-
ally live; Of false information given
to police officers by occupants of
dwellings,; of perjury committed by
persons appearing before the Attorney
General in answer to subpoenas; OF
neglect of duty and possibly more seri-
Gus crimes by inspectors of election;
of neglect of duty by police officers in
checking the list of voters; of the fail
urc of police officers to report cases
Of registration by convicts.
"In order to safeguard the purity of
the ballot, certain acts have been made
criminal, and those participating in or
conniviug at them, whether officials or
not, are equally guilty with those who
actually commit them. For instance,
it is a crime to afford assistance on
Election Day 10 person who did not
ask for it at the time of registration,
or TO a person, even though he did ask
for it.. who is not illiterate or SO dis
abled by blindness or otherwise as to
be incapacitated from marking his bal
lot. / am told that here are hundreds
and possibly thousands OF cases in
which such assistance has been i'm
properly asked for. 1t is crime to
refuse to challenge a person or to re-
fuse to permit an authorized watcher
to challenge a persons right to vote.
1t is a crime for election officers to
u
out compelling him to take the oath
required by statute. 1t is crime for
inspectors to permit any person other
than the person voting To touch the
ballot. 1t is crime to permit any one
TO go into or to look into a voting
booth while person is voting, except
where assistance is lawfully given.
ut is crime TO permit any one to
Fote whose signature does not CORE
sl-tih l,n
time of registration or to permit any
one to vote unable to sign his name
who does not answer identification
statements exactly as he did at the
time of registration. The inspectors
are guilty of crimes il in canvassinr
the ballots they do not keep them in
full view, if they have pencil or
other substance in their hand, or il
they purposely soil their hands for
the purpose of spelling ballot, or If
they purposely tear or defaee ballot
or in any manner or form alter
ballot or attempt to look at the mark
or marks made by the voter or the
ballot. or if ballots not cast are sub
stituted for those that are cast, or IL
watchers are not given the fullest
opportunity to see the ballots or if
the ballots are not kept in full view
OF the watchers all the time
observance OF all of these and
other provisions of law to prevent
election frauds are necessary. and II
must be understood that the violation
OF any of these provisions will be
hprosecuted.
May Invoke Own Power
"A You call my attention to nv mower
to supersede you. I am fully aware Of
my power TO do that as well as nv
power to convene an extra ordinary
term of the Supreme Court. | always
prefer, however, to leave such matters
IN the hands of the locally chosen off,
GERS who are charged with responsj-
hility. l do not desire to supersede
you and / should prefer to rely first
on the performances by you Of your
duty, but you need have no fear but
that ! will exercise all of the POWER
that may be necessary to prosecute
any one, high or low, guilty of com
piicity in the most heinous crime Of
all--crime against the peoples suffrage.
he important thing at the moment
Is to prevent crime. You could have
greatly aided in such prevention IL
YOU weuld. In view of the encourage
ment that your attitude may have
gwen to law breakers let it be clearly
understood that there will be no re-
taxation after the election. If crimes
against the ballot are committed it will
not be enough to send a few underlings
20 Sing Sing prison, as has been done
heretofore, but there will be a search
ing inquiry into all such crimes TO con-
Wet not merely the underlings but
thoSa b,e~hav kA