New-York tribune., 1922-10-30
Gilbert IGNORES
Barltol, i'm Poll
Frauds Inquiry
Says He Will Bring Illegal
Regissrants Before Grand
Jury Despite the Dis
ir;ct Attorneys Ruling
AssaiIs I'ammany Heads
Asserts Police and Election
Board Hamper Him;
Will Protect Socialists

A. s. Gilbert, Deputy Attorney Con
eral In charge Of election frauds, was
in a fightinG mood yesterday when hs
learned that District Attorney Joat
! Banton had announced that the Dep
uty Attorney General mad no right to
tako his cases Of iliega. registration
before the grand jurics in this county
I Mr.. Gilbert declared that nos onl,
would he go before the grand juries
/ il necessary ignoring the District At
torney, who is a loyal Tamniany man
but would he see to it that every agency
Of government gave hin, full and active
cooperation in running down the cleo.
tion thieves and thus insuring an hon
est election, and that warrants would
! be issued for all suspects and will be
served on them when they appear at
| the polls on Election Day.
Mr., Gilbert said that he did not un-
derstand The change Of heart on the
part of the District Attorney, espe-
| cially in view Of the offer that had
been made previously by Mr.. Banton
|
| trict Attorneys office at his disposal.
Says Police Work Against Him
Not only has the District Attorneys
office been somewhat Of all enigma to
Mr.. Gilbert, but he has found that the
police, for the most part, have taksn
the same attitude Of trying to hamper
his investigation, as has the Board Of
Elections, which la presided over by
Tsmmany's grand aachem, John Il.
Eoorhis.
To-day William Dean Embrec, ono
Of Mr.. Gilbert's aids, will call on
Judge Grain and on several foremen Of
the grand juries and ask that they aid
in keeping the election clean this year.
Yesterday was spent by Mr.. Gilbert
and his staff in whipping into shape
the evidence against number vf cleo
ton boards in Tammany districts and
against certain Tammany officials in
another department, also charged with
the enforcement of the election law.
Under the law the Attorney General
has the power to command the serv-
ices OF every agency Of government,
and this will be done, regardless of
the attempts OF certain politicians to
have the soft pedal applied.
MANY Board Of Election inspectors
are guilty OF crime because they have
omitted to perform duties imposed
upon them," said Mr.. Gilbert. ~"The
law does not recognize as an excuse
that the board was ignorant of the law
or that the practice complained Of has
continued for some years.
Il am inclined to assume honesty
rather than dishonesty. In the cases
to which l refer | shall continue to
n oto al,
satisfied to the contrary, but when I
do reach the conclusion that violation
already committed was not because
of ignorance, but willful, shall act
accordingly. Ny purpose has been and
Is now to prevent violation Of the cleo
tion and penal laws rather than to
prosecute for crime committed. If I
were disposed to prosecute every case
which has come under my observation
I could keep the courts Of this county
busy indefinitely.
Il am making every effort to advise
inspectors Of election Of their duties
and responsibilities, and there will be
no possible reason for their not know
Ing the law on election day, and l shah
mold every inspector and every clerk
accountable"
Finds Illegal Registration
Mr. Gilbert said that he had run
across almost countless cases of ille-
gal registration, many of which wera
only technical rather than wicked Yio-
lation of the law, where persons con-
tinued to maintain residences in neigh
borhoods from which they had moved.
~ could make hundreds of arrests in
these cases If were so disposed" he
added.
In the entire 18th Congressional Dis
trict, where the most glaring frauds
have been found, including the regis
tration OF fioaters from Tammanv
campaign headquarters in the 9Th AS
hoor-Mr. Gilbert is making a special
to-day.
"The conditions in the 18th Congress
SIGNAL District are bad" he said. "This
is especially true in the Ath Assembly
District. In this territory the Social
lists can probably elect a member Of
the Assembly and re-elect q Congress-
man IL they get square deal. I mean
to see that the Socialists get IL square
deal, in spite Of my personal and pos
tive opposition so all that that party
stands for.
"In the 18th Congressional District r |
have not only turned uo the rather
clever but unlawful scheme OF sassist- |
ing voters to vote right but I have
turned UP much deliberate false regis |
y have organized a securing squad
to clean UP that district, and it IL ut
work there now. My investigators are
masking house-to-house canvass. Thev
will report to me the name of every /
qualified votar actually living thors.
and every person whose name is not [
on that list will be arrested Il he or
She attenDtg tn vote nv, E1act;cr Na,, ),
Mr.. Gilbert also issued a warninr
that he would cause the Immediate
arrest of any occupant Of house who
gave any false information to any Of I
his Investigators. i
Seek Canadian Mail Pact