The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-01-11
.SYMMONDS in
ANOTHER REPLY
Attorney Symmonds Ex-
plains Investigation of
Unregistered Voters.
NEED OF NEW Law
From Ienuarv Ga Igsue.l

gard;ng the probe which he is making
into the unregistered voters who were
allowed to cast their ballots at the
recent general election, former Dis
trict Attorney Frank S. Symmonds in
a signed statement today revealed the
stand which he will take regarding
these ballots ais they affect the dis
puted election over the Office Of dis
trict attorney Of Kenosha county. The
statement is Of great interest IN that
it deals with the question OF the en-
forcement of election regulations IN
Kenosha and urges that Kenosha as
CITY has outgrown the traditional
methods used when it had only few
thousand inhabitants
"This statement is given to make
nv stand clear" declared Attorney
svmmonds. "Allow me to say that /
do not expect to invalidate the entire
election as / believe that only enough
votes will be affected as to change
the outcome Of the election for the
Office of district attorney"
It was admitted, however, that the
declaring void Of the election for one
Office might invalidate the others.
Ne Definite Figures let.
The statement follows:
TO the Editor Of the Kenosha Evening
News:-
/ noticed your article concerning the
recent election in your last nights
issue of the Evening News and am
constrained to write this article, by
reason thereof. Your statement was
indeed startling, to say the least
trust the belief expressed by your
paper will not come true wherein it
states "that when Mr.. Symmonds has
completed the examination of the poll
lists In all the wards in the city, that
he will find that there were thousands
Of unregistered voters voting at the
election and the total number in the
whole city would probably be large
enough to wipe out the majority of any
candidate elected and now holding
Office" Surely this would be de-
plorable condition that would un-
doubtedly be regretted by every we'll
minded citizen and one which | do
not believe exists. II Is true that the
only ward in which the poll list has
been checked with the regular list,
SHOWS a considerable number Of I'M
registered voters, but not anywhere
near one hundred -twenty-ni as stat
ed in the News. ! have not completed
the checking of this ward, so am not
in a position to state what the re-
suit would be-
Doesn't Critize Officials.
Perhaps it would be an opportune
Az I
ing into the election with a view of
proving, if / can, who is, If any one,
the legally elected district attorney
In this do not wish to be misunder-
God and as questioning for one mo-
ment the integrity, honesty or good
faith of any Of the election officials.
From the knowledge / have now of
our election officials, | state freely
that | know of nothing that would inn
peach their integrity, honesty or good
faith and they are deserving of the
greatest of praise, considering the ire
mendous amount of work placed upon
them in the last election. The advent
of women>yoting at the polls in such
large numbers, as was evidenced in
The last election, is one of the great
est reasons why the, election officials
III Nevery precinct were overwhelmed
with work, which it was humanity i'm
possible to do in proper manner. If
there is any criticism to be laid at
The door Of any one it is the govern
ing body Of the city Of Kenosha in
not having properly set off election
precincts so that each precinct would
be limited in area and numbers so
that one set of election officials could
properly and considerably perform
their duties and obtain correct cleo
ton results~within a reasonable time.
The evidence is overwhelming that in
the last election 1t was humanity impos-
sible in any Of the wards to properly
take care Of the election.
should Double Precincts.
I have had occasion to realize this
and the more I investigate, the more
am convinced that our election pre-
cincts in Kenosha should be doubled.
and, in some wards, trebled over what
they are now. Kenosha is no country
town, but metropolitan city and the
sooner this is recognized by the city
government concerning election mat
ters, the better ii will be for all con
cerned. 1t is a wonder to me that the
eity has been able 10 obtain as cleo
ton officials the high standard of men
and women, when such tremendous
burdens are placed upon them. In the
country towns where voters are in a
more proper proportionate relation to
the inspectors, we find less errors and
far better results This is not be-
cause of any higher standard of elec.
tion officials but because the work Is
more proportionate to the number of
workers. It has been suggested that
two set Of election officials be had. but
I-deem this unwise for various rea-
sons and the only proper way to cor
rect this evil is to have the voting
precincts so arranged as that the num-
Der of voters in each precinct is in a
reasonable and proper proportion to
the election officials BY having small
or precincts, the election officials could
more readily acquaint themselves with
the territory covered thereby and act
more intelligently on The question Of
who are proper voters aud thereby
check illegal voting. / understand in
the last election that in some of the
wards it was impossible to cheek with
the registry list on account Of the fact
OF the hoTdes Of. voters coming in at
the last moment The custom of com.
ing at the last moment to vote cannot
we'll be broken, as 10, is a matter OF