Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-07-29

! 1ly9sdlt
the last election to of!ciate IN septem-
be-.
one other matter that I wish 20 re-
fer to and that IS the urgent necessity
Of purging the check list now in use
in the city OF Portland.
/ have 70 criticism 20 offer in re gard
70 the board Of registration as the
board is made up Of conscientious gem
tlemen who are TO doubt doing their
best and have 20 depend upon the re-
port Of the assistant assessors = 10 the
names that should be stricken from the
check list.
am not able 70 say as to what
method was used by the assistant
acceSsors in making Their canvass.
but il seems very evident that there
are a great many names that should
be stricken from the check list be-
fore the September election. as IL
seems to me that the presence Of
these names on the voting list will
he a standing invitation for repeat
ors and ballot box suffers to con-
tinue to operate. and they are ready
to engage in this work so long as
they feel they will be protected and
the money is forthcoming to pay for
their services
Trusting that you may give this
matter your careful attention, I re-
main,
Cordially yours.
KING F. GRAHAM. Sheriff.
Statement.
The investigation of the ballots
discloses the fact that a large num-
Der were apparently marked by two
or three persons and deposited in
the ballot box or on the counting
table.
The combination OF candidates
marked down through the list and
the similarity OF the crosses (x)
made would seem to confirm this
statement
On the check lists az they were
returned from the Board of Regis
tration the enrolled Republicans
were marked with a Red r, and we
find that there were $500 names so
marked On the day Of the Primary
Election there was added TO the list
the enrolled Republicans who were
required to sign the enrolment card.
1U9 cards were so signed
Black RS were placed before the
names OF persons so enrolled by the
ward officers and I find in checking
up that Jos were so marked. three
black RS having been omitted. This
would make the total of RepubH-
cans enrolled $3.50. OF the (6JIi)
names enrolled as Republicans only
eight ts) were not checked as voted
and this number would be the entire
legal Republican vote that could
have been cast, in Ward 4: but in
spite OF this We find that (SS3) Re
publican ballots were counted in
this ward
In addition 20 this we find that %
names were checked as voting that had
been struck OF the list by the board Of
registration. black ink marks having
been drawn through the names, signi-
flying that the name had been taken
from the list
1t also appears that 344 names were
checked as voting on the two lists
without having been enrolled or marked
with the letter r. and a partial can
vass OF these names discloSes that OF
1sO names Investigated only one had
voted. and (lssD others stating that
they did not vote This would indicate
that practically all OF the (344) names
not enrolled and checked on the sheets
did not vote.
In our canvass to date with iavesti-
gators and by mail we have received
answers from t572) persons that were
checked az voting at the primary cleo
ton in Ward Four. Portland OF this
number u7O voted. (3s4) stated that
they did not vote.
A comparison of the check lists Dis
closes that while about the required
number of names TO account for the
ballots cast were checked (ss1) ap-
pear on the clerks list. and (s70) on
the warden's list: (ss3D having been
cast
The checkers bIundered in not check
Ing the same names on beth lists as II