Evening star., 1926-06-10
$494, 900 WAS PAID "WATCHERS" ..,.~
IN PRIMARY, WITNESS SAYS


! United States Court in "rongres-
sional election, only to find that ne
| had taken the case into the wrong
court. Finally. after a years time
he said, the whole matter was dis
missed. Representative NORM. he
| said. was involved in this election.
| He was asked by the committee If
he had sought to amend election laws.
Il presented in 1923 13 bills to the
Legislature. They were all defeated.
largely through the leadership of
Senator Ware
Among the reComme ndations made
by Mr.. McGoVern were amendments
to do away with paid watchers and to
limit the expenditures by all the can
didates for Office from Senator down.
so that a man of moderate means
could be a candidate for office.
Democrats Are Few.
In reply to questions by Senator
Reed. Colorado, McGovern estimated
the Republican registered voters in
Pennsylvania at 1.S00,0O0 and the
| Democrats at 500 900. He said the
number of registered Democratic vot-
ers in Pittsburgh was only about
1000, while the total registered vote
in Pittsburgh was 1873 900.
You mean to say that out OF 132.-
600, only 1000 are Democrats" said
Senator Reed. "No wonder you have
corruption over there
II suppose when Democrats move
into Pittsburgh they soon change TO
Republicans, don't they?" said Senator
Goff.
IF they don't. you count them that
way. anyway" suggested Senator
Reed.
Fraud System Works"
Col. McGovern told the committee
that the whole system in Pennsyl
vania is made to order for fraud y
and that it works eXcellently well.
"A Democrat doesn't have much
| show In Pennsylvania, commented
Senator Reed. Having cleaned uu
the Democrats, now you have gone to
rohbng each other"
Col McGOvern said that the ma
chine Of western Pennsylvania and
that Of eastern Pennsylvania usually
work together pretty well.
I'm no part of the country west of
the Mississippi River could such con
ditions prevail. declared Senator
Reed
Col. McGovern commented on the
way in which the vote was handled
for John $. Fisher against Edward r,
Beldleman in the gubernatoriai
primaries. He said that on Thursda ,
morning Beidleman was 20 900 votes
ahead. but that by that evening he
was 1000 votes behind. The election
was held on Tuesday. He charged
that the returns had been taken into
the Offices of the county commits
sioners and had heen tampered with
there.
Holds Effort Useless.
The thing was so bad" said Col
McGovern. that at the instance q,
Representative NORM | got the al
torney general of the State 10 come tc
pittsburgh to ask the court to restrain
the county commissioners from pre-
venting the representatives of Bielei
man from seeing the returns
senator Goff asked If il were not
TACT that the attorney general stated
m court he was satisfied there had
peen no fraud. and that the court had
dismissed the case.
/ Before Col. McGoyern was nut on
the stand today. p. $. Stahlnecker
secretary of the Pinchot State com
inlttee. was recalled to the stand by
senator Reed and testified that John
l.. Lewis or the United Mine Workers
mao spoken in the coal regions for
HoV. Plnchot, but that Mr.. Lewis had
received no pay or expenses from the
flnchot campaign committee
Ihe hearings will be continued from,
-.oo pm. TO 5 pm. this afternoon and
the committee will meet also al s
CLOCK tonight. to continue al long as
II feels like sitting.
Quotes Wares Manager.
- hint OF heaVN expenditures in
me interest of the nomination. of
senator George Wharton pepne,
came just before the commit ee
ended its hearings late vestardar