The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-06-20
VOTE IN LABOR
WARDS STOLEN
BY ware GANG
Ballots Are Simply Not
Counted
(Continued from nage u

Continued from page u
state manager for Ware, testified that
In the first 20 wards of the city it
was not customary for the organiza-
ton to spend any money on literature.
He said the organization was all-pow-
erful, and the vote was almost unani-
nous for its candidates, year in and
year out.
The Fourth ward, he testified, re-
turned 4,547 votes for Ware, As for
Pepper and only 6 for inchot. He
then handed Chairman Reed a copy of
the official count, which showed that
Ware was credited with 1859, Pepper
with SO and Pinchot 3 votes.
Worklng-class Ward.
This Fourth ward, said Mackey, is a
working class ward. It's people are
mostly Jewish and Italian. When they
get enough money to do so, they move
away.
do you vote them in a blockY"
Reed asked.
mo-" replied the boss, IL am sorry
to say that they are more tenacious
of their political rights than the ma
tive born Americans"
Supported Plnehot.
Since Governor Pinchot had the In
dorsement of the Pennsylvania FEEDER
alton Of Labor, and since trade union
ism is a strong factor in these wards,
and since the labor vote as a rule
throws rs to so per cent of its
strength to the candidates its unions
have endorsed, the crediting Of only
three votes to Pinchot from ward
where thousands of wage workers cast
ballots told its own story. The pro-
portion of votes returned from other
wards Of like character was much the
same. Mackey said 1t had been so for
20 years past.
Charity Stunt.
When Reed asked how the machine
secured this almost-unanimous sup
port from the poorest class in the
city, Mackey declared that the Ware
brothers had "given them their schools
and Fairgrounds" and, had provided
numerous public charities. Reed asked
whether the schools were not in fact
built with public funds, at the direc-
ton Of public bodies, at. the demand
of the public sentiment of the city
regardless OF the personal attitude OF
Ware or any other individual. Mackey
admitted that this was true, but
claimed that Ware and his brothers,
now dead, FUSED their powerful infu-
ence" to have schoolst built in the
poorer wards, and that Ware person
ally paid for the plans for one high
school in his native ward.
Ware Control.
Reed then forced him to admit that
Ware thru his organization had abso-
lutte control of the judges who appoint
the school board who neglect the con-
struction of school buildings until
Ware appears as the champion of the
poor and compels his own puppet
board to build them. In gratitude to
Ware for thus giving with his left hand
what he has taken from the children
with his right, Ware Is acclaimed a
hero and is granted further power to
withhold further rights from the peo-
pie.
Then the sweet charity argument
was dug up. Mackey told of the line
of poor people three blocks long, wait
ing to receive food in the winter time
from the ward leader, Jim Sheehan,
, "invincible in the Thirteenth ward"
Sheehann has a small salary on city
Job. He returned 4,999 votes for Ware,
granting 1O6 to Pepper and SS to Pin
chot.
Votes Not Counted.
Doesn't that indicate very clearly"
asked Reed, that the votes are not
counted at all?"
Mackey and his lieutenants did not
use bank checks in this campaign.
They had no check stubs, because
they had done their work with rolls
OF currency, which leaves no trail.
Joseph Mackell, register. Of wills, could
not explain anything about how he
happened to be possessed of $4,000 in
cash, which he turned into the cam
paign fund in Pittsburgh, except that
he had been saving up that $4,000
gradually for two years.
He had been overheard saying to
one Cooper who called him on the
long-distance telephone in the commit
tees anteroom: II understand moth
ing from nobody" Senator King tried
to make him admit that this was a
promise that he would not confess
anything to the committee. Mackell
perspired, writhed, but admitted moth
ing.