The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-05-11
WATCHERS FOR
LABOR ELECTED
FROM PRECINCTS
Candidates of Workers
Tricked by Officials

PASSAIC, May 10.-The hottest
city election in years took place to-
day in this city to the accompaniment
of fraud and corruption on a huge
scale.
In deliberate effort to steal the
victory from Albert Weisbord and his
two associates on the labor ticket,
watchers for the labor party were
thrown out of the polls although all
other candidates were allowed repre-
sentation in the balloting and count
ing of the votes.
Assured by the city clerk that they
could issue their own credentials to
watchers, and that election judges
would honor these certificates, the la
Dor campaign committee proceeded
yesterday to enroll hundreds of
watchers. But at the eleventh hour
today when the watchers presented
themselves at the polls to perform
their duties, they were told that the
city attorney had reversed the clerks
opinion and that they were barred for
legal reasons.
Gross Discrimination.
Protests to city authorities brought
no remedy, although but one other
candidate had fulfilled the instruc-
tions handed down by the unexpected
order of the city torney. Watchers
for all candidates of the republi-
can and democratic machines were
permitted in the polls.
The campaign ended in a flare of
circus stunts, with planes flying bands
playing and all the hokuspokus of
election corruption on tap. Only the
three labor candidates, Weisbord,
Bamback and Smelkinson made any
effort to meet city issues intelligently
and seriously.
Stress Race Issues.
Rumors flew thick and fast, with
racial issues stressed. In the Dundee
section it was whispered that Weis-
bord and Preiskel, the commissioner
of public safety who fought the tex
/ tile strike tooth and nail last year,
were running on the same ticket. This
was supposed to swing labor votes to
! Preiskel.
Five candidates, Cabell, Turner,
Johnson, Schachter and Walker were
/ alleged in the gossip assiduously cir
culated, to be running on a Ku Klux
Khan ticket while Rubacky, a Polish
candidate, was alleged to have made
deal with Turner, the captain of
detectives.
All these candidates are seeking
the five city commissionerships to be
filled today.
A 20 per cent vote for Weisbord
and the labor ticket was confidently
expected.
Closes With Bang
The labor campaign closed Monday
evening with a blaze of excitement.
Three large open air meetings were
addressed by Weisbord, Bambach, Syl-
van A. Pollack. Emil CARLOS, NJ
Kushner, Louis A. Baum and several
local speakers.
During the entire campaign the
capitalist candidates tried to disturb
and break up the working class raj
lies. On Monday night they were out
in full force to create trouble.
Continuous Uproar
The meeting on Oak st. opposite
the police station was in a continuous
uproar as a result of the descriptive
efforts of supporters of Abram Pres
kiel, assisted by policemen and de-
tectives.
At Hope and Monroe Sts., truck
with Preskiel banners circled around
the meeting several times while Weis-
bord was speaking, creating noise.
Many other devices to terrorize the
workers were used but to no avail, as
the overwhelming majority Of the
audience supported the labor men.