Evening star., 1928-11-04

OHIO FRAUD PROBE
HITS REPUBLICANS
Adds to Smiths Chances of
Carrying Cuyahoga
County.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star
COLUMBUS, Ohio, November o.
The outstanding denouement of the
closing week of the campaign in Ohio
has been a political explosion in Cleve-
land as the result of the investigation
Of charges of crookedness in elections
in Cuyshoga County, made by the
grand jury of the county under direc-
ton of Edward G. Turner. State
attorney general. The grand jury
recommended the removal of three of
the four members Of the county elec-
ton board. together with the boards
executive clerk, A. G. HirStius, and his
staff.
The jury exempted Mrs. Bernice S.
Pyke. who entered the board last May.
and Is the woman member of the
Democratic national committee for this
State. She was exempted from the
recommendation of removal for the
reason that no election he's been held
since she has been a member of the
board, and she was a great assistance
to the jury in its work. but Secretary
Of State Clarence M. Brown who is
eX-officio the State supervisor Of elec-
tions. went further and removed the
entire board.
Board Members Involved.
The findings involve Democratic cleo
ton board members as we'll as Republi-
cans but the matter reflects more di-
rectly upon the Republicans because
OF the fact that Hirstius. who has been
secretary Of the board of elections for
lu
house of the board, is A close personal
and political friend of Maurice Meschke.
head Of the Cuyahoga County organ
ization and the member of the RepIIb-
lican national committee for Ohio This
is rather emphasized bv the toct that
the members of the old board against
whom the removal order was directed
have retained the law partner of Mr.
Maschke to carry the case to the courts
with the hope of having the order
annulled.
The situation is also a delicate one
for the Republicans because of the fact
that Secretary of state Brown. who
removed the board. Is candidate on
the Republican State ticket in the cleo
ton Tuesday for reelection to his Statc
Office. More than that. his deputy in
the secretary of states office Is Joseph
u,
gress in the thirteenth district to sic y
coed Representative Begg. who dropped
out to make an attempt to win the
nomination of his party for governor
Maschke was the coadiutor of Repre-
sentative Burton in starting the nlovs-
ment in Ohio to secure delegates to the
Kansas City convention for Mr.. Hoover
as against the late Senator Willis and
the Cuyahoga County organization was
thrown to the support ot M. Bsgg In
his nnsucc >esful candidacy for the
gubernatcrial nomination.
Dissenslon Renewed.
Attorney General Turner was cam
didate in the August primaries for the
nomination for governor, and saw his
candidacy bowled over In Cuyahoga
County in the most surprising manner.
From Republicans who did not support
Mr.. Turner Is now coming the charge
that he was actuated In what hs has
Just done at Cleveland by spirit Of
revenge This starts, of course. a s""ie5
Of recriminations back and forth b.
tween different clements of the Renub-
lican party In the State that awa<ens
grew out Of the presidential primary
contest here but had died almost COM
pletely out
The fact is that the initiative in tho
elections probe in Cuvahoga County was
taken by the Cleveland Bar As-9cia-
ton, which wrote letter to Gov. DNn-
ahey charging that elections in that
city were crooked and had been for
many years. Gov. Donahey placed the
charges in the hands of Attorney Gen.
cral Turner. whose duty it at once be-
came to make an investigation There
are charges that Attorney General Tur-
ner. smarting under his defeat in the
primaries, and particularly offended at
the Republican organizatio ton at Cleve-
land for not supporting him, timed the
report Of the grand jury to have the
greatest effect upon the election next
week But there we're many long rec
ords to be looked into. and Mr.. Turner
seems to have made out of the records
so complete a case that the State super
visor Of elections immediately removed
the election board and officers without
giving a hearing saying that it was
unnecessary.
Disinterested persons in all parts of
the State have in recent wears called
attention to incongruities in the election
returns from Cleveland, indicating, If
not impossible conditions. at least high
~ InprCpdDle ones, out the prosecuting
attorney has firmly refused to make in
vestigations. claiming that the evidence
was too flimsy. 1t does ont help matters
from Republican standpoint that the
prosecutor Is a member Of the Maschke
organization.
The Cleveland situation has eclipsed
most of the other features of the Ohio
campaign, and there Is the widest diff
ference of opinion as to the effect of the
disclosures upon the result of the cleo
ton. An unbiased view would be that
the interests Of the Republicans will be
adversely affected by it. It greatly adds
to the chances that Gov. Smith will
carry Cuyahoga County. But the lead
that the Republicans were shown to
have prior to this was so great that.
concedins the maximum Of adverse ef-
feet Of the Cleveland matter upon that
party, there would seem to be no ground
for fear that 1t will throw the STATE To
the Democrats on either the National
or State ticket. And 1t so happens that
It is not likely to change the probabili-
ties as to the election Of the three Rem
resentatives to be chosen In the CIeve-
land districts. j. H. GALBRAITH
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