The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-05-07
43 VOTING PLACE CHANGES
ON ELECTION EVE LAUNCH
new C0FFIN-DODS0N WAR
Move Made TO Confuse
Voters and Cut Down
Ballot, Is Charge.
AUTHORITIES IN CLASH
County Commissioners
Deny Right of Board
to Act.

Arrangements for Tuesday s
primary election were thrown
into chaos in forty-three
Marion County precincts today,
as two different lists of adj
dresses for voting places APP
peared from two sets of officials.
County commissioners several
days ago fixed the voting places, in
accordance with law.
The county election board, con-
trolled by George V. Coffin, Repub-
lican county chairman, through his
sponsorship of Ira M. Holmes, Re
publican election commissioner, and
George o. Hutsell, county clerk,
Sunday changed these places in
forty-three precincts.
Deny Right to Change
The county commissioners, how
ever. contending that the election
board has no right to make the
change, continued today to send
booths and other supplies to the
original voting places in these
precincts.
Whether the voters would ballot
in the new or the old places in these
precincts was a question which, it
appeared at late hour, might re-
quire court action to settle.
Attorney Harvey Grabill an
nounced that he would file a petit
ton this afternoon for an immediate
temporary restraining order to pre-
vent the election board from making
the changes. The suit was to be
filed in one Of the Superior Courts.
The two major factions of the
Republican party-the Coffin and
the Dodson groups-blamed each
other for the tangle.
Ordinarily the county commits
sioners fix the voting places at
points suggested by precinct COM
mitteemen of their party, in this
instance Republican.
Controlled by Coffin
But Coffin controls the commit
teemen this election, or most of
them, and Dodson controls the COM
nlisSioners. So, the Coffin forces
say, the commissioners ignored the
advice of the committeeman and Sc
lected points regarded as in the
midst Of Dodson strongholds.
1t is important to the Dodson
people to control the election as
nearly as possible because thev
hope-together with number OF
cleanup" elements-to wreck Cof-
fms machine and name a new
county chairman with the votes of
the precinct committeeman elected
Tuesday.
The Coffin people promptly pro-
ceeded to publish, through the Cof-
Uncontrolled election board, the list
OF different voting places.
Corruption Move Alleged
The DodSon forces at once
charged the Coffin faction with at
tempting to corrupt the election on
the ground that Cofin's candidates
stand more chance of winning il
there is a light vote-and last-rnin-
ute shifting Of the voting places
will cause confusion which will cut
down the vote.
The Coffin men on the election
board were attempting to sidestep
responsibility for the voting place
changes, saying that they had mere
ly put into one list changes which
had been made by forty-three pre-
cinct election board inspectors.
The Dodson faction charged that
the specific reason behind the Cof-
fin move was this:
Many Of the Dodson candidates
for precinct committeeman had
candidate cards printed bearing the
address Of the voting place as that
fixed by the commissioners. The
Coffin people made the change so
these cards would be worthless, they
say.
Confusion Is FOreseen
In many precincts the voting place
is shifted by the Coffin move from
central locations to obscure loca-
tions in outlying corners Of the pre-
cincts. The uniformed voter would
go to the place he always has voted.
find it unoccupied and have great
difficulty in locating the new place.
the Dodson forces charge.
Circuit Judge Harry o. Chamber
lin characterized the changes. in a
conversation with a Times reporter,
as a direct violation of the law.
There is absolutely no authority for
such wholesale changes" he said.
County Commissioner Cassius L.
Hogle, who accompanied members
of the election board on their tour
Of the complained-of voting places.
denies any authority for the change.
Hogle is a member Of the Dodson
faction, opposing the Coffin group.
While you hold the line you can
be Immediately connected with Chi
cago by calling either Long Bis
tance" or dialing 211.-Adyertise-