The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-20
BALLOTS ALL
AE!JAHIARYEn WITH
WHnNEU Wilt
SECRET CODE
Machine Pays Poll Tax
for Thousands
by Worker Correspondent

PHILADELPHIA (By MALL -
The Ware republican organization,
like all good republicans, are 100
per cent. Americans, worship the
government, including the eminent
Col Coolidge, and tell all the citizens
of Philadelphia to be good Flaw"
abiding American citizens.
Tammany Hall and all the other
democratic organizations do the
same thing. In Philadelphia, since
there is but one political party of
any potency at the present time, it
is necessary only to examine this
Ware controlled republican organiza-
ton and see whether they really
mean what their leaders and bench
men are always saying.
According to the claw" during
elections, the only legal voting form
is the secret, direct, Australian bal
lot. This would make it impossible
for anyone to learn how the ballot
was used. But all Philadelphians
know that the Ware organization
keeps tab on every voter who has
voted, from president to dog catcher.
Courageous workers, however, will
vote the Workers (Communist)
Party ticket and ignore the threats
of the division and ward leaders( or
heelers) as they are known in the
local vernacular.
Marked Ballots.
How do the Ware "heelers" keep
such a close tab on every voter?
There are many methods employed.
In the recent testimony given in the
Vare-Wilson contest for senatorial
seat from Pennsylvania, the stubs of
the ballot in one division were all
marked up by a secret code. The
division "heeler" declined to admit
any knowledge of the code, even GO
ing so far as to claim it meant
nothing. However the lawyers, the
investigators (U. S. senators), and
the spectators were simply amused,
realizing the significance Of this
code.
There is a law in the state of
Pennsylvania that every voter is re-
quire dto pay so cents each election,
this 80 cents being known as a
"poll' tax. The voters are required
to pay this out of their own pocket,
and no one else is permitted to pay.
The Ware machine, however, pur-
chases thousands of votes each cleo
ton day by paying the voters 80
cents, or rather giving him a poll
tax certificate free of charge. So
great is the respect" of the ma
chine leaders for the almighty"
law.
Free Tax Receipts.
During the hearings before the
senate investigators, one Freder-
lex Schadt, petty Ware election Of
fetal, testified that the goth Ward
leaders, Michatel Mullin, deputy
coroner, and Edward Conner, a
magistrate, had instructed him to is
sue free poll tax receipts to 90
voters in the 18th division of that
ward.
This testimony, revealing as it
did, methods in vogue in the great
"free" city of Philadelphia, was
highly damaging to the Ware ma
chine.
But it must be remembered that
nothing is holy to Philadelphia re-
publicans, and that in this city their
sway is absolute. So they imme-
diately framed" Schadt, the gov
eminent witness, had him arrested
and sent to Jail. This arrest and
imprisonment, both illegal, was ar
ranged not only as punishment to
Schadt for telling tales out of school,
but also to intimidate any other
witness who might do likewise at
the further hearings to be held
within a week or ten days.
1t is in this fashion that the Ware
republican organization sets an ex-
ample of 100 per cent. enforcement,
going so far as even to frame-up
government witnesses.
One thing is. certain, however, the
workers of Philadelphia have had
enough of this thing. They are GO
ing to the polls this election day
and will not permit themselves to be
bluffed by the threats of Ware
"heelers." They will vote for Foster
and Gitlow and the Workers Party
ticket straight, as the only repre-
sentatives of their class on the
ballot. &C. RABIN.