The Washington times., 1929-05-23
TED
PRACTICES
GENERAL
Gil AIM

William s. Ware, Pennsyl-
vania Republican was sent to
1.-The Senate by the most
brazen, INSCRIPTIONS reversal
of the popular will in the
senatorial history Of the United
States" Rowland B. Mahany,
counsel for William B. Wilson,.
Wares Democratic opponent
in the 1926 election, told the
Senate Privileges and Election
Committee today.
Appearing before the COMMITTEES
which for three years has con.
Quoted an inquiry into the contest
between Ware and Wilson, Mahany
presented final argument in his
clients efforts to unseat Ware. He
pictured Wares election az invOlv.
ing such flagrant corruption that
difficulties encountered were not 80
much discovery 0f fraud a. .ascer-
tainment Of isolated instances where
1t did not prevail"
Investigation Ends
The hearing today marked the
end Of the long investigation insti-
tuted III 1925. when wilson first
contested the claim Of Ware to q
Senate seat. Today was the last
opportunity Of each side to present
their contentious. Both Ware and
Wilson have been accorded four
hours in which to summarize their
charges and defense.
When they have concluded the
committee will determine whether
further Investigation OF the 1926
election Is necessary OF come to q
decision regarding the validity of
Wares claim to his Senate seat.
Opening his argument, Wilson's
counsel characterized the issue as
that of whether the people OF Penn
sylvania shall be represented by
'legally-elected Senator" He made
detailed recital OF charges OF
fraud In the 1925 election.
He ran the whole gamut Of cor
ruption charges in his indictment
of methods used In the ballotting,
from voting illiterates by mark
without proper affidavit. through
coercion of voters and the voting
Of names whose owners did not
exist,
Separation of the legal from the
Illegal ballots polled in Philadelphia
and Pittsburgh. Mahany said. is
manifest impossibility." He char
acterized the two localities as
| welter Of corruption. confusion and
| irregularities.
ut would take the whole time
allotted this side to tabulate even
| the high lights of the general cor.
ruption that ran riot in Pittsburgh
and Philadelphia on the theory that
once the returns were in the
election was ever" he summarized.
Suffice 1t to say that in 2,191
out OF 2.224 divisions constituting
| the total number of divisions in
Philadelphia and Allegheny coun-
| ties, 80 different systems of fraud
were uncovered, many OF them
operative at the same time in indi-
vidual districts.
"Centers Of Debauchery"
without dealing with the i'm.
portant but relatively side issues uf
/ like practices in the counties Of
| Delaware, Lackawanna, Luzerne
Schuyllxill, the salient, unchal-
lenged and undispIted fact remains
that the people of the State of
Pennsylvania, outside Of those twin
centers OF political debauchey, Phila.
delphia and Pittsburgh, recorded
their uncorrupted ballots for the
election Of william B. Wilson to the
Senate.
Carrying SIS Of the 81 counties Of
the state. he came to Pittsburgh
\ with a popular majority OF 97,15S
/ votes. and triumphing over the
corruption he met there. he swept
/ on to Philadelphia with a popular
majority Of 59.422.
''The question we here present to
the Senate and through that body
/ to the conscience of the American
people. Is whether this man by q
vote Of the Senate shall be deprived
Of his rightful victory through the
influence OF forces subvsrsive of
American ideals ana dangerous 10
the perpetuity Of this Govern
mentr'