The Washington times., 1930-08-06
SENATE IS AID,
!. WITNESSES
DECLARE
knowledge That It Is Watch
ing curbs Election Thieves,
Is Testimony to Committee

NOLlSIlJuLlOldI dHleuuAHchI BLF-
ing Congress the power to regu'
late primary elections, as now
eontrols general elections, will be
introduced next fall, Senator
Nye (R.) of North Dakota, chair
man of the Campaign Fund Com
mittee, announced today.
Nye declared the current inves-
tigation into Senatorial primaries
revealed the need of general gov
ernmental supervision. He was
plainly gratified at the testimony
given by Pennsylvania witnesses
at the resumed inquiry into the
Davis-G -Grundy contest, that Fed
eral control of the primaries
would be welcomed.
Senate Aid Praised
A long list of witnesses told the
committee that Senate inquiries
every other year had brought i'm
proved conditions. One witness,
Dean Hoffman, a Harrisburg edi-
tor, declared the knowledge that
q fearless Senate was watching
had tended to curb corruption.
Senator Nye said:
"One conclusion of all this
testimony is that corruption is
being reduced. Another con-
clusiOn is that while corruption
may continue it did not include
the Senatorial candidates in
Pennsylvania to q large degree.
II feel the testimony before
our committee shows the need
for Federal control of the pri.
maries. If no one else does it,
shall offer q resolution next
December giving Congress the
same power over primaries il
now holds over general eIec-
tionS."
Other States Watched
Members of the Senate Cam.
paign Committee planned briet
vacations before reSuming the
Illinois and Nebraska inquiries,
August as. In the meantime,
committee Investigators will be
watching the primary contests in
Massachusetts, and Colorado, with
a possibility that investigators
may also be sent into Oklahoma,
New Jersey and Alabama.
The Pennsylvania inquiry was
RnTan11NHnA fnVs f1Nn VNrocoVNf The
highlights were a charge by
County Commissioner Charles c.
McGovern, Of Pittsburgh, that
elections have been and could be
stolen in Pittsburgh under exist
ing conditions, and a charge by
Royal C. Stephens. Philadelphia
reformer, that Senator Thomas
p. Schall (RO of Minnesota, was
offered his election expenses UP
to $4,000 if he would lay off
Grundy in the Senate" Stephens
said Schall told him personally OF
the offer and that it was made
by q man from the West"
Put Up To Schall
The committee announced Ste
:phens' testimony would be sent
to Schall with request for
statement about the charge. AS
for McGovern'S charges, Nye said
an investigator would be sent to
Pittsburgh in November to OBJ
serve conditions during the gen
eral election. McGovern testified;
'"They steal anywhere from
$4,000 to $4,000 votes in Pitts
burgh in a primary. The cleo
tiOnS there are generally held
ON Wednesday or Thursday, in
stead of on the Tuesday desig-
mated by law. There are some
500 machine districts where
fraud occurs. If they make
any mistake i'm computing the
desired returns, before the bal
lot boxes are sent into the
county commissioners, they can
make their corrections in the
courthouse.
EFF you put these ballots
into the hands Of men ac-
custOmed to steal elections and
they are artists at it, in one
night they can change the re-
suit of any election where 49,
900 votes will do it. It can be
done, it has been done, and it
was done in the Beidlemann
primary"
McGovern referred to the de-
feat of the late Edward E. Beidle
man for the Republican guberna'
torial nomination in 1926 by
Governor Fisher, although first
returns showed the former had
been nominated. McGovern said
he had prevented any such upset
this year by maintaining a day
and night guard on the ballots
He added:
'I hope the Federal Govern
ment will help us supervise our
elections in Pennsylvania, so we
can have an honest election"
$4,000 for Secretary Davis
Walter A. 9onitz, millionaire
brick manufacturer of Pitts
burgh, told of contributing 500,
750 to the campaign fund Of See
retary Of Labor Davis. Bonitz
said he had only known Davis foul
years and had contributed heavily
to gain control Of the Republican
organization in western PennSyl
Vania.
Bonitz denied his heavy con
tributi0ns were due to his UeIns
awarded brick contracts By thG
state. He said such stories were
issued 20 embarrass him and tnsTs
= ngthing . e.