Evening star., 1936-10-05

fixing were v,sI..rc.
broken in the
Democratic primary just few weeks
ago.
Consider these facts:
l. Burgin Dossett was running for
the nomination for Governor and had
the Endorsement of the two Demo-
cratic United States Senators and
the Governor of Tennessee. He re-
ceived throughout the State, with the
exception of Shelby County, about
81 per cent of the vote. His opponent,
the successful contestant, beat him in
the ratio of about 2 to l..
so to in Shelby.
2. In Shelby County, which In
cludes the city of Memphis. Dossett
was beaten by a ratio of about go to
l. In the entire county he received
only 861 votes, while his opponent re-
ceived 60,218. 1t must be borne in
mind that Senator McKellar, who in
dorsed Dossett and lives in Memphis,
must have had more strength than
the three votes in his own precinct
WulCIl WCIC Ndcb 4Ok LAO iiiotA o6oAAASS
200 for the opposing candidate.
3. Next there is the case Of Harvey
Hannah, running on the same day,
August 6, in the Democratic primary
for member of the State Utilities
Commission. For Is years he has
been in public service and Is well
known. He actually had majority OF
$1,000 over his opponent, Leon
Jourolman, in the entire State, with
the exception of Shelby County.
When the Shelby County votes were
sent in, it was found that Jourolman
had 59,434 and Hannah only l,008.
The result was Hannah lost the noml-
nation by 1000 votes.
Nowhere in the United States where
election fixing goes on has any politi-
cal boss dared to put out results that
present such absurd ratios. Mr..
Roosevelt might, of course, win this
year in Tennessee without the aid of
Shelby County, but with most OBJ
servers predicting that the Roosevelt
majority will be cut down from 1873, 900
to about $4,000 it is easy to see what
a $4,000 ma jority in Shelby County
will mean to Mr.. Roosevelt's fortunes.
Spikes Roosevelt Opposition.
Whether the political organization
that dominates Shelby County and
controls the police and the election
machinery there will dare to do in
q presidential election what it has
done in the primaries remains to be
seen, but it is safe assumption
in Shelby County there would be q
real contest for the electoral vote in
Tennessee this year.
The Roosevelt sentiment in the
State is strong, particularly in the
eastern section, but any organized
effort to carry the State against Mr..
Roosevelt has long since been regarded
as a forlorn hope on account of the
impossible barriers that are raised in
Shelby County.
If, as Chairman Farley claims, the
election of Mr.. Roosevelt is "in the
bag" then IL electoral votes more or
less would not cause the Presidents
defeat. Hence an open reputation
Of what is going on at Shelby County
and the dispatch Of Federal officers
to put in Jail few persons who have
falsified returns would be welcomed
by the people of Tennessee as an
emancipation devoutly to be wished.
The methods used in Memphis are
described in official proceedings Of q
committee of the United Sattes Sem
ate, which heard sworn testimony in
october, 1880. Negroes are voted in
large numbers. There is very little
If any secrecy in the voting, which
is often conducted on the sidewalks
and not in booths. Voting is per-
mitted without checking up to see if
the voter is on the registration list.
Dean John Randolph Neal of a law
school in Knoxville, Tenn, testified
that he saw Negroes march from one
precinct to another and vote over and
over again.
Vote Reverses Information.
On August of this year the same
DR.. Neal visited Memphis and was
told at many polling places that the
vote was the lightest in years, prob
ably not over rs per cent of the regis
tered voters, but when the returns
were announced the largest Demo-
cratic vote ever cast In Memphis was
reported.
For long time, the city of Men,
phis has been dominated by q politi-
cal machine closely allied with the
Democratic national organization. It
is freely reported in the State that
Mr.. Roosevelt Is to be given out Of
Shelby County whatever majority is
needed to make sure that Tennessee's
electoral votes are cast for President
Roosevelt.
Will Mr.. Roosevelt accept II elec-
toral votes under these conditions or
will he insure an honest election In
Memphis? The people Of Tennessee
are eager to know.
(Copyright. 1860