Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 September 1907 — PETTY POLITICAL GRAFTING. [ARTICLE]

PETTY POLITICAL GRAFTING.

The railroad election here Tuesday, demonstrated in the fourth preoinct to what extent petty grafting ia carried on in Rensselaer. The law is plain that in all special elections the same rules shall govern so far as applicable (Sec. 123) that govern general elections This means in the selection of eleotion judges, clerks and sheriffs that they must be equally divided between the two leading parties. The chairman of the respective party organizations have the right to name members •of their party to serve as such, and if named they Rust be appointed. This rule of dividing the election boards politically applies right np to the opening of the polls, when, if any member of (be board who has been selected faith to appear, the remaining members mast seleot a member of the absent one’s political party to take his place, or the qualified voters of bis party present at the polls may nominate a qualified person for the vacanoy, and he must be appointed. In the other precincts we understand the boards were equally divide'd politically, bnt in the fourth precinct the inspector stated, we are informed, when a list of democrats was about to be presented to him to serve on said board, that this being:* a special eleotion the party organizations had nothing whatever to do with it, and that he bad already selected his board! His board was each and all republicans! This is certainly Contrary to oar understanding of the election law and gave excellent grounds for contesting the legality of the election, which would probably be done if the throwing oat of that precinct wonld ohange the general result. For the benefit of readers who may not be familiar with this part of the election law we will state that the ooonty chairmen of the two leading parties should, in the case of sheriffs and judges, name ] the parties they wish to act as such, one week prior to the election (Sec. 25 and 26,) and olerks ( .should be named four days prior to the eleotion (Sec. 27.) I This is the law, and no inspeo- > tor nor any one else has any Authority to select whom he pleases or all of one political party to sit on an election board. Wip believe j this railroad election, at least so far as the third precinot is conconcerned, is absolutely nail and 1 void. This is not a matter of giving a few democrats or republicans a soft job for a day, bnt it is a matter of obeying the law and conducting elections in a fair and legal manner.