In theory, we look at history in hopes of not repeating the past. Today, election fraud is a crime with severe punishments. This was not always the case. Before election reforms were put in place, America was ripe for manipulating the system. Before about 1910, stuffing ballot boxes was only a slap on the hand type of offense. Between 1880 and 1900, many major cities’ political machines were controlled by men known as Bosses. These bosses were usually non-elected men whose main motivation was money and power. Boss William Tweed of New York City; Bathhouse John of Chicago and David Martin of Philadelphia were legendary. These were men who rose to power in a particular time of need.
Between 1880 and 1890 major cities were swollen with huge groups of immigrants in dire need of jobs, food and education. Many of the poor were our own rural families who had lost their farms. Some of these cities had grown 50-100% in just a decade. Everything was chaos. Upper-class and middle-class voters strongly resisted any increase in taxes to provide for the poor. Enter the Bosses, who understood that immigrants, by sheer numbers of votes, could bypass the chaos and seize control of government legally. Well mostly legally. Bosses enticed immigrants by providing food and winter coal to potential voters, and making promises to improve public transportation, increase jobs for unskilled labor, and at the same time put contractors in line for lucrative public works projects. Bosses were adept in forming alliances with different ethnic groups and directing that vote to the “right” candidate. The Boss would then use backroom agreements to line the politician’s pockets with contributions and bribes from the contractors who benefited from building waterworks, subways, and schools. Everyone won, except those paying the majority of taxes: the middle class.
Colorado was not exempt from using the same tactics. The 1904 Colorado election was probably the most corrupt in Colorado history. The previous year had seen mine owners persuading Governor James Peabody to call out the militia to “protect” mines from strikers. Peabody was up for reelection against Alva Adams. Peabody lost by a small margin and contested the outcome. The state legislature launched a probe and concluded that Democrats and Republicans were equally guilty of stuffing ballot boxes, fraud and coercion. They found 717 ballots cast in one precinct with only 100 registered voters. I guess they took to heart the slogan “vote early and often”. Boss Bob Speer, running for Denver mayor, was also implicated.
While everyone was busy pointing fingers, the government ground to a halt. Adams had already been sworn in as governor. Peabody’s career was tainted. A backroom deal was cut. Alva Adams was convinced to resign in favor of Peabody. Peabody was then sworn in as governor and then also resigned, leaving Lt. Gov Jesse McDonald in succession as governor. McDonald was sworn in as governor and Colorado went back to business as usual. Colorado still holds the dubious distinction of having three governors in a 24 hour span. The only arrest I know of was a lowly election clerk from Huerfano County who tried to disappear with a ballot box. He fled the law by jumping from a moving train.
Sources: americanhistory.com; history.com; historycolorado.org
By ED PECK – Special to the Herald times
