The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-10-24 00:00:00

HOW VOTERS ARE HADA

The naturalization of foreigners is done by the Courts, and
that business is now going on to the greatest possible
extent. In one Court 700 a day are thus made voters, and its
neighbourhood looks like a mass meeting. It is probable
that more " frailident naturalisation " is done than anything
else, for no inquiry Is made. The man swears. his voucher"
swears, and that is all "Bogus" naturalisation papers float
“round indiscriminately, also "bogus" tax receipts. There.
are a dozen applications now pending hi the different Courts,
each asking a mandamus or injunction to prevent some con-
templated I raud. Houses are pointed out in different parts
of the city where "colonists" in large numbers are said to
have local." themselves. Strangers come from other States
to vote here, political committees paying their expenses. It
is so easy to cheat, and it is so well known that if any
one wants to vote fraudulently he can do so by merely
going to places where his party is in the ascendant, that
people disposed to commit fraud find no difficulty. There
are some election divisions where probably one-third of the
votes reported will be fraudulent, yet no one will be punished
The entire country now is reading the accounts telegraphed '
from Philadelphia of detected and contemplated frauds, and
their cord.. bsion seems inseparable from our system. It is
a consolation, however, that as both parties do the thing to
about equal extent, the frauds may bahume, and we may
thus have a fair election after all.
THE GENERALS.
There are two Philadelphians who deserve a wile repute-
tion on account of the masterly generalship they are now i
displaying in the marshalling of their respective parties in
this earnest and exciting contest. Each has at his lingers
ends an unlimited knowledge of all the ways and means
that are necessary to secure a party victory. While neither
is the recognised heart .4 his party committees, each is the
real manager of affairs, whose skill is acknowledged and
whose wisnes are carried out by hundreds of willing workers.
They are well matched as party operators, are expert
In all the arts and schemes and movements neces-
sary for success, and each is hated by the whole
mass of his opponents with the greatest cordiality. The
Republican leader is William It. Mann, District Attorney
of Philadelphia, arid the Deinoeratie manager is William
Nl'Mullin, one of the aldermen of the city. Birth are nervous
excitable men, of unbounded energy, and each basis reputa-
tion as an efficient party manager that thousands of our
politicians envy. The associations of neither are very re- '
putable, but their power is great, and each will lie the means
of procuring office and honours, if his party carries the
election. They are now, and have been for years, the main-
stays of their parties in this city, the friends of states-
men and area of high rank; and I mention them and
their characteristics to give an idea of the genuine
American " politician," whose business is politics,
and who lives on politics. The curious part of it
all is that, while their followers implicitly trust
them and are perpetually quarrelling, these men are
themselves fast friends, aiding each other's personal schemes.
Thus we have it the leaders never feel the enmities or
bitterness they attenipt to excite, and succeed in creating,
in their followers. When it is added that neither of these
men gets mu our higher circles, while their labours are
acknowledged and appreciated by every one, the picture of
the true American politician is complete.