Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1844-11-21
FRAUDS ON TIE BALLOT-BOX.

The startling frauds upon the elective franchise
which have been developed since the late election
are well calculated TO give Of serious alarm
for the continuance of the Republic 1t is now
rendered certain thatf the vote of Louisiana i.
given for Mr. Polk, the State will hsvs been car
ried by the infamous outrage at Plaquemnes -
The intelligent men of the country do not doubt
that both the great States Of Pennsylvanis and New
York have been carried for Polk by fraudulent
votes but in these States the vllainy has been bet.
ter concealed, and is no, so easily demonstrates
A serious question ,Len presents itself--Can no
remedy he devised by which the purity of the bal
10, box can be guarded II not, then every future
election, when parties nearly balanced, is to be
decided by fraud and force. What then will be
the value of our Country and it. free institutions 7
Let honest Democrats read the proof of the
means by which the Loco Foco triumph has been
attained, and then rejoice il they can:
LOUISIANA.
The fraud psrpetraied in the Plaque
mines parish OF Louisiana, for the purpose
Of electlng Mr.. POLK, seems TO have
transcribed all the daring schemes ever
hereto ore resorted TO by the party to ear
~ an election. The New Orleans Bee
preiaces to a particular account of the
scene al Plaquemines, given and vouch-
ed for by an eye witness, the annexed re-
marks Mat. I'M.
"ATRoCIous FRAUD AND INFAMY.-
We stated yesterday that omnous whisp-
crs were circulating through our streets
of contemplated stapendous system Of
fraud, perjury, and ScOundreliSm in The
parish OF ploquemines, whereby that pa
rish, with a population Of less than five
hundred, would be made to give one thous-
and or twelve hundred Locooco MAORI
ty. We were laughed at by few honest
LocOfocos who could not conceive Of the
existence Of such vllony; but we had
received our information from sources
100 authentic TO doubt the fact. The sys-
TEN has been carried out. The uyamy
has been penetrated.
"lf there be any thing in the annals Of
outrage md wrong more utterly revolving
and bidrons than the conduct oithe pre-
siding officers of tho election at Plaque
mines it has escaped search. If II be
tamely tolerated, lift be submitted 10 with
meekness, the people Of Louisiana may
as well fold their arms and surrender
their government TO the loafers and vaga.
bonds, the oif.scourings OF society, the
lees aud refuse of the community who
control the ballot box, and thrust their
spurious votes in defiance Of law and JUS
tce. Ii this gross system Of imposture
aud crime prove irremedable, we may bid
farewell to the dream Of selfgovernment
and popular Institutions. Let the honest
citizens of every party look at the naked
fact. Twelre hundred Locofoco MAORI.
~ IN parish which never yet gave four
hundred voies--and from three bandred
and fifty TO four hundred residents Of New
Orleans, who Dad cast their SURFACES
90 Monday, aHo~ed 70 rote double IN Pa.
quemines on Wednesday!
I'VE have much more to say on this
subject, but must content ourselves for
the present with calling attention 10 the
simple statement of facts"
It is notorious that Mr. Skunk the new Loco
Fooo Governor Of Pennsylvania, is ToriG man.
DisiGhudonisi, and on ant.Annexa, ionist.