Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1846-12-19
From the New York Tribune.
THE LATE ELECTION FRAUDS.

The Presen!ment OF the Grand Jury OF our
City in regard to the extensive and systematic
release Of convicts from the City Penitentiary, on
Blackwell's Island, to vote in our recen, Stale
election, demands the attention OF every good
citizen, not Of this Emporium alone, bu, Of the
State and the Union. True, there is nothing
now in the outrage itself, which is but repeti-
ton OF what has been done a. several recent
elections here, and often on larger scale than
this year, owing to the accident which befeIl
one OF the boats loaded with criminals, which.
in the darkness and storm OF the night before
election, was run on rock in Hurlgate and de.
tanned there till broad daylight next morning,
when it was deemed too late for safe com.
mencement Of their voting operations But, on
the other hand, the thirty or forty trus.y and
jealous Loco Focos who were put in training
in proper season, are understood to have made
up by diligence what they lacked in numbers.
some Of them Boosting at night tia. they had
voted in thirty to fifty different Election Dis.
trcts for Silas Wright and Company. By these
votes and those dragged from the Aims House in
palpable violation Of the law, Willis Hall is
swindled out Of The County Clerkship, and Do.
vid S. Jackson, emphaticaly marked with tho
reprobation Of the Ward Of which he is Alder.
man, is returned TO Congress instead OF James
Munroe, who has manifest majority OF the
Legal Voters Of the District
We feel sure that the District Attorney will
not allow the culprils already under indictment
to escape him, though their part in the outrage
was evidently subordinate one But the matter
should not rest here. 1t should be taken I'D by
the next Grand Jury, then by the next until tho
villainy is sfted to the bottom, and the real
criminals-lhe master spirits Of the conspiracy
ara cnDsiUneb In tho calls from, IL Il :
let loose swarms OF convicts to overbear and
stihe the voice Of the Legal Voters OF our city.
Nor will this gigantic crime have made is
proper impression on the public mind unless il
unites every honest Republican in an energetic
appeal to our next Legislature for the enactment
of laws which shall certainly and forever put On
end to Illegal Voting. 1t is farce to talk Of
the Purity OF the Ballot Box, or the expression
OF the Public Will through an election, so long
as band OF One Hundred liberated felons or
other unprincipled and reckless men may cast
Five Thousand Votes at an election, and thus
overbear majority Of Three Thousand legal
votes cast Tor the other side. So long os tho
Inspectors oil Elections are constrained 10 take
every vote which may be offered, with no other
evidence than the o6erer's say so, or at most his
oath that he is legal voter and has not already
voted, there will be, mrs be, floods OF Illegal
Votes cast at every important election. In sny
great city like this there can at any time be
raised band OF five hundred desperadoes who
will agree to vote each 8. twenty different polls
for fifty dollars. and consider il good lob al
that Here would be ten thousand illegal Votes
poled for Twenty.fv Thousand DollaIs. which
votes would almost always elect Governor of
New York and often a President. Is il rich,
to sleep over such volcano as this? Would
we do it il our private properly or personal
safety, instead OF the Public Welfare, were thu,
in jeopardy And If not why should not every
honest man unite in saying. We will have laws
to render Illegal voting morally impossible, no
matter il they do subject US to some inconvs,
niencei Why should questions OF Peace or
War; Prosperity or Calamity. be left suspended
on the breath Of o bandtti or hired feIon,'
Homes! men OF all parties! think and speak!