Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1852-11-12
From the Boston Transcript. November 6.
Scenes at the Polls in New York City.

Those who have never attended an election in
New York will hardly credit the accounts which
are given of the scenes at the polls the day of
an important contest Owing to the absence OF a
register law, for which our Democratic irends are
alone responsible, every species Of fraud aud cor
rupton is practiced. We Learn, from the Express
that the most marked feature at the election IN
New York, on Tuesday, was the presence at the
polls of hordes of rowdies and blackguards "Boys
from sixteen TO eighteen years of age, already IN
their appearances, giving evidence Of life OF va
grancy and the lowest kinds of dissipation; men
with bloated faces, in whose expression one could
read the index to their debased and unprincipled
minds, cursing, drinking, giving utterance to the
most obscene and profane expressions, yelling like
ends for the different candidates they were paid to
support, and often proceeding to deeds OF violence
of the grossest character, the marked charac-
teristics vfthe scene.'' -ea Ai'i
The Express gives The following almost incredita-
BILE picture of the abominable outrages which were
submitted 10 by the authorities: is,55ss s
ave saw, on Tuesday last, old grey headed
men, men of standing in the community, grand
sires men of worth and responsibility, whose APP
pearance should be their protection, oeset by the
ribald crew and showed and jostled and buffeted
about past all eudurance; all sorts of tricks thrust
upon them, and solicited to vote for this man and
that, and advised the principles the different
parties by dirty. drunken, BLACKBOARD boys, who
had not intelligence enough to comprehend the
mystery of nousetrap, and the fGtid smell Of
whose breath was enough to turn the stomach of a
pig. We saw the entrance to the polls in one of
tile districts in certain ward completely blockaded
with these desperadoes, and the passage of every
decent looking man interrupted, while the police
stood by, laughing at the "fun." We saw drunk
| an Irishman, whose vote had been challenged and
by him, stand at the polls and perseyeringly
challenge the vote of every deccnt-looking man
who presented himself to exercise his right, and
conduct himselfin the most disorderly and indecent
manner possible, without the slightest interference
from those who placed there to preserve order
and protect orderloving citizen in the exercise OF
their dearest privilege. rs. IL -g. .,t--aa...
eve also saw in the day candidate for an Of
fee of secondary importance come in the polls for
the purpose ofseeng that call right" and that
his friends were working for him; no sooner had
he jumped from his wagon than these hardies beset
him on every side, for the purpose of striking
him-as it is called in their classic VOCABULARY
! for money. Some wanted five dollars, others two,
others one, and few less voracious, not quite as
persevering and willing to accept the slightest IA
vors, insisted upon getting ga quarter" "a shil-
LEM" or even ga sixpence," TO get glass of beer
| The poor candidate was nearly torn to pieces by
these clamorous beggars, and he only escaped from
their clutches through the assistance of two friends
who bore him away from the vicinity, and, placing
| him on his wagon, drove him off. The moment he
gone the rowdies set up yell of derison, call
ing him ga mean cuss," though he had distributed
| all the money among him he had with him, and,
rushing to the box where his tickets were placed,
seized and tore them up, and then went to the
nearest corner grocery to get drunken than they
were on bad liquor at his expense"
These abuses are not Of recent origin They
have been tolerated for the last twenty FIVE years,
becoming annually aggravated as the irresponsible
class of rowdies and political DULLES Increases
The Tribune tells us that there was no obstacle
whatever on Tuesday to the casting of illegal votes
by thousands There being no registry law, the
opportunities great for fraudulent voting, and
these opportunities rarely neglected. 1t can be
said that both parties can avail themselves of them;
but the Wings, whenever they have had chance,
have passed registry law, which the Democrats
have repealed as soon as they returned to power.
These abuses are pregnant with fatal evilsto the
cause of republicanism, and every honest Demo-
crat will labor to reform them. We may contrast
with pride the spectacle presented at our polls in
Boston on voting day with the scenes above de-
scribed. The man who would venture to insult or
polls, would soon be put into the hands of the po-
ice and punished to the full extent of the law
Let those who countenance these fragrant outrages
in New York beware of the time when men shall
say, give us rather the despotism of individual
of Louis Napoleon, if you will-than the des-
potism of drunken, irresponsible mob of illegal
voters. aer- s'.7 a.ssa -