The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-11-09
From the Boston Transcript. November 9.

Scenes at the Polls I'm New York City.
Those who have never attended An election In
| New York will hardly credit the accounts which
given Of the scenes at the polls the day of
important contest. Owing TO the absence Of q
registry law, for which our Democratic friends are
alone responsible, every species Of fraud and cor.
| rupton Is practiced We learn from the Erpwss.
that the most marked feature at the election in
New York on Tuesday, was the presence at the
polls of hordeso Of rowdies and blackgunrds. boys
FROM sixteen TO eighteen years Of age, already in
their personal appearances giving evidences Of the
,,,s of life ofvagrancy, and the lowest kinds
of dissipation, men wiz. bloated faces, in whose
expression one could read the index 10 sseir de-
based and unprincipled minds; cursing, drinking,
giving utterance to the most obscene and profane
expressions, yelling like fends for the different
candidates they were paid to support, and often
proceeding TO deeds Of violence Of the grossest
character, were the marked characteristics Of the
scene.
the Express sivea the following almost incredi-
Bile picture of the abomnable outrages which were
submitted to by the authorities:
"We saw on Tuesday last old grey headed men,
men of standing in the community, grandsires,
men Of worth and respectability, whose appear
should be their protection, beset bX the ribald
crew and showed and jostled and bufieted about
past all endurance all sors of tricks thrust upon
them and solicited to vote for this man and that,
and advised as to the principles Of the different
parties, by dirty, drunken, backyard boys, who
had not intelligence enough to comprehend the
mystery Of a mouse-trap, and the fUtid smell Of
whose breath was enough to turn the stomach Of a
pig. We saw the entrance to the polls in one Of
the districts In certain ward completely block.
AIDED with these desperadoes, and the passage Of
every decent looking man interrupted, while the
police stood by laughing at the 'fun.' We saw q
"A vrtat |xa,h, v0t. had a,I
lenged, and sworn in by him, stand ut the polls
and perseveringly challenge the vote Of every de-
cent looking man who presented himself to exer-
else his right, and conduct himself in the most
disorderly and indecent manner possible, without
the slightest interference from those who we're
placed there to preserve order, and protect ORDER
loving citizens in the exercise Of their dearest
privilege.
: awe also saw in the day a candidate for an
office of secondary imr ortance come to the polls
for the purpose Of seeing that 'a was right, and
that his friends were working for him; no soon
or had he jumped from his wagon than these har
'strikng' him-as it is called in their classic vo
cabulary---for money. Some wanted i've dollars,
others two, others one, and few less roracious,
but quite as persevering and willing to accept the
"a shillen,' or even "a 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 assist 4
dnCe Ol Two iTienu5, VINO pore uiHl away Ifoul TUG
vicinity. and, placing him In his wagon. drove
him off. The moment he was gone the rowdies
set up yell Of derision, calling him a mean
russ,' thoogh he had distributed all the money
AMONG theifl he had with him, and, rushing to the
box where his tickets were placed seized and tore
tnriii up and then went to the nearest corner gro
Gerry to get drunker than they were on bad liquor
at bis expense
These abuses are not Of recent origin. They
have been tolerated for the Iaat twelty-fv years,
becoming annually aggravated as the ifreeponsi-
BILE class of rowdies and political bullies increase
The Tribune tells us that there was no obstacle
whatever on Tuesday to the casting Of illegal
votes by thousands. There being no registry lay.
the opportunities are great for fraudulent voting
and these opportunities are rarely Neglected. IT
may be said that both parties avail Themselves
of them; but the Wings, whenever they have had
a chance, have passed registry law, which the
have repealed as soon as they Returned
to power These abuses are pregnant with fatal
evils to the cause of republicanism, and every
honest Democrat will labor to reform them. We
may contrast with pride the spectacle presented
At our polls in Boston on a voting day with the
scenes above described The man who would
to insult or incommode a voter, whether
rich or poor, at our polls, would be put into
the hands of the police and punt he'd 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 des-
potism of an individual--ofa Louis Napoleon. il
you will--than the despotsm OF drunken, ire
,ponsiblc mob of illegal voters.