New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-11-15
MAYOR WOOD.


We presume the efforts of the "KnOw-Noth-
ipgs" to keep Fernando Wood out of the May
orally will end in gas, as they began. There
were undoubtedly great many illegal votes
polled in this City, aud Seymour, Wood and Rum
had the benefit of nearly all Of them; but what is
to be done about it, Who is to show how many
and which of the three hundred votes at the Five
Points cast solid for the above-nsued were thrown
by immigrants never naturslized aud prison. birds
who had forfeited their political franchises by
crime 1t were absurd to suppose that the mys-
terry of iniquty which turks at the bottom of the
Ballot Box as now managed can ever be thor
Oughly ferreted out. So long as we have no
Registration Of Voters, and every man who
chooses may 60 up and swear in his vote at any
poll, with no other proof Of his right Of suffrage
there than his own assertion, there always will
be foul voting at closely contested elections, as
there always has been. The Ballot is q cowardly
cOntriyance at best-it may be essential at pres
ent--but we wish every elector would
present his wide open, 80 that the names
thereon might be noted and recorded as the
vote proceeded and the result declared in fifteen
minutes after the polls closed. There would be
infinitely fewer frauds under such a system than
at present. But the primary check on Election
Frauds is q Registration Of the name of every
voter in each Election District, to be carefully
revised and alphabetically arranged month be-
fore each opening Ct the polls, and none allowed
to vote whose name does not appear thereon.
This is the New.England fashion, and very good
one. All disputed claims to the Right of Suf-
frage are thus settled calmly and deliberately
not litigated by angry partisans amid the strife
and tunult Of Election Day. Not till We have a
stringent Registration shall we be toleraby well
guarded against Illegal Voting. For this We
have always contended, and expect to contend
much longer without success. The genius Of
the age favors easy, slip-shod, slouching ways;
and citizens Right of Sufrage-whch all ad-
verse vote cast illegally completely nullifes-is
left exposed to depreciation as no man would al
low his dog to be. Had there been Registra-
ton at the late Election, Horatio Seymour
would not be the Governor elect, nor Fernando
Wood Mayor. Yet, on the face Of the re-
turns, Fernando Wood is Mayor, and there is
no use in disputing the point.
The journals are discussing the probabilities
Of his proving good or bad magistrate.
ALI agree that he has abundant talent, ener-
gy, intelligence; that he might make a good
Mayor if he would but many contend that
he has too great a load Of original sin TO
carry-that he is under too deep obligations
to the keepers of licensed or unlicensed grog-
geries, to the liquor.dealers association, to
blacklegs, policy men, and all who live BY PAN
deriDg to others vices, to serve efficiently and
as Mayor. And this appears to be
the prevalent opinion.
We trust it is doomed to disappointment. We
have as heartily opposed Mr.. Wood IS We knew
how to do, and We still deplore his election. We
would have gone almost anything but Nativism
to defeat him; but we once lin AZ voted Ma
tive local ticket in order to keep out Mr.. Woods
party and gain Native votes for Mr.. Clay and
the Native organs did not stop INVITING US of the
fact for several years thereafter. We therefore
resolved to let them elect their own candidates
thereafter, and we mean to live aud die by that
We supported political adversary
in order to keep Wood cut; had the Natives been
equally ready to make sacrifices, that end would
have been attained. But they went in for the
whole, and got nothing, as they richly deserved.
But TO return TO Mr.. Wood:
No man ever went into high Office under
deeper cloud Of ignominy than he will; but that
very fact may inspire him to extraordinary efforts
to prove that he has been slsnderOusly disPir-
aged. To do his duty to the public, he will
have to make war upon majority of his efficient
but his oath Of Office ought to out
weigh his personal obligations. He is elected
Mayor of the whole City, and must gain reputa-
ton or endure shame, as the judgment Of the
intelligent and upright shall determine.
On the whole, we believe be will do better