Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-04-19
The Dissertation of the Ballot-Box at
Cincinnati.

The eyes of the whole country have been
turned in painful anxiety to the scenes enac-
ted in Cincinnati on Monday and Tuesday of
last week We publish elsewhere, from the
Commercial, the only paper in that city which
took no part on either side, an account of
what took place, which, we have no doubt,
may be relied on as correct. From this state
ment there can be no question but that the
destruction of the ballot-boxes was one of the
most horrible dissertations that ever took
place in country pretending to recognize the
existence of the elective franchise.
The Know Nothing party in Cincinnati
and throughout the country are endeavoring
to relieve themselves of the load of obloquy
which attaches to these outrages, first by as
serting that there was some excuse for the
violence, and second by saying that they were
perpetrated by drunken men and boys without
the connivance of the order. Unfortunately
for them, all the facts go to show that the
destruction of the bollot-b boxes, tally papers,
and poll books were deliberately planned
and carried out for the purpose of foisting mp
on the people of Cincinnati set of men who
had been beaten by over thirteen hundred
votes at the election.
A brief capitulation of the facts will show
this plainly enough. Let us see: Towards
the elise of the day of the election it became
pretty manifest s-th@--ekuoxs ftesbiug
ticket was defeated. 1t was then that
a crowd of so-called Americans /" proceeded
to the Eleventh ward, which was known to
have given very largemajority for the Dem
ocratic ticket, seized the ballot-box, broke it
to pieces, and trampled the tickets under foot.
The counting of the votes in the other wards
having been nearly completed on Tuesday
morning, the Know Nothings perceived, to
their dismay, that Notwithstanding the loss of
the Eleventh ward, the Democratic ticket
was elected. Another gang then proceeded
to the Twelfth ward, where the judges were
counting the tickets, deliberately and noise
lessly seized the tickets, the poll books, and
the tally papers, thrust them into the stove,
ran up the American flag, and gave three
cheers for "Pap Taylor" and the American
ticket After these dark and dainning deeds
were consummated, Taylor and the other
defeated candidates on the Know Nothing
ticket went to the city clerks Office and made
written demands for certificates Of election,
thus showing beyond all question that they
were willing and anxious to profit by the de-
struction of the ballot-boxes
The nation has passed through many a
heated political contest Mems passions have
been aroused and the fercest excitements
have been witnessed I; but in all these bitter
conflicts between Democrats and Wings, the
BALLOT box has, by common consent, been re-
garded as the final arbiter between the con-
testants. When the people, in their maj sty,
have passed upon parties and upon men, all
have quietly and in most instances cheerfully
&o1 4l<1 Il laft 81
secret orler of Know Nothings-to the party
which takes upon itself the sole guardianship
of American" principles--to set the exam
pie, first, of beating men from the polls, and
then of destroying ballot boxes and burning
tickets to carry their end
If the scenes which tr,nspired in Cincinnati
last week are not sufficient to arouse the peo-
pie Of the country to the dangerous character
of the new organization, then we shall be
greatly disappointed.-NeO Albany Ledger.