Eaton Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1843-1856, 1855-11-22
From the Cincinnati Enquir er.l
IUTVu JUG NIHVuIHuII I"4uH ~
The Late Election 0utraget In New Orleans
and Paltimore-D estruction Of Ballot boxes,

From the Cincinnati Enquire r.l
The Late Election 0utraget inJEew Orleans
and Baltimore-D estruction Of Ballot boxes.
Not even the violent sectional and U neon
s.ltutional agitation of the yexed question tot
slavery BODIES more evil to the pc Tmope nee OF
our GoveTumen Mt, and marks the decay OF a
true American national spirit, than the vio-
lence al elections which has been recently
displayed all over the country. The time once
was when a President Of the United States
could be elected, even in seasons OF the highest
party excitement, and'not o single riot Of any
consequence would occur al any place in our
broad Union. The dec lsion Of the majority
was peacefully aGquieSced in, and everything
moved on in its accustomed regular Course
such a thing as destruction Of ballot boxes
was unknown, or even any exhibition o forSan-
lied rufianiSm at the polls. THESE things did
not occur until the tSe OF that bastard and
bogus "AmeTican'' order called "Know-Noth-
ing" whose ~everyptinciple, as well as il hs-
6,tual practice, is a shameful libel upon the
term American and an outrage Upon the
spirit which led 10 the f~ormstionofthis Repub-
lie. and BY means of which it eau only hope
10 be peIpetIated. That organization, based
upon a feeling ofhate, oristocra.ic Selfshness
aud religious intolerance, has completely des-
tr0yed the peaceful and amieable character oe
American politics.
The will Of the pnnble Is no longer respect-
ell as expressed through that popular instru-
imeolt the ballot. box but the latter itself is
nulifed and destroyed. Cincinnati set the
example of this daring notification, and it has
faithfully followed ia New Orleans. In Lou
~isville, Baltimore, ST. Louis and other places
the outTages peIpetraled Dpon the elective
franchise have even been of q still more AFRO
cious character. So accustomed have The for
wardeIS Of news become to these outrage that
the telegraphIc reporter 0t New Orleans did
not even teign to say a word about the two
ballot. baxes lately destroyed by q band Of
I~Iufinns in that city. He informed US that a
Know Nothing victory had been won /; but
did not state It had been gained by the foIci-
bic destruction of some four or FIVE bundled
Democratic ballots ia two Democratic pTecints.
The act was not done under any excite uent,
but coolly performed, sfier it was found TO 10
necessary, in order that the bogus "AmeIi-
cam ticket might win, just exactly the opera
ton that was performed here in the Twelfth
Ward last spring. Peaceful elections under
the Know Nothing dipensation are rapidly be-
coming the exception, rather than the general
rule. Elections IN our large cities are now
frequently solemn mockeries. and Indicate
anything but public sentiment. See, for in-
stance, low the Democrats .yeie defeated ia
one Of the Congressional diStiicts or BallimoTe
at the late e%lecilon. A correspondent of Ibs
Washington Union, writing from that city 10
regard 10 Mr.. Vansant says:
"HiS congressional district is composed Of
the first eight wards Of the city-which at tie
last municipal election, three weeks ego gave
/ ,025 majority for the DemocrOts--and a poi
ton Of the county, where he should have had
- 4 --l. IDN n.,s-r.4y l., Al. E.,a NJ l.
received 423 votes and Harris 100 Total,
l,l43. ~ The election on the 10Th OF 0cto.
the democrats had 1888, and the know
~nothings 662 and at tie Mayors election a
year ago, the democrats had 694 and the know
692 ; total, 1886. In addition 10
the certain increase attending the vote of such
a border war, 1t is known that l25 persons
have been Dat1rali2ed there in the last year.
BY n fair calculation The vote OF the War IS
now not less than 1880, and yet a. this cleo
there were but l,l43 votes poiled. One
month previous, at a city election, our vote
1873, aud on the It'll inst. it was only 423.
The figures speak for themselves, and it only
to say how these figures were pro-
1ueed. First, the polls were removed 10 The
extreme erd ofthe ward, TO place and among
hose where ii was rightly supposed many
would not dare 10 60. Early in the day tLe
was blocked up by gangs of bullies,
many OF them armed with %tnives, pistols and
''ubS. Native.b born and adopted citizens were
In cken down, Geaten, and driven away, while
he know nothing police looked appIoyingIy
m. Before two O'Clock in the day scores u
,uf best citizens Of all classes determined 10
oSe their woes rather than risk their lives in
item ting to reach the polls by running tho
Of Inc police and their coadjutors. J
"ln Tie Third Ward similar scenes We're en-
'cled during the entire day, the Democratic
udge continually protesting against The mode
u receiving votes, and especially against Tho
Of illegal ballots. On counting tho
o.eS, HIty.one more tickets were foundin tho
OK than were names registered. To the great
rell Of the judge in this ward, Mr.. Shelly,
{ positively refused to sign the returns, aud
hey have gone TO the seat Of goyernmenttius
nperectly made up. ',''Ia y. .. sf.
ain the Fourth Ward the same state of
existed as in the First-the window
locked up by Towdies 10 prevent access to
but Know Nothings, who passed their
ckels from one 10 another into the box, ana
he adopted citizen ms ShamelaIly driven from tho
by brute force. r
"iiad the Democratic vote of the three
been fairly cast, Mr.. Vnsant's majority
'ould have been over 900. This Know-Nolh.
igS Themselves freely admit. While every
hig aud Know Nothing vote va polled, tho
idye number oGDemocrnlic votes were, kept
hck BY intimidation, violence and fraud, such
has never before disgEaced our city,"