The Nevada journal., 1856-03-28
Purity of Elections.

sented ier his suffrage such as he deems honest
and capable and of depositing their names in
the ballot box. But when the officers of an
election abstract the ballots deposited by the
people and substitute others, the right of suf.
frage becomes q farce-a mere bagatelle:-
That such frauds have been repeatedly perpe.
traled in San Francisco admits of no Doubt
A registry law will do much to remedy this
monstrous evil, and We urge the passage Of the
bill now before the Legislature. But if that
bill cannot pass, let the American party tack
an amendment upon Hawes Consolidation
Bill providing for the registration of voters.
and refuse to pass the bill without the amend
ment. The people have heen too long i'm
posed upon by the ballot-box suffers of San
Francisco. Heretofore large number of the
Inspectors and Judges of election in that city
have been unnaturalized Irishmen. This fact
is too well-known to be refuted. These men
have been placed in these positions for the ex-
pross purpose of doing any work required of
them from exchanging votes to stuffing the
ballot-boxes with all the way from one to three
hundred votes more than the number poled.
In 1853, q prominent politician of San
Francisco made q wager of six thousand dol.
lars that John Bigler would receive majority
of the votes in that city and county. And
there are many in San Francisco who do not
hesitate to say they know that the officers of
one ward received three thousand dollars to
see to it themselves that the bet was not lost !!
To be sure it took long while-nearly three
weeks-to count the votes of that ward but
when it was done, it was ascertained that the
county had gone for Bigler by majority of
FIVE votes The official vote of San Francisco
for 1858, was Bigler $3.50; Waldo, 5,475.-
1t was very singular coincidence" about
as singular as the election incident related by
Sam Weller, that Bigler should carry the city
by only five votes, especially when we take
into consideration the fact that it took so long
to count the votes in one or two wards
In 1854, election frauds were already proved
to have occurred at the First Ward polls in
San Francisco. In order to refresh the minds
Of our readers ard to urge upon our legislators
the passage of some law to preserve the purity
Of the ballot-box in that political cess-pool-
San Francisco-we republish the following
afidavits which appeared in the Journal on
the 18th of September, 1854:
State Of California, City and county of San
Francisco, IS II, William Parsons, Of lawful
age, being duly sworn, depose and say, that l
was present at the First Ward poll this morn
ing, Thursday, September 7th, 1854, at about
the hour of 8 o'clock. went to the window
OF said polls. and saw man standing behind
the table, upon which was the ballot box con-
tanning the votes, whom 1 supposed to be one
of the Judges or Inspector of election. / saw
him with bunch of tickets in his hand tear
ing them up; and Immediately afterward saw
the same person put his hand into the ballot
box, take out another bunch of tickets and
tear them up as before, throwing them upon
the floor. l then turned away from the win
dow and left the polls.
(Signed) WV. Parsons.
State of California, county of San Francisco.
On the 7th day Of September, 1854, personally
appeared the above named William Parsons,
who made solemn oath that the affidavit by
him signed is true.
(Signed) G.. j. HUBERT SANDERS,
Notary Public.
State of California, County of San Fran
cisco, ss.--On the 7th day of September, 1854,
personally appeared before me, g. J. Hubert
Sanders, Notary Public in and for said
county, Edward j. Smith, of the same place.
who being duly sworn deposes and SAYS, that
on the morning of the 9TH inst, between the
hours of one and two o'clock, he saw through
crevice in the door of the First Ward polls,
the lid Of the ballot box fused for the general
election) open, and saw and heard the same
shut again and that this was after the closing
of said polls, and the sealing up of the box for
the night, as representa- by the Judges and
Inspector of said Ward, and that said Judges
and Inspector, and clerks of election, were the
only persons preSent to my knowledge, in the
room at the time.
And deponent further states that the polls
were boarded up at about the hour Of midnight
-and that against the protest Of said deponcnt,
admittance was re- 7ed to any person except
the Judges, Inspector and clerks Aforesaid
And that crevice, left open accidentally. was
afterward stopped up by some person inside ;
but that the crevice through which deponent
saw said act, was not discovered by said per.
sons inside said polls.
fSigned EDWARD J. SMITH.
Sworn and subscribed to before me, this 7th
day Of September, 1854.
Signed, G. ]. HUBERT SANDERS,
Notary Public.
These Judges and Inspector after secreting
themselves for q time, left on the next steamer
for the Atlantic States. That steamer hap
pened to be the Yankee Blade and her last
trip. When the steamer was wrecked these
men were leaders of the pirates who knocked
down and robbed all they could. And it was
ascertained, after the election, that the judges
and inspector had never been naturalized.
We want law in this State, similar to the
one in Kentucky, requiring every naturalized
citizen to produce his papers or show q copy
OF the record of the Court, whenever the right
to vote is claimed. This would do away with
fraudulent voting in great degree.