The daily union., 1856-10-22
THE CHARGES on ELEoroN FRAUDS.

THE CHARGES 0F ELECTION FRAUDS.
The following from the Philadelphia Ledger in relation
to the "supendous frauds alleged to have been prsctsed
in that city the late election will be read at this time
with more than ordinary interest The Ledger as well
known is actually, well as protessedly an independent
paper SO relates parsanshp in political matters
and its statements and opinions have that additional
weight which entire exemption ir" influences of this
Li~A .nr,A J.. i. yvhu. ~, - ,,, A. a
in its condemnation Of the frequent practice of defeated
parties raising the cry Of fraud" to cover their weakness
lessen their disappointment thus bringing popular suf
age into dsrepute it still must be conceded that on sew
OCCASIONS different parts of the country actual and
extensive frauds have been committed election days al
though not of the character noticed by Philadelphia
cotemporary The election laws OF Pennsylvania and OF
of the States searching and
by many checks and enforced by many penalties
that no extensive frauds could be perpeated either
by Importation, colonization or by any other illegal
MEANS by any other disqualified persons unless upon
the presumption that the administrators of those laws
proof against the corrupt influences of brbes and
unscupulous partisanshp We have far better opinion
of counymen than TO give the slightest countenance
such base pesumpons. Solitary of corrupt and
perjured judges and inspectors of elections have been
found and will be found again. but in the main the purity
of the balobox has been preserved 1t is not at the bal
otbox, but outside and far beyond the reach of the bal
lot box where the fraud of intimidation and the fraud Of
violence have been committed 1t is of such frauds
committed at Baltimore, New Orleans, St Louis Lou
sve and Cincinnati by the knives rifles and revolvers
of organized gangs Of ruans that complain and which
must be eectually prevented if to look to the
ballotbox for fair and honest expression of the public
voice.
But to the Ledgers remarks:
| THE ELECTION housekeeping after the
partisan papers Of Philadelphia, the journals of distant
cities declaimng against the alleged frauds committed
in election last Tuesday Some of journals,
without examining the vote and the respective gains of the
two parties eiterate the charges the tendency OF
which TO bring discredt upon popular suffrage and u
matey to deprive the people of this guarantee of their
liberties f is made manifest the people are not to
be trusted in elections that elections cannot be conducted
fairly and that the majority may be always cheated out OF
their choice by corrupt and dishonest practices 1t will not
take many years to discredit this popular mode Of
choosing our rulers that it will be universally regarded
with contempt and its decisions be neither respected
acquiesced in by large body of feow-ctzens. The
result will be the adoption of some form Of election which
will exclude the of the people altogether or civil
commotion will follow at every election, in which the
strong will be necessary to sustain the majority OF
votes before the defeated party will submit to the popular
decree These results serious enough in anticipation
make pause before indulge in charges reckessiy
made without shadow of evidence entertain unfound
will remove.
The charges of fraud in the election on Tuesday last a
pear be based entirely upon the increased vote of the
CITY, The aggregate official for the two candidates
mayor in May last amounted to 979 The aggregate
official for the candidates for canal commissioner
Tuesday last 642 increased of l3 663
In population of half million inhabitants which Phil
adepha possesses it will not be pretended that this
reaches the fair proportion of persons entitled to that priv
iege 1t is not than two-thirds Of the number OF
persons legally entitled to that right New York casts
less aggregate than Philadelphia and has for many
years because New York has higher relative foreign
population not entitled to suffrage. 1t viii be remembered
that extraordinary excitement preceded election
and extraordinary activity used by all parties bring
out the voters. third party in the field, which
brought out persons who de not usually 60 to the polls
and moreover, the increase of votes is shown
throughout the State and in counties much greater
increase than in Philadelphia I'll ere is nothing hen in
the increased vote which suggestive of fraud Let
whether in the propoonae gains of the two parties
there is any reasonable ground for such suspicion.
The Tuesday last for the democratic candidate
for canal commissioner was as follows:
Yaux dem, in May ast...................... 1854
Democratic increase. 65O4
The for the fusion candidate for canal commissioner
on Tuesday last was as follows:
Cochran 32,604
For Moore, A, in May 25445
Fusion increase 7349
This comparison shows that the 1883 increased vote
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