Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-10-22
SPIRIT THE MORNING PRESS.

SPIRIT OF THE MORNING PRESS
The UniOn argues at length to prove that
the aim Of the Republican party is neither
more nor less than to change the form and
character Of the government. Upon the allie
cations of fraud against the Democracy in the
recent Pennsylvania election, the Union
quotes the Philadelphia Ledger, which puts
10 fight all such stories, as follows;
TIE CHARGES OF ELECTION FRAUDs.IC0Py-
ing after the partisan papers OF fhliaueiPnIa,
the journals Of distant cities are declaiming
against the alleged frauds committed In our
election last Tuesday Some of our own jour-
nsIs v;thont examining the vote and the re-
spectiye gains of the two parties, relterate the
same charges. the tendency Of which is to
bring discredit upon popular suffrage, and
ultimately to deprive the people of this guar
antee of their liberties Ii 1t Is once 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, it will not take many
years so to discredit this popular mode of
choosing our rulers that it will be universally
regarded with contempt, and its decisions be
n ither respected nor acsuiesced in by large
body of our fellow-citizens. The result will
be the adoption Of some form of election that
will exclude the mass of the people altogether,
or a civil commotion will follow at every cleo
tiOn, in which the strong arm will be necessary
to sustain the majority Of votes before the de-
feated party will submit to the popular decree.
These results are serious enough in anticipa-
tion to make rs pause before we indulge in
charges recklessly made without a shadow of
evidence, or entertain snfounded suspicious
which a moments examination of the facts
will remove.
The charges of fraud in the election on Tues
day last appear to be based entirely upon the
increased vote of the city The aggregate
official vote for the two candidates for Mayor
in May last amounted to 81, 1919. The aggre-
gate official vote for the two candidates for
Canal Commissioner on Tuesday last was
68 ,642, or an increased vote of Is $685. In
population Of half q million inhabitants, which
Philadelphia possesses, 1t will not be pretended
that this vote reaches the fair proportion of
persons entitled to that privilege 1t is not
more than two-thirds of the number of persons
legally entitled TO that right New York casts
a less aggregate vote than Philadelphia, and
has for many years. because New York has a
higher relative foreign population not entitled
to suffrage 1t will be remembered that an
extraordinary excitement preceded our cleo.
ton, and extraordinary activity was used by
all parties to bring cut the voters third
party was in the field, which brought out per
sons who do not usually go to the POLLS; and,
moreover, the same increase of votes is shown
throughout the State, and in some counties
much greater increase than in Philadelphia
There is BOtbing, then, in the increased vote
which is suggestive Of fraud Let Us see
whether in the propOrtionate gains of the two
parties there Is any reasonable ground for
such suspicion.
The vote on Tuesday last for the Denoe rat
ic candidate for Canal Commissioner was as
follows.
Scott.'.. ..s-'.. ............. 30, O3o
VauI, Dem, in May ...29,534
Democratic incrsase..... 6,5O4
The vote for the Fusion candidate for Canal
Commissioner on Tuesday last was as follows:
Cochran. ....................32 6O4
For Moore, Amer, in May.....25 445
Fusion increase. 7,349
This comparison shows that the l3 S53 in
creased vote over May is very nearly equally
divided, the Union ticket having only S45
more votes Of the increased assessment than
the Democratic ticket. If the increased vote
is indicative of fraud, one party appears to be
as Justly chargeable with it as the other. 1t
will not do for the defeated party to charge il
all upon the other when its own vote exhibits
relatively greater increase. But We do not
believe that fraud had any thing to do with
this result. II is the natural effect Of the ex-
traordinary efforts made by the various par
ties to bring out all the votes of their pre-
eincts Previously cOncOcted schemes Of
In their results Why, then, refer il to fraud,
which would involve both parties in attempts
to get possession Of the Government by crimi-
nal practices, and would show q demoraliza-
tion Of the people in political matters as TO
make the preservation of popular institutions
scarcely worth the trouble Would it not be
more creditable to the people and to popular
government to suppose 1t to be the result of
causes legally proper in themselves and sufi-
cient to produce the result when such causes
are brought into active operation? If any
citizen knows enough of such matters to be
able to charge fraud in an election, he ought
to 90 into a court of justice and endeayOr 10
prove it. If he does not do So he shows that
he has no such evidence and his charge is un-
founded Let Us one and all do what we can
TO preserve the purity and honesty Of our cleo.
tons, and avoid discrediting them by unbound
ed charges as well as by fraudulent practices
The basefltgcreer thus appropriately de.
scribes the entertainment given on the night
before last by the President to tia municipal
authorities and the volunteer staff Of this Dis
trict and other citizens Of Washington without
distinction Of party:
In courteous acknowledgment of the de-
monstrstion Of respect and attention To the
President Of the United States by the author
tiles, citizens, and citizen ,oldiery Of Wash
iDgton, without party difference, on his late
leaving the city for a temporary visit to the
East and his return hther, as we'll as On prior
occasions, the President OIL Monday Issued in.
vitatioDs for an evening call upon him at the
ofhcial mansion The invitations were we
presume, universally accepted, and accord.
ingly the company was numerous, about two
hundred. II consisted of the present Mayor
and 1--WE ex- Mayors Of Washington, both Boards
OF the City Councils, the Field, STAFF, and Com.
Pany ofhcers OF tho District Volunteer corps,
the sixty members Of the &" COMMITTEES Of Re,
ception," and other citizens Of Washington
and neighborhcOd, among whom were several
Of the oldest and most Identified with its his.
tory and growth. they found ready TO meet
them ali the Cabinet-with the single excen-
ton Of the Secretary Of the Navy, not yet re
turned to the city Commodore Pauldipy. Of
the Home Squadron, and Captain Engie, of
the Wabash, at present guests of the Presi-