Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1858-08-10
Fraud In Louisville.

We stated in our last issue that the Nnow Nothing
Commissioners in Louisville had usurped the au-
thoriy to throw out the vote Of the Democratic wards
thereby depriving BATMAH, the Democratic candidate
for Tailor, of an oee to which the people had cleo
ted him, and cOnferriDg the office upon THoMAs' the
Know Nothing incumbent This sSbitrary exercise
Of power on the part Of the Know Nothing rulers Of
that unfortunate city is worse than despOtsm They
first insult the people by obtaining from them an
expression of their viii at the ballot box, and then
Il these potentates dsapprOve their decision, they
assume the right to their verdict and decide
the matter themselves 1t has been determined
by PRESTIGE and his understrappers that no
Democrat shall hold Office in Louisville. They have
resorted 10 iutmedaton and violence ct the polls 10
prevent Democrats from voting They have tram
pled upon the hottest and most sacred rights Of the
freemen who would not submit to their dication and
control. They have murdered innocent men for
presuming to vote against the Know Nothing eandi~
dates and then the foul sanderer Of the JouraaA
endeayOrs to tarnish their memory by lbellOus fab
relations and falsehOOds. But the honest instincts
Of the respectable portion Of their own party indig
nantly rebuked this brutality. They would not sub
nit to see the city dsgraoed and ruined by the Jour
nal and lis band of rowdes. They determined that
the scenes of bloody Monday should not be repeated
The consequences was that the last was as quiet an
election as we may hope to see in Louisville,
while it remains under Know Nothing dominion.
The Democrats we're allowed to vote in most of the
Wards, and BATMAS was elected Tailor by seven y
two majority. This was more than the Jail CLIQUE
could bear. It was important to PREBTICE and his
friends that the jail should continue under their
management. Some scheme must be devised to
keen THOMAS in Se position The will Of the people
must be frustrated The majority pu not be al
loved 10 disregard the potential voice Of PRENTcE
The old party managers collogued together and ef
feoted by fraud what violence and intimidation had
failed TO accomplish Just enough votes we're thrown
out to elect tn MAS by two votes. The Journal at.
tempts to justify this viliainy on the miserable pre-
tence that each rage of the poll books was not
signed BY the clerks But if this rule had been uni
formly applied, portion Of the vote in every ward
except one, would have been thrown out, and BATMAS
would still have been elected. So this suffering,
will not do The is of pure, absolute, entire
unadultersted fraud and villaDy. Il is arbitrary
exercise Of power on the part Of few men, in de-
Aance Of the wishes Of a majority.
Gu Friday the journal stated that Mr.. THOMAS
would not acc pit the Office under these circumstances
but would resign as soon as he was declared to b.
elected. On Saturday. however, it says it has re
considered the matter, and that Mr.. THOMAS vii
accept The whole thing will 60 before the cOurti
the Journal says, and unless the uTnalreconsider
the matter, we may hope that the right Of the people
to choose their own officers viii be vindoated anc
maintained by The Supreme Bench Of the State.