Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-05-05
Preparing for the Contest
We end IN the heal column Of the Norfolk Al

M.pr Wosx.-Wc are grntifcd to state that
orders have lseen received to take large number
Of additional hands in the Navy Yard. II IL
probable that the Y. s. Frgate Raritan or Column
bia Is 10 he raseed.
Some time ago, in the course Of our series OF
articles entitled "Frauds upon the Government
we alluded - the fact that the Navy Department
was in the habit Of cramming the different Navy
Yards With meu. just before every election. The
Object vss to secure the return of certain iavorte
memters IT Congress.
We adduoed the official statistics to show to
what extent the practice was carried and we
brought forward collateral proof Of the strongest
kind that il was done FOR no other purpose than
10 increase the Democratic vote. Just before cy-
cry election. the Yards are foodcd with men. I'M
der sme swiadling pretenrc, in order that the
voice Of the real. bona de citizens may be sienccd
by the paid s,ipendiarcs Of Government.
In Philadelphia, where the election of Florence
wa. ooasiiered doubtful. they increased the force
in the Navy Yard there, jus, before the election,
nearly one Mousaad men, In New York the
same thing 10 prac,ised continually. Tue official
returns show It. In the fall Of the year, when
elections take place in Pennsylvania and New
York, the number Of men is increased to such nm
extent that there is scarcely room enough in the
Yards for them to turn around. The Navy De.
partment manages to disguise the fraud under
some specious pretences, like that alleged above
for the increase in the Norfolk Navy Ynrl-lut
the excuse is so fimsy that We do not suppose
they expect q solitary individual in the land to
believe il.
Some unsuspicions person may object shat
these men who are thus poured into the Navy
Yards previous to every election, are not legal vo-
ters--that they are not entitled by sufficient res
idence, to the right of suffrage. Precious little
difference does this make In the Democratic
code of morals, vote IL u vote. whether legal or
illegal. As long rs it counts one. it matters not
that It is illegal. The Navy Yard employees 90
up to the polls in gangs-hoth legal and illegal
voter~-and the Democratic conductors of cleo
tions exercise the largest measure of charity
Like q criminal in a court Of law, the suspected
voter always has the benefit Of doubt, The
frauds Of PlaQuemincs in Louisiana tho annual
frauds in all the large ei,cs-all testify to the
remarkable facility with which illegal votes can
be smuegled in at the polls. In New York and
Philadelnhia il is considered great point gained
by the Opposition, if these illegal Navy Yard vo-
ters do not vote three or four times apiece all
round. They are crowded into the Navy Yards
for the purpose Of voting. and they are told sc.-
They wosld be justly liable to the charge Of in
gratitude, IL they failed to vote and to vote fire.
quently. They not only vote early" but they
vote often.
Let it be recollected, however. that these men
are all paid out Of the common Treasury of tho
United States. One thousand men Mt two dDllars
n day may b crowded in Navy Yard n month
before an eleotion--the cost will be only sixty
Thousand dollars. What is sixty thousand dollars
when spent in the great and glorious cause of De-
mocracy-partiealarly when they make the Wings
help to pay it, by taking it out Of the general
Treasury Of the Nation! A. it now costs very
nearly one hundred millions OF dollars per nnnum
to keep up and maintain the Democratic party Of
the county. the tri6e Of sixty or hundred thou
sand dollars 10 mere drop in the bucket.
And 70. - largo number of additional hands"
are to he taken in at the Portsmouth Navy Yard
What curious coincidence il is there is always
sudden necessity for additional hands" ut every
Navy Yard just before every election in its neigh
borhvodi Curious, indeed About Us curious as
the discovery recently made by some en,erprising
individual. that large rivers invariably flowed
by l.rss eitisal The connection between the
Navy Of the United States and the approaching
elertian in Virginia 10 ve'y intimate. that the
election cannot take place without previously IRA
1eeing" . frieate or two at Portsmouth, for which
- large number of additional hands" are re-