Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-06
The City Election-Reform IN the
EIecffOu Laws

The City Election-Reform IN the
Election Laws.
The withdrawal of the Democratic candidates
for the Offices to be filed at toe city election will
have one good effect. we trust, and that is to at
tract the attention of the people of the State gen.
orally to the condition of affairs in this CITY. II
cannot be denied that the Republican leaders
have carried the elections in this city since
1856 by the use of the most unfair and unjustifa-
bic means And not content with such agencies
to retain the control Of the city government they
have used others equally disreputable. A Re
publican Council added two new wards to the
city. The same Council ordered an election for
Councilmen in these wards, the Eighth and Ninth,
Contrary to Republican expectation, the Demo
Gratis elected their candidates. The Republican
Councilmen refused to allow them to take 6heir
seats upon a technical bubble. The issue wa.
taken to the Circuit Court. A Republican Judge
decided that they were entitled to their seats
An appeal was taken from this decision to the Su-
preme Court, solely for delay. The decision of
the lower court was confirmed. and finally. when
their admission, or the admission of the elected
Councilmen who were here, would make no diff
ference in the political complexion of the Coun-
Gil, they were allowed to represent their wards
tain the control of the city government in the
hands of the Republicans. Never was a grosseI
outrage committed upon the rights of the people
The Council that was guilty of this outrage,
and nothing better could be expected from them,
refused to allow their political opponents any
representation upon the election boards for the
city electiOn-not an Inspector, not a judge, and
not a clerk. Not a Democrat was placed upon
any of the boards for the nine Wards. And this
by a party which claims to have a majority in the
city of from twelve to fifteen hundred. A good
many of the persons who constitute these boards
may not intend to be parties to fraud. but foul
play was evidently the intention of the politicians
who thus organized them. A board composed
exclusively Of partisans. il is fair to infer, will
have 4 partisan oias. 1t is not to be expected
that the qualifications of voters will be closely
scanned under such circumstances. especially Il
presented by their party friends, and no great
effort will be made TO detect ballot-box tricks.
A great many men would shrink from taking
money from their neighbors' tills, and think it a
great crime, yet this same class regard it as doing
God service to swindle their %oolitical opponents
at the ballot box.
This is a local election. Its results effect only
the people of Indianapolis. The city govern
ment is now completely under the control Of Re
Tg II ~ ~
candidates and fail to attend the polls. it is no vic
tory to their political opponents. The Demo
cratic organization will be maintained the same
as heretofore, and we trust with a more potent
influence in all elections hereafter. We believe
the city to be Democratic, ifa fair verdict of the
people could be obtained through the ballot box,
and we have reason to think that a conviction oil
this fact caused the extraordinary efforts Of the
Republican wire. workers to defeat an honest ex-
preston of the legal voters of the city at this
time. If this view of the case is not correct, upon
what other hypothesis can their extraordinary con-
duct be explained? For years efforts have been
made to change the election laws, and re-organ
ize the system OF voting. so that if entire fairnes:
OOhtA " OC OsAAnC NnCtC ~ bC gu 1pBAOAf
nation to it.. If the political parties in the as
cendant are to have entire control of the ballot
boxes, fair elections cannot be expected, anG
elections can no longer be regarded as a true ex-
preston Of the popular will. 1t should be pro-
vided by law that. in some way, the election
boards should be divided between the contendine
party organizations, or political parties. This
would be fair to all and it would be an i'm.
portant step towards securing the purity Of
the ballot box. In addition there should
be stringent laws to prevent fraudulent voting
and to protect the voter against intimidation
and violence. The elections in this township last
spring and last fail were disgraceinl in the ex-
IRENE, and, if 10 be repeated, will be an outrage
upon the rights of the people of the State when
general elections are held. The action Of the
Democratic candidates in the recent city cleo
ton will undoubtedly draw public attention to
the necessity of a change in our election laws
end it may invite a discussion which will result
in a reform, which every good citizen and
every friend of popular institutions cannot fail
to concede Of the highest Importance We sin
cerely hope that this good may grow out of it,
if the ballot box is hereafter to rule the coun
try.