Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-04


;rne city Esecssen-Rcsersa ,n the
Election Laws.
The withdrawal Of the Democratic candidates
or the Offices to be hIled At The city election will
h.ys one good effect. ~e truss. and that Is to at,
tract the attention Of the people of the State gen
orally to the condition Of azirs 10 this CITY. It
c.nnos be deuied that che Republican leaders
Rave carried the elections In this city since
le5s by theass Of the most unfair and upjastifa
be means. And noe content with such agencies
To retain The control Of The city government they
haze used Others equally disrepntable. A Re
publican Coancil added two new wards TO the
CITY. The same Council ordered an election for
councilmen ia these yards. the Eighth and Ninth.
CONTRARY to Republican expectation. the Demo.
crats elected their candidates. The Repoblicau
councilmen refused TO allow them 20 take sheir
seats upon technical bubble. The issue was
taken to the Circuit Court ARepubIiean Judge
decided that they we're entitled 70 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-
ell. they were allowed to represent their wards
and to take their seats All this was done TO re-
taia TIE control of the city government in the
hands OF the Republicans Never was a grosser
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 Judge, and
not a clerk Not Democrat was placed upon
ANY of the boards for the nine Wards. And this
by a party which claims to have majority in the
CITY of from twelve 70 fifteen hundred. good
many Of the persons who constitute these boards
may not intend TO be parties to fraud, but foul
play vas evidently the intention Of the politicians
who Tins organized them. board composed
exclusively Of partisans. il Is fair to infer. will
have a partisan bias IL is not to be expected
thai the qualifications Of voters will be closely
scanned under such circumstances, especially i
effort will be made to detect ballotbox tricks
A great many men would shrink from taking
money from their neighbors' tills. and think 1t a
great crime. yet this class regard it as doing
God service TO swiudle their political opponents
at the ballot box.
This is local election. Its results effect only
the people OF Indianapolis The city govern
ment is now completely under the control OF Re
publicsns. If the Democrats withdraw their
candidates and fail TO attend the polls IL sno vic-
tory to their political opponents. The Demo-
cratic organization will be maintained the same
a. heretofore, and we trust with more potent
influence in all elections hereafter. We believe
the city to be Democratic, 1T fair verdict of the
people could be obtained through the ballot box
and we have reason to think that a conviction OF
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 Ifthis view of the case is not correct. upor
what other hypothesis can their extraordinary con
duet be explained? For years efforts have beer
made to change the election laws, and re-organ
ize The system Of voting, that If entire farnes:
could not be obtained. there might be approx
nation to il. 1.-THE political parties in the as
cendant are To have entire control of the ballot
boxes, fair elections cannot be expected, and
elections can no longer be regarded as true ex
preston of the popular will. 1t should be pro
vided by Inv that. in some way, the election
boards should be divided between the contending
party organizations. or political parties. Thi
would be fair to all and il would be an i'm
portsnt step towards securing the purity o
the ballot box. In addition there should
be stringent laws to prevent fraudulent votinl
and to protec, the voter against intimidation
and violence. The elections in this township las
spring and last fall disgracefnl in the ex
IRENE, and, IL TO be repeated, will he an outrag
upon the rights Of the people of the State whel
general elections arc held The action of TN
Democratic candidates in the recent city cleo
ton will undoubtedly draw public attention t,
the necessity OF change in our election laws
and t may invite discussion which will resul
in reform, which every good citizen an,
every friend of popular Institutions cannot fai
to concede of the highest importance We sin
cerely hope that this good may grow ont of il
if the ballot box l. hereafter TO rule the coun
try.