The Portland daily press., 1866-11-02
The Evidence against the RaIi,moro
Police commissioner.
SUMMING UP OF THE CASE.

ASpiouuce from tne AnnlDOilS cores
ponuehce Of the Boston Advertiser the follow
A"S summary of the case made out by the
prosecution against the Baltimore Police Com
mission. The writer states that the opinion of
ieading men on both sides was that the Conn
nissloners would be declared TO have forfa;ted
their offices ON these incredibly flimsv pronnds.
f"St' Inc evidence very clearly shows
what nobody disputed, that nearly All The
ltnlges ana clerks OF election are radicals" so
called. This fact constitutes the leadino charae
against the commissioners, by whom thev were
appointed; though the law, SAVING notbinc
about politics, simply requires that they he dis
Greet persons and qualified voters-a Qualified
voter being one who was registered in 1865, and
the rebellion.
1t Is not claimed that the Commissioners re-
FUSED 70 appoint any conservatives" the fact
ossahs s that the Swami party did not make any
m1ro ;nd, TO get their own men appointed till the
JIIuses J3Is nad neen mostly selected; and the fur
% oner Ia TACT Delng that a large majority of them
s.,e tne same men who served last year at the
cieosoh chnsan1 Under Under which Governor Swami was
cIerlSs ne ne law vests the appointment of the
uuleIhs u IN the Commissioners; and il appears
1iaI they followed the usual custom of naming
men men VINO were endorsed by the Judges The
o11inseIvaIives 1i seem to have several times an
newer once '1ssioners 10 ms in this regard, but
made against the commissioners for negIect 10
act fairly and promptly on Complains sSa;nSt
the judges, but, on the contrary, the eross-ex
anlination showed that they were quick to at
tend to all matters brought before them.
Second. The evidence shows that ton or
Twelve OF the two hundred and forty Judges
are not men OF good moral chara6ter-that
three or four of them in fact, are probably
Kept by mlstresses of bad houses, and are pos
sibly, gamblers ~
1t is not charged that these men neglected
their duty, or that they abused the trust con
nded to them on this occasion, or that any man
kept away from the polls and lost his vote be-
cause OF Their official presence. 1t was, how
ever, shown that in several precincts it would
be almost impossible to find a decent man
qualified for this position, that one whole ward
is notorious for its haunts of vice and immor-
anty, anu that the judges Of this year are quite
as good as they usually are
Third. The evidence shows that MIR. Com
missioner Woods has, one occasion been seen
IN the street in somewhat intoxicated condi-
uon. Ihere Is only one witness to this point
III is not charged that either of the commits
sioners was ever intoxicated at the office or
during business hours-the whole evidence be-
ing thar once, in three years, one was seen in a
seml-fuddled state outside the Office and after
business hours. However heinous this offence
may De, the governor is very far from being the
man to cast the first stone for this breach of
conduct.
Fourth The evidence shows that ON one
occasion when the board had ordered new
straw hats for the police force, Mr.. Commits
sioner Hindes furnished them at one dollar
and half each, the point being that city deal
er afterward said he would have taken the
contract at one dollar and quarter each
lt IS not contended that the commissioner
uld this with any intent to defraud anybody or
put money IN his own pOcket-the facts being
that he did it to secure entire uniformity. and
that the hats cost the policemen twenty-five
cents less than they paid the wear before when
each man supplied himself at the city stores
=, These are the only charges brought against
the commissioners directly. In one other
charge the marshal of police is involved, in
two the captains of police are concerned, and
in two the judges of elections are interested.
FVM. The evidence shows that an order
was issued to the effect that all persons arrest
ed for rioting or disturbing the peace on cleo
ton day, were to be kept in confinement till
the polls were closed.
1t is not charged that any legal voter lost
bis vote because of the enforcement of this or
der; but the cross examination did show that
the order was issued by the marshal of police
that 1t was obeyed in only part of the city,
anu that 1t was cOuntermanded by direction Of
the commissioners, three or four hours before
the polls closed-though the counterfnanding
order appears not to have reached one or two
Districts till a<tsr tho IalIotis.1s ,sss over.
Strh. The evidence shows that considera-
Bile majority of the special policemen appoint
ed Tor duty onelectDn day were radicals" So
called; and that some twenty of the seven
hundred were men OF bad Misunderstanding
been under arrest, and in some cases in con-
inement, for serious violations of the law.
1t Is not charged that any man was refused a
place on the police because of his political
views; but, on the contrary, it was shown that
In SOME precincts, considerable number of
avowed conservatives" were appointed 1t is
not claimed that bad men were chosen in
preference to good men; but on the contrary
1t was very clearly shown that, in some pre,
clncts, 1T was entirely impossible to get the re-
quired number of first class men, while in 9TH
ers few second-class oy third-class men were
appointed after very many first-class men had
been excused for cause. The number of these
special policemen was fixed by the commits
sioners; the order for their appointment was
made by the marshal; they were chosen by
the captains of police, and sworn in by any
magistrate. 1t was shown that one or two Of
the captains were furnished with lists of names
from which they might select their special
men, that some of these lists were largely made
up OF the names of men employed under the
city government, and that one or two of them
were made out in the mayors Office-though
by whom does not appear 1t was also shown.
however, that no obligation was laid upon the
captains to select from these lists; but, on the
contrary, that they were free to choose whom
they pleased, and, in point of fact, made very
little use of the lists
Segenth. The evidence shows taat a few.
perhaps, thirty, of the special policemen were
employed by the city government in some ca
pacity.
IL is nOI CnarScu Jndb LneSe men We're uerc-
liet in duty, or that they used their official po-
s1tions for partisan purposes. They were ap-
pointed as others were-Dy the captains of pO-
ice, the commissioners having nothing more
TO DO with the matter than the governor him
sell, SO tar as the evidence shows
Eighth. The evidence shows that in n few
precincts the judges either refused or neglect
ed to use the boxes required by law to be pro-
vIded for rejected ballots-that is, for ballots
about which there is doubt, time being allowed
the person claiming the right to vote, that he
may prove such right, if possible.
1t is not charged that the commissioners re-
fused or omitted to provide such boxes; but,
on the contrary, the only witness who spoke
on this point was obliged to own that they said
to him that the boxes were sent out as usual.
and had been returned from all the precincts
Neither is it shown that formal complaint has
been made by anybody to the commissioners
against the judges on account of failure to
use these boxes.
Ninth. The evidence shows that the Judges
refused to receive the ballots of many persons
who are entitled by age, loyalty, and residence,
to vote; but whose names are not on the regis
ters of 1865.
1t is not shown, though it is charged in pri-
vate conversation, that there was discrimfna-
tion in this regard because of political opin-
ions-the fact being that the judges, following
the advice of the attorney-general of the
State, declined allowing any man to vote un-
less he was registered in 1865. This opinion.
it should be stated, does not coincide with the
opinion of Governor Swami and the conserva-
tive party. gtf
This, then, is the whole length and breadth
of the complaint against the police commits
sioners, the marshal of police, the captains of
police, and the judges OF election.
WANTED IMMEDIATELY, a foreign war, to
save the administration of Andrew johnson
from present ruin and ultimate infamy. Max
imilians return to Europe for domestic reas-
ons and tho voluntarv withdrawal of tha