New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-16
ELECTION FRAUu.S

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an organ of those moral and religious ideas
which bear the honored name of Puritan 1t
has sunk gradually into the character of an
apologist fOr the most gigantic crimes and
wrongs of the age. Here is the last specimen
of its brazen handiwork:
"The majority of the people Of this city and the adon
ing county OF Kings annually charged not only with
purpose to cheat at every election, but with actual
fraud at the polls The body OF voters annually put
to great Inconvenience by the most troublesome and alb
surd legislative restrictions made expressly for this To-
cality the exercise OF suffrage where but In the
to he restrained y every available impeachment This
cry has been so long In circulation that many now re-
here T. often alluded to in political speeches as we'll
able Foundation If 600 illegal votes were cast in this
city at election the detection and punishment OF the
police force OF this and the adjoining city has been
| under the control OF the minority the voters
before the election their names and residences have
been taken down their ballots were deposited by poll
clerks appointed by the Police Commissioners and the
whole process of voting perfected only By the
hight Of day under the watchiul eyes Of committee Of
preciable percentage OF the vote fraudulent the
Illegal voters would meet their Ius deserts The absence
OF all such direct and positive evidence under these CIR
| eumstances, is proof that it does not exist
the dodge o bdayy yoe Active poe
writer's aud speakers invent the falsehood and II Is
be gully Of MISREPRESENTATION repeat it, without inquiry
surprising that ithas some foundation in truth"
Comments IN The Tribune.
I. "The majority of the people of this City"
and Kings County are not charged with fraud,
as The journal alleges The actual contriy
ers and perpetrators of election frauds are u
decided minority of the Democratic party but
many of them sit in its high places and enjoy
official honor and emouments by its favor.
The majority of the Democrats are convent
emily obvious and indifferent as to the crimes
perpetmtcd by the wire-workcrs of their party.
They would not play false, and yet would
falsely vim No man ever yet saw or heard
of a New York City Democrat who practically
evinced desire that illegal voting should be
prevented. simply because all Democrats know
that illegal voting does and must swell the
Democratic majority.
II. Very great interest is naturally felt in
ON elections not only by legal voters but by
Others. Many enjoy great personal advan-
tages which they must lose If their party is
defeated Hence, it is the dictate of the plain
est justice and prudence that the legal rioters
shoaH be cdrcfulg discriminotcd from Others, 50
that none should vote but those legally en-
titled to do so. Yet our Democrats oppose,
resist, dcnOunce, and cxccratc. every effort to
establish such discrimination. They would
prefer that every one should vote who chooses
unless challenged; il challenged. they would
have his unsupported oath that he u a legal
voter conclusive Every safeguard against
Illegal voting has been established in spite of
the Democratic party. Every fonn of recistra
ton of legal voters has encountered its deadly
hostility and il would sweep them all away
Tomorrow if it had power.
III. \ mans vote may aud should be H. pre-
cious to him Us his house on farm. Yet il is
completely nulliied aud destroyed by that of
any alien or repeater WHO polls an adverse
ballot. Then why should not his right of suf-
fragc be protected 10y registration, rs well rs his
right TO his house or farm And il registration is
proper and necessary with regard to title deeds,
why not rs To the right Of sunragef
". There were more than Ten thousand
illegal votes pollcd in this City at our last State
Elcction-palt of them 10y Dnaturalized for
egnors, but more 10y organized gangs of re-
"pcaters,' who Travelled from poll to poll and
voted on names previously smuggled upon the
registry lists. Registration was an impcd-
imcnt, though nm insufficient impeachment. to
their crimes. Had there been no registration.
five illegal votes could and would be polled Us
easily rs two now are.
this work are sometimes detected and arrested
by the Police but to what purpose, Who be-
licves that Oakley Hail. or George c. Barnard,
on j. II. IIackett, OF John ii. McCunn, or any
other of our Democratic managers abhor the
crime of voting tho Democratic ticket ten or
twelve times NJ one election, aud will do their
best to have the perpetrator sent to State
Prison Does The Journal Of Commerce!
Where is the guileless youth so jolly green as
to imagine thsi We don't. Why are not our
blackegs dealt with according to lnwi How
much do you suppose they fpay this year To
Tammany Hall for the immunity they enjoy
VIII The Journal please inquire into these mat
ters and report the facts To its readers If it
does, they will he advised that there is an
organized and formidable conspiracy here to
swell the Democratic vote by systematic official
pandering TO extortion, vice, and crime.
VI. The Police records of our City bear
evidence to the fact that over hundred
persons registered and voted last Fall as
residents in II designated house III our City,
where inquiry afterward developed the fact
that not twenty men lived; and there were
several such cases. But what could now he
done about il! They had voted-they had
yanished-they were not to be f0und-what
could Oe done about ii Ii such frauds eau
be perpetrated under a registry what might
not be in the absence of n registry. Regis
raiion is legal notice that such persons claim
TO live in designated house, and to be legal
voters. II challenges inquiry and scrutiny.
IL il poor security, bur great deal better
than none. When Democracy triumphs, il
will he swept away, and The Journdi will
say, Well dOne