New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-09-18
FRAUDS In NEW-IORK.

A correspondent from the rurai ulstrlcS
writes us that he is unable to see why the Re-
pubcans of New-York City need permit frauds
at elections, or why they cannot wholly pre-
vent repeating" voting under false Names
ballot stuffing, Sc He says that he is IN
formed that we do not appoint Republican
Committees to inspect the registry before cleo
ton and to challenge voters, &C., at the polls.
In this he is msinformed. Such Committees
are always appointed for every election dis
trict. We will suggest to our correspondent
some of the reasons why it is far more diff
cult to prevent frauds in NewYoTk City than in
any other city or than in the country. We have
a population AZ per cent of whom are foreign
born and nearly one-half of the remainder are
the children of foreign born persons. Probably
twenty-five per cent of the people in New
York at any one time are residents.
Fifty thousand are mendicants In con-
slant receipt of public or private charity OF
some kind. Probably the majority of the yo-
tiers of the city have no property
interests, no permanent business, or home,
or characters, but live from hand to
mouth on wages. The majority of the voters
of the City of New-YOrk are, therefore, by
their very necessities, in chronic conspiracy
against good government, and therefore i'll nat
ural alliance with the Democratic party. We
have ten men conniving to smuggle where one
is trying to pay his revenue, a hundred trying
to cheat the tax collector where one makes a
fair return, four or five trying to live in vice
without work where one is trying to live by
work. All these classes gravitate toward De-
mOcracy, because the less and the worse gov
eminent we have the better for them. As the
Democratic party is thus enabled to control
about every ward, all private axes must be
ground on their stone or not at all.
Very often our Republican ward pol
iticians are thus brought into collision
with the Democratic politicians of the
same ward, in order to attain certain private
favors. One plan adopted by the Democracy
here is to keep stool-pigeons in the Republican
camp--men who appear at our meetings, hurrah
for our candidates, carry our tickets, get ap-
pointed as inspectors of election and to other
offices as Republicans, but in some secret,
well-understood way are constantly in receipt
of Democratic favors, and in turn are necessary
to carry through Democratic frauds. A few
inspectors of election of this class enable the
Democrats to peTpetrate their frauds with i'm
punity. Such things are impossible in the rural
districts, where the entire people are well
known TO each other, but they are practicable
here.
1t takes far longer to discover, prove. and
thwart crime than to commit it. The Demo
Gratis have five men at work where we can
have one. All the forces of our population
conspire with them and against us. Still, if any
of our friends in the rural districts think them
selves sharper or more vigilant than the Re-
publicans of New-York City, the latter will
welcome their aid. Let them come down here
Immediately and 90 to work. Our committees
will find employment for them all. The harvest
is great and the laborers are few.