Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1868-11-21
From the N. Y. Tribune.
Frauds in New York City.

There is fatality in crime that is
never quite so skillful as to avoid making
! blunders sufficient if rightly used>for its
detection, and punishment. Notwith-
fstanding the stufing of the Registries
of NJ Y city with 10000 more names
than there were actual voters, and
despite the issue of SO, 900 naturalization
papers broadcast, so that whoever wish
ed could get them for dollar and
promise to vote for Hoffman, and
finally, in spite of the secret circular is
sued in the name of Samuel j. Tilden,
and which accomplished its purpose Just
as well as if he had signed it, whereby
the Inspectors and Canvassers in New
York and Brooklyn were warned to
hold their pell-lists and ballot boxes
open until the rural districts were heard
from, so as to stuff them at the last
moment with the votes rcquiI ed to elect
Hoffman, the remaining precaution ne
cessary to avoid the detection of the
crime was wholly omitted. In twenty
districts of New York city the rogues
neglected to stuff as many new names
in the registry lists as they were adding
votes for Hoffman, and so the entire
vote of these districts is rendered void
by the fact that there arc more votes
pollcd than there are names registered.
As the men engaged in this ballot stuff
ing operation are men OF ordinary
shrewdness, it may safely be estimated
that where one of them exceeded his
registry list, at least FIVE must have
been careful enough to examine 1t and
see that they did not. If this estimate
be well founded, we may assume that Ill
at least one hundred election districts
the returns were manipulated" and
new ballots added 10 insure the election
of Hoffman. And if the exclusion OF the
returns known to be fraudulent diminish
Hoffman's majority by 1885, 1t IS not
unlikely that the exclusion of all the
districts in which EoIlot-stuffing was
practiced would still further diminish
his majority by five times that number,
or say twenty thousand votes There Is
fruitful field for investigation open to
the committee who have that work
in charge. We hope they will "push
things"
In commenting on the frauds in the New
York election, it is said the probabilities are
that Hoffman's election cannot be set aside on
a contest, though Republicans all declare that
the fraudulent votes cast for him exceeds his
whole majority The State Board of Canvass
ers, as well as the caEvassers for the county
are Democratic and the only hope of success
would be before the Court of Appeals Posi-
bly, enough of Democratic voters may bC
thrown out to give the State to Grant instead
of Seymour. In twenty-five election districts
Of New York the vote was in excess of regis
: tration, and will probably be thrown out
O This would diminish the Democratic vote Iy
about 5000, and if the vote is rejected in 9th
er districts where men are known to have vo'
ed Illegally, the Presidential ticket would II
changed. One districtin Kings county vot' {
beyond its registration, and will probably los'
800 votes for the Democratic cause. Larg
numbers of fraudulent votes were cast for tn
Democrats in Albany, Troy and other cities
and investigations will be made as to their ex
, tent