The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-10
win join in innlq!ing condlan punishment

Comments by the Tribune.
Nearly thirty years ago, we did our best at
Albanyin aid Of the first successful effort TO
pass an act for the protection of the rights of
legal voters through their registration. The
abuse of illegal voting was hagrant, though
not then nearly as enormous as now (our city
being but village in comparison with its
present magnitude) yet, according to our best
recollection, not one Democrat, whether in or
out of the Legislature, gave the effort any
support or oountenaDoe whatever. Aud,
though the act thus passed unquesti0nably
prevented much illegal voting while it ex-
isted it was repealed by a strict party vote in
the first succeeding Democratic Legislature.
From that day to this, we have steadily and
earnestly labored TO have the laws of this aud
of every State so amended as to secure TO
every legal voter his right of sulfrage--a right
utterly subverted and destroyed wherever per-
sons who are not legal voters are enabled to
vote with impunity, and where persons who
may or may not be voters are enabled to vote
many times at one election. And we cannot
call to mind single instance wherein mem
ber of the Democratic party, in sympathy and
geod standing with the regular organization
of that party, has practically eviuced any
desire that efficient measures should be taken
to render illegal voting impossible.
During these thirty years laws have been
enacted in several States, intended and caicu-
them, so far as we can recollect, by Demo-
cratic Legislature. And in every instance of
the passage OF such law, where the Demo-
cratic party has succeeded to power, it has
made haste to repeal the act.
The Legislature of New Jersey chosen in
1866 was Republican in both branches, aud it
enacted a registry law. The Legislature
chosen last fall was Democratic in both
branches, and it made haste to repeal that
law, by passing its bill over Governor Wards
veto.
The last Legislature OF Pennsylvania being
Republican, passed Registry act. The Su-
preme Court of that State proceeded to nullify
it as unconstitutional. The ruling spirit OF
that Court is George Sharsweod, who was last
year reelected by the very frauds which this
Registry act was intended and calculated to
preclude
The Democrats of Connecticut in 1867
elected and last spring reelected James English
Governor-we believe by fraudulent votes. AS
these frauds are necessarily confined mainly to
the. densely peopled communicable Giles
and most populous villages-it is morally i'm
possible 10 elect by them Legislature; so
that of Connecticut, like that Just chosen in
our State, was Republican. That Legislature
proceeded to frame and pass a carefully con-
sidered act to prevent illegal voting. Governor
English promptly vetoed it, urging objections
to certain important clauses. The Legislature
repassed it over his veto, q clear majority of
either House suflicng for the purpose. The
act, thus become law, having been sent
to the Democratic Secretary of States Office
for official record there, it was soon discovered
that the most vital clauses-those specially
objected to by Governor Englsh-had some
how been erased from it The Legislature
restored them, again passed it, and sent it TO
the Secretary's office; when 10 it appeared
that one of the vital clauses aforesaid had
again been somehow erased-and the act
stands thus emasculated to this day. Yet,
mutilated as it has been by some villains
hand, we believe what is left of it saved
the State to her legal voters and to Grant and
Colfax.
Mind that this is no question between two
different modes of obtaining an end mutually
desired. We do not complain that the Demo-
Gratis choose another mode than that proposed
| by us for achieving the desired end-we assert
| that they propose and support no serious i'm
pedimept whatever to illegal voting IN cities.
| In rural township, where every one knows
| every one, each claimant of the right of suf-
| fTage challenges the scrutiny of scores who
| know how he will vote, some of whom favor
the adverse ticket; but in great city like
| this, thousands know nothing of their next
door neighbor, and thirty to fifty thousand
| persons annually present themselves at the
| polls who are utterly unknown to any pre-
sent but those whose partisan bias will be
| gratifed, while their personal ends will be
served, by these persons voting early and
| often-the more the better.
| If there be, indeed, honest Democrats who
would gladly see illegal voting prevented,
how happens it that none of them ever blunder
| into Legislature If there be such in this
| city, whether adhering to Tammany or Mozart,
| will the Sun will be good enough to acquaint
| as at least with their names If john 7.
Hoffman, or William M. Tweed, or Peter b.
Sweepy, or George G. Barnard, or John H.
McCunn, or even A. Oakley Hall among them {?
| If not, who are they The great dramatist
makes "Lady Macbeth upbraid her hesi-
| tating husband as one who
| .ra 'Wouldst not play false. ~. fgiLH
| 3. % And yet wouldst wrongly win."HBE u
Such Democrats we presume there are
sleek, respectable, pious even, if you will-but
| wherein are they practically better than the
| villains who have just swindled the people of
| our State out Of their Electoral vote for Grant
and the State officers of their choice Let us
| understand.