The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1869-03-27
Pumping in Pennsylvania.


1t is an interesting peculiarity of Grim
inal voting in Pennsylvania, that the
rascally Repeaters, when brought to the
witness-stand, usually acknowledged their
multiplied misdemeanors with cheerful
frankness which is eminently edifyino.
A contested election case (Bunn VS..
Witham) is now before legislative Com
mittee at Harrisburg-the seat in dis
pute being that for the XIth Legislative
District. One witness, Michael Slaven
by name, swears that he voted the Demo
cratic ticket twenty times, between 8
o'clock a. m. and 5:30m. p mAsbeing
about twice every hour-a remarkably
energetic days work, and speaking
highly for MichaePs peripatetic ubiquity.
Then comes confessor rejoicing in the
gentle name of Lamb, who acknowledged
that he voted the Democratic ticket
twenty times on election day Then fol-
lows Henry Elliott, who. on his own
statement, was also double x voter
The modest and moderate John Rowan
contented himself with voting the Demo-
cratic ticket only ten times. According
to the testimony of SlaveD, there was
small party Of ten men, the witness him
self being one of them, who went mean
dering about all day, voting the Demo-
cratic ticket whenever they pleased and
as often as they pleased, being furnished
with ballots by 'men with the Demo-
cratic badge on Some of his compan-
ions, according to Lamb, belonged in
Baltimore and some of them in New
York. Elliott, it seems to US, was alb
surdly cautious for he depones that he
"changed his hat and coat sometimes
in going from poll to poll" Why he
did this we are sure we don't know for
it is not at all probable that any Demo-
cratic challenger would have molested
him or made him afraid while he was
doing work SO noble and patriotic. For
the enthusiastic Elliott to disguise him
self, was as it were to hide his light under
bushel, and the change of hat and coat
might have rendered it difficult for him
to establish his identity when the rovers
receive their reward.
NJ. Slavan testifies to an interesting
circumstance in regard to ''the man who
gave the tickets" This charitable pur-
veyor of ballots presented to the little de-
voted band SIS bill, whereupon the free
voters went to the Girard-ave Market
and "got their dinners an uncom-
monty good appetite we should think they
must have had after their long walks and
exhausting exercise of the franchise.
These were, indeed, true Democratic poll
ticians. They were after free dinner,
and they got it; and whoever says they
didn't earn it can know nothing by per-
sonal experience of the fatigue of voting
early and voting often.
Mr. Michael ~Slaven and the other
diligent perambulators exhibited touch
ing confidence in Democratic integrity.
"We voted" says Michael, the Demo
cratic ticket; did not examine any of
them; the man we took them from had
the Democratic badge on" Each enter
prising voter received from "the man
with the badge on" slip of paper. Up
on this were written facts with which the
recipient was supposed to be unacquaint-
ed, viz, his own name, residence and
occupation. These memoranda were
necessary, it seems, to manufacture a
citizenship for the gallant balloters. It
isn't everybody who can be rechristened,
get new house, and learn new trade,
dozen times over in one day.
Although the Philadelphia system ap-
pears to as to be nearly perfect, yet there
is one Improvement which We may ven-
ture to suggest. Common humanity
would seem to require that every Repeat
er, passing "from pole to pole" should
be furnished with a velocipede. If Mr..
Michael Slayen, without this locomotive
convenience, could vote twenty times in
one day, it is evident that by its aid he
might double or treble his usefulness.
We give Mr.. Chairman Wallace the hint,
and charge him nothing for it, beyond
the common gratitude which our past
favors have already SO amply earned.