The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-14
mo VEMENTS OF THE CITY DE-
MOORAOY

diminish their coveted opportunities for per-
petrating frauds; and their local ticket is
composed of men so odious that they cannot
even command the support of their fellow
partisans. They will not receive, as in 1868,
aid from the National Government; they can
gain no prestige from the personal popularity
of any of their city nominees and in view of
the late experiences in the courts, it is doubt
full whether Mike Fitzgerald can bring over
reinforcements from New York on election
day, or whether false presentations can be
safely attempted Their 'best holt now is
in the fact that they have captured the police
and the Sheriff's posse, and if the worst
comes to the worst, they can confidently cal
culate that the moral influence of the autho-
rites charged with the maintenance of peace
and order will not be thrown against them.
This strong point, however, is reserved for the
advance, too much reliance upon it, means
might be devised to counteract it.
The first great object of their attacks is the
Registry law. They antagonized it in the
Courts, but this campaign proved fruitless.
Then came the struggle in the proceedings be-
fore the Board of Aldermen, in which the in
vincible Fourth ward leader bore a conspicu-
Gus part He contends for the right of the
Democratic aldermen to name all the Demo-
cratic election officers. The Republicans as
sert that they have appointed Democrats to
all the positions to which partisans of that
school have a valid claim, but McMullin re-
plies that he and his fellow Democratic alder
men are the only true judges Of Democratic
qualifications, and he denounces as "Republi-
cans" men who have long been known as
active and consistent but at the same time
honest and fair-minded members Of the Demo-
cratic party. The Republican aldermen de-
clare their policy to be to act ''fairly and
honorably with the Democratic party, to put
none in as Democrats who are not Demo-
Gratis" but at the same time to select from
the ''party such men as have not hitherto had
anything to do with elections" and, in view
of the disclosures recently made of the infa
nous frauds of 1868, there are good reasons
for this precaution.
While McMullin is battling for the favorite
old election officers before the Board of AL
dermen, John Hamilton, Jr., Chairman of
of the Democratic Executive Committee, is
sounding the slogan against the law in an
address. He denounces it as an ubiquitous"
measure, enacted by corrupt Legislature
for the purpose of disfranchising every citi-
zen who fails to get his name upon the regis
try lists. He grows especially eloquent over
the hardships of the seamen. He says:-"To
add still further to their infamy, they have
made war upon the brave sailors of the coun-
try and, by the Registry law, ''they dis
franchise four-fifths of the gallant tars who
float our flag on every sea, and whose bold
enterprise and daring have made it the ad-
miration of the world" This is st-rate
reading and it is gratifying to know
that Hamilton thinks so much of
the flag as to take this intense interest
in the welfare of the sailors who carry it
round the world. Could there possibly be
more delicate touch of patriotism Unhap-
PLY we fear that in this instance echo is re-
luctantly compelled to answer yes. Hamilton
and his party were decidedly hostile to the
exercise of the right of suffrage by the SOL
diers who on land were bearing the flag aloft
in the midst of a thousand dangers; why,
then, should he be so anxious that the men
who sail under it on shipboard should all be
permitted to vote? Let the history of past
election contests answer. Of all aids aud
accessories of election frauds none are so
fruitful as sailor boarding-houses Their
population is necessarily transient, and of
such a character that antecedents cannot
be successfully traced. Fifty Mike
Fitzgeralds and their accompanying
crowds could easily be slowed away in these
hospitable mansions in time TO help the De-
mocracy in close contest; and if they had
never sailed on anything more boisterous
than raging canal, they could still be made
to do full Democratic duty as gallant tars'
Just arrived from long cruise. The bathos
of Hamilton, Jr., is touching, but it is a pity
that his love for the flag only gained its pre-
sent pitch of excitement when he found thai
the Democracy might lose votes through it,
deprivation of the old facilities for fraud
Next to his love for the sailors, Hamilton il
solicitous for the welfare of those who boarC
at hotels or public houses. If they are bon
tide voters, they can easily have their name
placed on the registry lists by adducing pre-
per proofs of residence and qualifications. Blu
inasmuch as thousands of bogus voters hav
ON different occasions been manufactured 6
these establishments, new safeguards to th
purity of the ballot-box were undoubtedly NJ
oessary. Hamilton, Jr., however, appears 8
the champion of all boarders at public house
He says that none of them ''are reputab
enough to be on the original assessors lists
and that they should 'be prepared at the pol
To resent the insult put upon them by tn