The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-15
THE ROW At THE MEETING or
THE RETURN JUDGES.

The scene at the meeting of the Return
Judges yesterday was exceedingly disgraceful
Desperate Philadelphia politicians have I'M
fortunately acquired a reputation for doctor
ing up returns which is only too well de-
served. Not satisfied with cheating at the
polls and manipulating the first count of
votes, they sometimes resort to the still more
infamous device of distorting or falsifying
what should be deemed sacred record of
public opinion. The rascals of this stripe
are not all confined to the Democratic party,
for some skilful adopts cling to the skirts of
the Republican organization, and they are
ready, when occasion requires, for achievements
in political arithmetic which would even add
new laurels to the famous statistician of the
New York World 1t is alleged that yester-
day two such frauds were perpetrated one
affecting the result in the Thirteenth Legis-
lative District, and electing a Republican in-
stead of Democrat by a forged return, and
the other electing Watt, Republican Sena-
tor, instead of Diamond, a Democrat, by a
false or imperfect statement of the votes cast
in the Senatorial District. The parties guilty
of these falsihcations of the records cannot
be too severely punished. Their crime should
be made penitentiary offense. Instead of
being petted and rewarded by leading
partisans for their wickedness, they should be
not only forever disfranchised but treated as
the lowest and most dangerous class Of vii
lains. The Democrats were naturally indig-
nant at the rumors of the attempted frauds
and properly appealed to the Court of Com
mon Pleas to prevent their consummatiOn
Judge Allison promptly issued writ sus-
pending proceedings until the whole matter
could be judicially investigated. The Deputy
Sheriff who served this writ, however, acted
more in the spirit of partisan than
an emissary of the law. He obtained
his first entrance to the room in which
the Return Judges were in session under
circumstances well calculated to inspire q
doubt of the genuine character of his writ.
The doorkeepers allege that he falsely claimed
to be q return judge, and, once there, the re-
porters allege that he triumphantly exclaimed
that he had a writ from the Supreme Court,
which was not then in session. The conclu-
sion was hastily drawn from this misstate-
ment that he had no business in the room,
and he was summarily elected under the be-
lief that he was an unauthorized intruder.
Reinforced by new order from the Court and
by the aid of host of stalwart
policemen, he returned to the charge, effected
a forcible entrance, and the policemen not
only arrested the doorkeepers who had per-
formed what they had believed to be their
duty but shamefully maltreated one of the
most unoffending of reporters. The whole
difficulty arose from the indiscreet manner in
which the first attempt to serve the writ of
the Court was made; and the evil results OF
this blunder were intensified by the super
serviceable zeal of the policemen in assault
ing men who were, of all present, most inuo-
cent of wrongdoing of any description.
Subsequently the disputed points
were considered by the Court, and
its directions were followed but
as various questions were raised which can
only be legitimately decided by the Legisla-
ture, the certificates of election were given
to the parties who would have received them
If no appeal to a judicial tribunal had been
made, and it remains for the State Senate to
dispose of the claims of Watt and Diamond,
with the former as the sitting member, and
for the Assembly to decide between Geisz,
Nh"iOLj ohu Wall CuO lOLlllGI as Il6
holder of the certificate of election. We
trust that exact justice will be done at Har-
risburg, without reference to partisan predi-
!ections, as the Republicans Of Philadelphia
will lose infinitely more than they will gain
by endorsing official pretensions based on
fraud, and a just decision should be promptly
made.
The whole transaction brings into promi-
nence the readiness of q certain class of des-
perate partisans to peril their salvation for
heeting and despicable triumph, while it dis
plays a wonderfully inefficient and rude
method of enforcing the law by Deputy
Sheriff and the policemen. 1t is evident that
among the many other things needed to JIM
prove the municipal government, superior
method for the punishment of manipulators
of election returns should be devised; that the
necessity of having a police force free from
partisan influences constantly increases; and
that it would be well if the writs of the courts
affecting election returns could be served by
officers appointed by the judges, instead of
partisan Sheriffs.
THE SPANISH SITUATTON
AFFAIRS in Spain are rapidly getting into O