Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-03-11
rb. New york Election Frauas


election in New York automatically con-
firms the universal impression that an
enormous crime against the country
was committed in this State by the Dem
ocratic managers. Every person who
was actively engaged i'll the canvass
knew that fraudulent naturalization
papers had been sent out of the city into
the neighbOring counties and towns.
The characters of the Democratic Judg-
es chiefly engaged in the business of nat
uraliZation were notorious. The equally
notorious character of the most active
Democratic managers justified the live
liest suspicion. Frauds upon the ballot
in the city were certainly not then for
the first time suggested, and, knowing
the great probability of fraud. and con-
scious of the universal convictisn that it
was even then attempted in the mast
fragrant manner, the duty of any honor
able magistrate of any party was to an
nounce the fact, and call upon all good
citizens to expose the crime, and bring
the criminals to justice. This was pc
culiarly the duty of Mr.. Hoffman, who
was then the Mayor OF the city, and
also a candidate for Governor. But that
gentleman issued proclamation declar-
ing even the charges of fraud to be
gross and unfounded;" thus stating as a
fact what hundreds of citizens knew to
be untrue, and what it was his especial
duty to know to be SO. Mr. Hoffman's
action tended directly to protection of
the frauds, and no man familiar with the
facts doubted then or doubts now that
those frauds made him Governor
Why is it that every Democratic paper
initiated the Mayor in sneering that the
charges of fraud? Why should leading
journal of that party make the stupid
assertion that the vote of the city of
New York Is as honest as that Of any.
city? Why should Democrats who are
intelligent men attempt to dispose of
such a crime by struggling their shoul-
ders and saying that the Republicans
are as bad as Democrats, and that one
patty cheats just as much as the other?
It is not question of party. 1t is a
question of the stability of the Govern
ment. If Republicans organize and ex-
ecute these vast schemes of fraud, why
do net Democrats try to expose them?
Simply BECAUSE the Democratic man.
ayers know that 1T be true that some
Republicans cheat at the polls, the enor-.
nous frauds are perpetrated by Demo-
Gratis for the benefit of the Democratic
party. Therefore their papers affect to
SueeT dJ ~ildt luty Cdli SJdtc SldHucIS
and party tricks. When a Democratic
candidate, as was the case in certain
wards of New York, receives more ma
jority than there are legal voters i'm the
ward, it is stale SANDER to say so?
There should be brief summary of
the report of Mr.. Lawrence cheaply pub
lished and scattered through the country ,,
chat the people of the United States
may understand how they are cheated
of their rights. and how the essential
principle fthe Government is assailed
by the managers of the Democratic
party in New York. They would then
see the wisdom of the substance of the
provisions which the report recon-
mends. The United States alone should
naturalize citizens, and defend by its
own officers and laws the national cleo
tions Indeed, the whole system of nat
uralization, and every safeguard Of the
suffrage. should be abolished rather than
intrusted to the administration of courts
and magistrates which, like so many of
those in the city of New York, again
and again and again exposed in detail,
have become an unspeakable disgrace ts
the American name.-[ Harpers Weekly.