New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-11-11
VHdT rs TRUTH

IL we were required 10 account lot the con-
fiicting opinions creeds convictions, prejudices,
antipathies, which divide mankind and array
them in hostile camps, we should attribute
these deplOrable antagonisms to this above all
other cause.-the looseness and inaCcuracy of
statement to which disputants are too generally
addicted. They do not quote fully and fairly
the positions they profess to Controvert, but
substitute therefor something else which it
suits them to consider a substantial equiva-
lent. Thus The World, protesting to answer
orr Second Letter to a Politician" says:
"Mr. Greeley undertakes to set forth the great
advantages and indispensable necessity OF law for the
registration Of voters. He asserts or rather tmPtes
something little short Of crme that neither Mr. Til
den HIMSELF Gov. Seymour nor any prominent Democrat
in the State has ever advocated Registration law"
Our readers know how untrue this is-know
that we expressly and clearly arraigned Tilden
g. Co., not for neglecting TO obey the consti-
tutlOnal provision we cited in our way, but
for not seeking to obey it in any way. We
believe a prior registration of voters, with
reasonable time thereafter for scrutiny and
investigation before the polls open, indispen-
sable but we find no fault with those who
honestly seek the confessedy desirable end by
other means than those which commend them
selves to our approval. What we asked Mr..
Tllden was essentially this
MIR. Tilden, by the Constitution which you
aided to frame and adopt, and which you have
just voted to perpetuate, you have very prop
erly prescribed that
ART H. 8; Laws .hsA be made for asceFsi9ins by
Right Of Suffrage hereby established"
Now, Sir, where, when, how, have your party
obeyed, or sought to obey, that most important
requirement "What answer2" Can The
World do no better than misstate and pervert
our inquiry If not, why not be wise enough
to take refuge in silence
The World proceeds to make assertions of
the inutility and inehicacy of Registration
which are entirely wide of the mark. We
take God to witness that we have steadfastly,
persstently, done the best we could to secure
to every legal voter his Right of Suffrage-a
right which the facility of polling illegal votes
tends directly and palpably to subvert and
destroy. If there is a better way than ours,
let it be proposed and adopted. We arraign
Tilden g. Co., not that they have preferred
to ours another mode of obeying their own
constitutional requirement, but that they have
not sought to give effect to it in any manner
whatever. ..
"Mr Greeley's letter proves anything 1t proves that
the Republican registry law no obstruction 70 legal
voting"
Does it9 Why not let your readers see what
it proved on this headf Here it Isl
"There registered here for election lIs
the claimant Of right to vote On election day, but
pOlled for Secretary Of State and
for ptroer. Add li8 for scattering and say that
lit 900 voted In ALL there still TDeYsfz TkOts-
sand names The re0tsrtss on Uhich attempted
10 vote. You do need 10 be told what this means
Der yet neglected were unable 20 vote the I'D of
November. The remaining Twenty-Five Thousand names
were placed tho regstries at the Instance OF repeat
era who, finding hearing that they were spotted
ala not venture to vote. they did venture, OK.
posed and driven of arrested To this extent them
regtraton imperfect has proved did prevent the
polling OF fraudulent votes"
Nov you are not in fault that you failed
to answer this, for you could not; but what
right had you to deceive your readers with a
belief that it did not exist
The World says that our figures
show that there vastly illegal voting under the
registry law than there was before 1t was enacted"
DO they If so. do not statistics show
that there is committed here more forgery, more
counterfeiting, moro swindlng generally, than
there was before the laws which denounce and
punish these crimes were enacted If the in
crease Of crime argues that the laws against