New-York tribune., 1870-10-17
A SWEET SITE OF THINGS.


We find ourselves again and again irrcsisti-
bly, impelled to q contemplation of the social
charms which attend the exercise Of the Right
of Suffrage in the CiUy of Brotherly Love-the
city which, alone upon this continent, was
founded upon the pleasing doctrine of Nom
Resistance. Heretofore, whenever an awful
example of the evil effect of DemagOgical
| Democracy was wanted by the suburban and
rustiCal newspapers, our own New York was
brought out to be pilloried; and we bore the
blushing honors of battery with such graceful
modesty as we cOuld muster. But we begin
to feel that as scalnps, rascals, ruflans, re-
peaters and scOundrelly Defenders Of the Rights
of Men, we are simply and shamefully nowhere.
The history Of the meeting of the Board of
Return Judges in Philadelphia, last Thursday
| lin TIE Morning Post newspaper), ia marvel
and a mystery of clamOr and confusion, Of
shouting and shooting. of turmoil and tussle.
| 1t being settled that lawyer should be heard
on either side in regard to the validity of a
certain return, William b. Mann, esq, and
Lewis c. Cassidy, esq, were summoned When
Mr.. Mann arrived there was Democratic"
mob about the door, and he was in exactly the
opposite condition of which Sternes's startling
cOmplained-he couldn't get in! Finally he
effected an entrance. Then the besiegcrs be-
gan TO batter the door. Then the great Me-
Mullen, with Others, stormed the room; and
among them was Nolen, an eminent
dispenser of spirituOus refreshment. Then
spttOOns were hurled upon one side. Then
revolvers were discharged upon the other, and
Nolen fell badly wounded. Then there came
.botr ba tIv hafl
earth. There were small physical fights going
On outside the house. and great forensic fights
within. lt was spectacle as shameful as any
which has ever been exhibited upon this con-
tinent-Or any other. There were fights in
Chestnut-st. There were fights going on in
other streets. AT these Station-Houses they
were locking up men for illegal votinS-at
others those who attempted to prevent it. We
have no heart for details here and now. 1t
was like the breaking up of GOldsmitlls club
-" all dam-blOod- -fre-wlizz- --tit-rat
"-trip-not, nonsense, and rapid confusion !"
That in outrages like these there may be
some blame upon both sides, knowing, as we
do, the infrmity of human nature, we are not
disposed to deny. But whoever would know
to whom the chief part of the trouble must be
fairly assigned must watch the comments OF
the Democratic newspapers. They are not
aggrieved by the riots, but by the attempts to
suppress them made by the authorities; yet
the only quarrel which honest patriots can
have with these attempts will be with their
comparative tardiness and inefciency. Alder
man McMullen, John G. NOlen et al. are scoun-
drels who are to be deferred from utterly In
excusable violence only by the fear of being
shot. But if they are to understand that alive
they are to be honored as defenders of Liberty,
or that dead they are to be- eulogized as mar
tyrs then, at least in the great cities the hold
ing of elections will be simply farce more
ridiculous than any ever presented In the
theater. 1t is matter of history, it is susceptible
Of plain proof, it has been judicially demon
strated over and over again, that in Phila-
delphia tho election riots and tho election