New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-10-26
THE URGENT ISSUE.

A fair and honest electiOn--One in which
every legal voter shall have the fullest and
best opportunity TO cast one vote and no more
for each Office to be filed, while none but q
legal voter shall be allowed to cast any vote at
all-that is what the Republicans of this City
desire and demand-that is what has for years
been denied them. Gen. Grant was inCOn-
testably cheated out of the Electoral Vote of
our State by frauds cOncOcted and mainly
perpetrated in this City. The demagOgues
who affect to deny this argue that the City
did not cast any more votes than she
might be fairly expected to dO-only
about one to six of her total population. But,
Sirs, we respond, you are not speaking to the
question. All must know that very large
share of our population consists of aliens, who
are not entitled to vote; of seafaring men,
who are necessarily absent on voyages when
elections are held; of merchants and mercan-
tile agents, who arc likewise absent, while
more women than men are resident here.
Hence our last State Census, taken in 1865,
showed 7s6,3 1886 persons residing in our City,
whereof only 12S,975 claimed to be legal voters;
whereas, in the rural districts, the proportion
of legal voters to population is much greater.
But, Mcssieurs, you say that the 156,05l votes
cast here for President in 1868 were little more
than one-sixth of our population, and that
this is no more than our City ought to cast
in fact, hardly so much. What say you to the
polling of 45O votes in the lid Ward out OF q
total population of 1,OO5f What to the polling
of 5,4O3 votes in the With Ward out of a total
population of 2l,272 land even this monstrous
aggregate swelled to $3.50 (all Democratic but
26O) at the Judicial election last Junef Nay:
what say you to the polling of 84 Democratic
votes against so Republican, in the 10th cleo
ton district of that Ward, where the late Cen
sus shows but $40 men, women and children
in allf Do you say the Census may be defect
iyef We answer that Marshal Sharpe chal-
leneed Mayor Hall to unite with him in select
ing an eminent Democrat and an eminent Re
publican to retake that Census, and the Mayor
dare not accept the proposition.
At our late Judicial election, which excited
no popular interest, the I'd district of the
With Ward, with but LAO inhabitants, polled
042 Democratic votes; the Sd district OF that
Ward, with but 1904 inhabitants, polled S3S
Democratic votes-and so with many others.
Can you pretend to believe that this was
hOnestf
Why is it that this enormous disprOportiOn
of votes to population occurs uniformly In
the strongest Democratic districtsf Why is
nothing like it shown in one of the thirty -ono
districts that gave majorities against Hoif-
man How comes it that many of your
strongholds poll one vote for every three per-
sons residing therein, several more than one
vote to two persons, and one more Democratic
votes than there are men, women and chill
dren residing in it, while no Republican or
nearly balanced district shows any such re-
sult3 ......f.. .... ..h
Messeurs your attempts to fOment rebel
lion against Federal authority and law are idle.
The acts of Congress you stigmatize were
passed in the interest of honesty and liberty.
They aim at the protection of every legal
voters Right of Suffrage, whether he be Re-
publican or Democrat. No legal voter fears
that his right to vote will be overbOrne by
Federal neutrality-suspicious., with all who want
to vote illegally, and the suborners of false
voters and false canvassers, are alone affected.
| They howl and show their teeth, as it is right
| that they should, and their denunciatiOns prove
the legislation they execrate needed and effect
i've They will poll all the votes they have
aud they rage only because they will not be
allowed to poll those they nave pot. Honor
| to the Congress that has interposed the shield
of the National authority in defense of the
violated rights of legal voters Let us show
our appreciation of this just and timely action
| by rallying in force at the polls