Weekly Trinity journal., 1871-10-07
RINGING THE BALLOTS.

nooseNeili tne Democrauc member OF Congress
from New York city, says the S. f. Chronicle,
has declared against the corruptions of Tam
many. and exposes the various means by which
the managers of the party in that city have ma
nipuated the ballots to secure large Democratic
majorties. The favorite method pursued has
been ''ringing," which Roosevelt explains as
follows:
The manipulation of ballots--"ringing" the
ballots, as it is appropriately called-is very
beautiful operation, and is said by those who
have tried it to be perfect. 1t is now the favor
ite plan it is simple inexpensive and effective.
When one of you good, innocent Republicans,
we will suppose, is going to the polls to vote
the wrong ticket or support the wrong man, as
you are SO fond of doing, your unwise intentions
are quickly frustrated. The Inspector holds in
his hand the ballot you ought to deposit, and
when he receives yours quietly substitutes one
for the other, and drops yours on the floor be-
fore he puts his in the box. This is a simple
sleight-of-hand trick, easily learned and readily
applied. If, however, you are suspicious and
watch the oilicia-if the latter is awkward and
inexperienced-a man near by pushes against
you or the policeman seizes you and accuses yoa
of having voted before. OF course, ample apol-
ogies are immediately rendered for the rudeness,
the Inspectors are indignant that so respectable
gentleman should be insulted they abuse the
rough or policeman, and you are shown out with
great respect; but your ballot went down on
the floor and the substitute got into the box.
To secure the connivance of the Republican
Judge or Inspector of Elections, who might de-
tect the "ringing" operation, Tammany pur-
chased such silence by place in the city gov
ernment; hence there number of Republic
cans in that city known as " Tammany Republi-
cans" Another mvorite plan 10 cheat voters
out of their choice at the ballot box is false
counting, which Roosevelt explains as follows:
This is done generally by transferring the fig
ures bodily. For instance, if Jones, the Tam
many candidate, gets 100 votes, and Smith, the
opposition candidate, receives 200, the 200 of
Smith are transferred to Jones, who gives his
100 to Smith This is an exquisitely simple
process but in practice it is said to work badly,
and great complaint is made of it by those who
have tried it, In the first place, the candidates
are often too nearly equal to give to Tammany
its just preponderance or to overcome some per-
sstent opposition in district where this plan
cannot be worked for it is found utterly i'm
practicable in some districts. Its defects can
sometimes be cured by false count, that is to
say, the votes are counted by ten, one canvasser
taking them up and counting ten, when he calls
tally" and slips piece of elastic around the
bundle. Of course he has only to make FIVE
votes instead of ten, and call tally" to aug
ment greatly the chances of his favorite. In one
intance this was done SO enthusiast sticay that
that the Tammany candidate had received fifty
tallies, or 500 votes, and had large major
ity yet uncounted, when the polling clerk deemed
it advisable to inform the canvassers that there
were only 45O name the registry.
No wonder that, at the exposure of such frauds,
the people have risen and demanded
that the villains should be hurled from power.
! If these statements were to emanate from Repub-
lcans, it might be thought they were colored
for partisan purposes but they are the "con-
fession " of one of those who has been all along
cognizant o: the frauds speaks by the card, and
yields to the general determination to reconstruct
the politics of New York city on n basis of hon
esty and purity.-Yreha Journal.