New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-11-13
ELECTION FRAUDS

The resolution of the people to break up
the conspiracies which have robbed the Urea
sury and corrupted the suffrage for 80 many
years is assuming vindictlve character. 1t
is evident that the criminals viii be pursued
to the bitter end and the Committee of Seventy,
and other reform Organizations have every
disposition to push the beaten enemy, as we
urged them to do after the victory OF last
Tuesday. The law seems to be gradually
drawing its network around the most nOtO-
rious of the swindlers the newly elected
Attorney eneraI is preparing to bring actions
in the name of the State as soon as his term
of Office begins Mr.. O'COnor and his colleagues
are supposed to have secured great deal OF
evidence not yet divulged and to be actively
searching for more; and the private citizens
who have done 30 much for reform are now,
with the fresh inspiration of success, organic
ing additional proceedings to punish the
leaders and principal agents of the Ring.
No measures that have yet been undertaken
are likely to prove of moro permanent value
than the prosecutions for frauds at the
polls. The worst crime of the Ring
was depriving us of an honest VOTE
Under the despotism which we have just
thrown off, offenses against the suffrage were
always committed with absolute impunity. A
few strikers or repeaters were clumsy enough
every year to get themselves arrested, but
they were seldom punished, and the criminals
who employ ID them were allowed to retain
the offices which, by cheating at the polls,
they had stolen from the people. Under such
q system villainy was always easy, and theft
was nearly universal and perfectly safe. This
year there has been such raid upon Offend
ers against the election laws as we have never
known before. Judge Bedford, in his recent
charge to the Grand Jury, gave fair warning
that criminals of this character were to receive
no mercy, and not only in his court but in
other courts also 0 severity has been shown
which must have filed the Tweed, Norton,
Frear. and Fields gangs with CONSERVATION.
In this City the frauds on election day in
Tw eed's district are understood to have been
enormous, and the intimidation of voters was
without parallel In recent years. 1t Is no
exaggeration to say that the ballots for
O'Donovan Rosa were kept out of the
boxes by sheer rufflanism; and IN
many precincts it was literally unsafe
to vote against the Boss. Anti-Tammany vot-
era were beaten and driven away from the
polls, and there seems to be ground for charg-
ing that some Of the police were in collision
with the assailants II Tweed were allowed
to take his seat In the Senate on the strength
of an election like this, the principles of free
republican government would receive worse
blow than from the theft Of twenty million
dollars In other districts there was probably
gross cheating in the count. Very few doubt
that Horatio Seymour was the honest choice of
the XIXth Assembly District in preference to
Tom Fields, and Kilian the choice of the
XVIII District rather than the notorious Frear.
1t IL agreeable to know that the frand where
BY the certificates in these districts are to be
given 70 the snshs Who were not elected u un-
der strict Investigation, and that the rascals
who committed it are likely to get their re-
ward. ' .,'f ..-s
In Brooklyn the frauds in counting we're the
most outrageous of which,we have had any
experence. At the meeting <sa' Friday night
Mayor kalbfeisoh made a. Eleses and startling
statement OF tho manner in which the people
Of khse city had been cheated, out q, their
tishtS Hessh6wed how ssmb ,dlstdcts acopy-
ing Tweed's well. remembered exploitsr IN New
forO returned moro ballots than the whole
number OF the popuiauoi,i and how all
througn the Democratic Wards the vote bad
apparently increased in o single year 70, 80,
lVV' lso per cent, without any corresponding