New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-09-02
Words THAT MUST BE SPOKEN


"spective of party" is to be held in the great
hall of Cooper Institute on Monday evening
next. That it will be numerously As well as
most respectfully attended, we cannot doubt;
and we entreat every citizen who can do 80
without serious inconvenience to add his pres
ence and his voice. to those of the thousands
beside who will there express in thun-
der-tones their conviction that our City
has been monstrously robbed by her chief
rulers and insist that those most compromised
shall give full and true account of their
stewardship preparatory to their ignominious
expulsion from power. We do not doubt that
the meeting aforesaid will be inspired and
guided by honor and patriotism. and that it's
conclusions will be such as all good men should
approve and unite in.
But there is truth that should be spoken
that might give offense and cause alienation
if uttered at the meeting; we choose, there
fore, to proclaim it here aud now.
The source of all our political and judicial
woes is the corruption of our ballOt-boxes.
The legal voters are habitually misrepresented
by the official count and declaration of the re-
suits of each successive election. To naturalize
| five hundred voters of an evening-one or two
hired swearers making the necessary affidavits
for them all-is counted judicial feat that
entities one of our Mansfelds to q reelection,
with liberal increase of salary. To forge
Naturalization Certificates by the dozen reams,
leaving only the name of the thus-made citizen
to be written into his certificate at leisure,
entities the perpetrator to sinecure place,
with liberal salary and allowances. To
organize and handle o gang Of jail-birds,
80 that they may safely poll twenty votes each
at an election, entities the expert to be made
Senator if nothing more. Untried indict-
ments and pigeon-holed afidavits OF felony
have been made to swell the Democratic vote
by thousands. Should all these fail to pro-
duce the desired result, "good counting" sup
plies all deficiencies. Where the vote actually
cast is largely fraudulent. the count is pretty
apt to make it q great deal Iworse. Thus the
Sixth Ward gave its largest Democratic vote
and majority in 1859, when not more than
two-thirds of the legal voters went to the polls
The real vote was at least doubled by fraud !;
at least one election district giving Demo-
cratic votes exceeding the whole number
of men, women, and children, living in
that district including many aliens. Next
year, the Democratic "bossn of that ward was
made Sheriff Of the County. There were
Sheriffs before him who won the great prize
by polling hundreds Of illegal votes at each
of several elections.
The Common Council, we hear, is recasting
the election districts with reference to the ensu-
| ing election, though they were similarly upset
last year. The object then and now is one
to befog the evidence of past frauds, and facil-
itate the preparation of more such.
Voting in this City, even under the most
stringent regulations ever yet enacted, was
always easy. 1t rarely costs a voter 80 much
as an hours time both to register and to vote.
Yet the Democratic party, through its chosen
chiefs and legislators, has for thirty years
fought any and every effort to preclude
| fraudulent voting-has done Its worst to make
the ballot-box as easy Of access to all as any
oar-room spit-box. The Democratic Legisla-
ture of 1870 abolished the Registry except for
this City. That of last Winter virtually de-.
stroyed 1t for this City also.
Gentlemen resolvers and reformers you NAV
say and do what you please without materially
affecting the declared results of our successive
elections so long as our laws prefer oppor-
tunity for illegal voting and fraudulent count
ing and our misrulers incite and profit by
these crimes. Their judges sit ready and
more than willing to discharge at sight every
villain arrested for repeating" from poll to
poll; and they care precious little what votes
90 into the boxes 30 long as their bribed tools
are empowered to determine and declare what
shall be taken and deemed" to have been
counted out of them. II they choose to return
next November their pets as elected Senators
and Assemblymen, they will do 1t, though
other candidates receive thrice as many votes.
Messrs. August Belmont and followingi we
tell you the naked truth. II you do not al
ready know it, then you have chosen to shut
your eyes to the plainest facts Resolve and
deE ounce to your hearts content but do not