The Portland daily press., 1871-09-09
Do You Want a Branch in IN aine?


Congressman Roosevelt, who says he was born
a Democrat aud is now representing Demo
cratic district in Congress, gives the following
astounding exposure of the repeating in New
York city, in his recent speech at the citizens
meeting:
THE MYSTERIES OF REPEATING.
Heretofore there has been registry of all
legal voters in this city. 1 can only speak OF
the past. l cannot tell what Tammapy will do
hereafter, and now that this registry law has
been repealed we may be sure that matters
will not De improved. There were three regis
ters to supervise these lists, three inspectors to
receive the votes, and three canvassers to count
them. One of each of these boards was a Re-
publican, and could stop all frauds if he pleas.
ed, but as the parties to be defeated were only
those Democrats who were opposed to Tam
many he shut his eyes with resolute determin-
atiou. To begin with, gangs of repeaters Were
organized whose first duty WIS to have their
names recorded in as many districts as posi-
BILE, usually from dozen TO fifty; and it was
curious with what chlldiike innocence the Re
publican register would receive the names of
100 men who assumed to reside at the private
dwelling of some leading Tammany Ward
politician, and who pretended to camp out on
some vacant lot. The repeaters are enrolled
and I have had lists of them offered to me for
sale a. so much vote when Tammany did not
need them.
% election day these men went to the polls
in gangs, with theii captain, and marched from
district to district like companies of soldiers
Ii one of them was challenged, the result de
pended upon the locality; in disre putable
neighborhood the challenger was mock ed into
the gutter. and probably locked up by the DO
lice tor disturbing the polls. In district where
this would not answer, the accused was taken
before the police magistrate, who sat all day to
hear just snch cases. and who let him out at
once on bail, the necessary bail also being on
hand tor the purpose, and the repeater was
usually back at the polls and hard at work be-
fore the challenger, and no one ever heard OF
such a case being brought to trial afterwards
In another way were these repeGters used
Many people, especially wealthy Republicans,
do not vote. 1t is the duty OF every man TO
vote; this is one of the obligations he assumes
iu demanding liberty, and, rather tbau have
the duty neglected, Tsmmany sees that it Is
performed. Toward the latter part of the day
it will be found that certain persons who are
registered have not voted, aud 1T then belongs
to the polling officers to copy such names on
slips and pass the m to the proper parties out
side; and it would horrify If not amuse some
of our wealthy miiionaires to SIZE what ragged
clothed, bloated faced, and disreputabe indi-
viduals represented them at the polls, and per-
formed for them public duty which they had
neglected. This is repeated. / have given you
but hurried sketch of it; the votes poed by
it count up by tens of thousands. But, sue
peaters began to imagine they were the mas
ters; they thought they held the power because
they We're the instruments of power To use
political slang term, they und ertook to set up
shop for themselves. Still repeating, when
kept in its place, is not disapproved by our
Ring rulers.
THE RINGING" DODGE.
The manipulation OF the ballots-'Ringing''
| the ballots, as it is appropriately called-is a
very beautiful operation, and is said by those
who have tried it TO be perfect II is now the
favorite plan; it is simple, Inexpensive and eff
tective. When one of you good, Innocent Re-
publicans, we will suppose, is going to the polls
to vote the wrong ticket support the wrong
man, as you are so fond of doing, your unwise
intentions are quietly frustrated The iuspec-
tor hoos Ia his hand The ballot you oug BIT to
deposit, and wheh he receives yours quietly
substitutes one Tor the other, aud drops yours
on the )or before he puts his in the box. This
is sim ple slight-of- hand trick, easily learned
and readily applied. II, however, you are sus-
picious and watch the Official if the latter is