New-York tribune., 1872-10-09

pect Of success.
AY ELECTION VOID Through CRIub.
The most serious work which ever devolved
upon the people of n State rests upon the clti-
zens of PENNSYLVANIA from this day. Ihe
exalted position Of Governor of that great
Commonwealth has been given to man
whose character is tainted with fraud, and
whose sole prominence arises from the fact
that he was chosen by the corrupt Cameron
Ring at Harrisburg TO do what ofhclai woiK
they might require. He was the weakest can
didate, considered in q personal point Oh
view, who could possibly have been Sc
lectcd to head the Republican ticket. But
his very weakness was his strength. lie
was so destitute of character and position
that the Ring which had made him felt sure
of him, and was willing to devote to his cleo
ton fair proportion of the money they had
stolen from the public. The Administration
at Washington adopted him and put i'll action
for his benefit all the resources OF the Gov
ernment But even this was not enough
The State organization of the Grant party
and the national, both agreed that the deleat
of IIartranft would be fatal to them. Ihey
therefore resolved that he should not be de-
feated. and took their measures to that end.
We do not to-day dwell upon that outrage
and insult to the very spirit of law and
decency contained in the pardon OF lerBes
upon the eve of the election, for the purpose
of extorting q false affidavit In Hartranits
favor. This prostitution of the Executive
prerogative is a mere trivial indecency COM
pared with the enormous crime which has
been deliberately plotted for a month, and
WIS Yesterday consummated. There is not i'll
PHILADELPHIA nor in NewYOrk an intelligent
man who does not know the general process
by which the vote of Pennsylvania was
falsified, and many of them know the details.
The first step was an immense fraudulent
registry, which raised the voting population ut
one vast stride from 10000 to about 1C5,0OO. To
personate the names thus fraudulently inscribed.
herds of negroes were hired in Washington
and in Virginia, and gangs of repeaters under
some of the most notorious rufans in New
York were engaged to join in the business.
This was of universal publicity. The friends
of Hartranft chucklcd rnd Dragged over 1t.
Well-to-do citizens belonging to the Union
League Club said, no later than last Saturday,
ave will give Hartranft whatever majority
" he needs whether it is 900, 10000, or 1900"
They were better than their boasts, probably
because the need was greater than their fears.
Terrified by the accounts of Liberal gains in
the State, they determined not to be chary of
their votes, and by false voting and false
counting they scored Up the incredible majority
of 10000!
Only last Spring the same crime was carried
through in the same city by the same men. Col.
Mcclure was cheated out of his certificate of
election to the Senate by the same foul pro-
cess He did not submit to the outrage, but
appealed to a hostile body, and by irrefraga-
bic proofs reganed his seat. The facts
brought forward by him in the form of sworn
evidence have never been gansaid. He
proved bribery, repeating, and false counting.
He proved the direct Illegal and corrupt inter-
ference of United States officers with the
elections. The case was so scandaOus and so
undeniably proved, that the moral sense OF
the majority could not refuse him his place.
No greater personal triumph of one determined
man against powerful Government con-
spiracy was ever seen.
1t remains with the people of Pennsylvania
to decide whether they will vindicate their
right to self-gOvernment, or submit to grind
in the mills of the bandits who have robbed
them of their citizenship. They yesterday
elected Charles X. Buckalew to be their
Governor. A handful of rOgues, represent
ing the party in power, violated the
ballot boxes, and substituted for the elect of
the people creature of their own,
man of tainted moral character and
greatly inferior abilities. To submit to a
robbery like this, to call it a mere political
act and let the matter rest there, is cowardly
and criminal. If Hartranft takes his seat,
there is not law but anarchy in Pennsylvania.
We ask all sensible men there and elsewhere
to reflect for moment after the heat of the
fight is over, and say if they think that re-
publican government can endure, if offensos
like this are to be encouraged by impunity TO
repetition.
Mr.. DELANO AND THE WHISKY CASES.
Grant papers assume that they have
vindicated the action of Secretary Delano in