The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-11-22
ELECTION FRAUDS.

The Democrat puts on a bold face and
assumes to scout the very idea of fraud by
honorable men such as are appointed with
out exception by the party to conduct cleo
ton matters from the registration to the
counting out of the vote. But this kind
of assurance will not answer where De-
mocracy and its election frauds are SO well
known. To talk of legal redress while the
Courts are in the hands of men eff the same
party is absurd. The delays of the law
at best, are proverbial, but when the law
is in the same hands that hold party ma
chinery the chances for obtaining justice
are about as favorable as peace and COM
fort for short tailed animal of the bovine
species in fly time.
The Democrat has novel way of justify
ing injustice by saying that when the he
publicans were in power they DISTINGUISHED
hundreds of Democrats. Without stop
ping to inquire into the truth of this
charge, we take The Democrats OPINION
which assumes that it is true and was also
wrong. 1t is the poorest OF logic then 10
attempt to justify the acts of the present
party in power, by what you condemn IN
the Republican party.
In the matter of election funds the
Federal offlceholders of the State are pitted
against the Baltimore and whisky Rings.
With ring in that rich city which appro-
PIRATES by the hundred thousand, and Gov
Whyte and ex- Governor Swami aspiring to
the United States Senate, and an honest
Democratic Legislature necessary to the
permanence of the Ring and the election
of one of these worthless, the suggestion
that the Federal officeholders of the State
could command the larger purse is about
as preposterous as the rest OF The Demo-
Gratis apology for its party roguery.
But we are pleased to find that 1he
American is quoted as good Democratic
authority on the question of honesty in
the late election, and there can be no OBJ
lection to us quoting from its pages some
items on the same subject. In the issue OF
Friday, 14th inst, from lengthy article
entitled
CHOW THE MONEY GOES"
We clip the following as specimens OF
Democratic thrift and economy:
In the proceedings of the First Branch
of the City Council, published in The
AMERICAN of the 18th inst, appears an
itemized bill, setting forth the cost OF the
registration of voters for the last election.
1t foots up the snug little sum of $780,
76O. 6S. We have already shown how the
advertising of the lists of voters i'll the
Gazette and German Correspondent was
"padded,' so as to make them cover twice
as much space as was necessary. Although
the columns were mostly blank with oc-
casional lines Of type running half way
across, the space was charged for as If 1t
had been filled with solid matter By the
iudicious use of "slugs" the Gazette was
enabled to figure out bill of "a, 344.eO,
while the German Correspondent demands
81, $685.. 1t will be seen that the publ
cation of the lists costs $S,911.35.
\ y y
The next item in the bill which demands
scrutiny is the amount claimed for the pay
of Registers. There are twenty of these
officers; the law provides that they shall
shall be 81 per diem. If they only charge
for the days in which they were actually
employed in the discharge of their official
duties, the aggregate compensation would
be $720. 1t is probable that each Register
was engaged day or two after the books
were closed in preparing the lists; but how
was the aggregate salary swelled to So, 800,
which is 1876 for each Register, or pay at
81 per day for FORTY nine DAYS?
X X
We now come to an item which we have
taken some pains to investigate, namely,
"Rent of twenty rooms, So, 940." We
cannot tell whether each Register demands
the same sum for rent, and whether the
bills vary according to location and the
size and style of the room occupied. AS
the item is stated, it would seem that the
twenty Registers had agreed to divide
$2,940 into twenty equal parts. This
would make $147 for each room, or 1888
per day. Let US look at the rooms, and
see whether this charge is excessive or
otherwise:
The Register for the First ward is Mr.
Louis VAIL, No. Q Washington street.
He used the front room of his own dwell
ling for an office. The house would prob
ably rent for $50 per month. How Mr..
Wall could charge $16.33 per day for the
use of his front room is a matter for his
own conscience and the City Council to
determine.
Similar charges were made for rent of
sixteen rooms by each Register of the 90
wards in the city. We append couple
Democratic officials. Doubtless The Demo-
crat would pronounce these Registers with
out exception men of responsibility and
unimpeachable moral character
Alexander NJ. Briscoe, the Register of
the Eighteenth ward, is constable in the
Office of Charles A. Wheeler, Justice of
the Peace, aud recently elected member of
the First Branch of the City Council from
the Seventeenth and Eighteenth wards.
Mr.. Briscoe's office was on the northwest
corner of Schroeder and Lombard streets,
in a little candy shop. The lady who keeps
it says that he has promised to give her
50 per day anyhow, and perhaps S."
what does Mr.. Briscoe propose to do with
the $11.33 per day additional demanded
from the city?
Henry q. Hart, Esq, recently elected to
the House of Delegates, was Register of
the Nineteenth ward. His office was in
the store of Robert ]. Davidson, gas filter,
No. 778 North Baltimore street. Mr.. Dav-
idson understands that he is to receive
rental of s. per day. Why does Mr.. Hart
ask for 1858 per day?
X
The total number of persons registered
was 4,701. If the bill presented by the
Registers is allowed $50, 760. 6S), it will cost
the tax payers 81 Al for each man added to
the voting list. In justice to the Regis
tiers, we must say that there were 4,O55
transfers; that is, 1896 voters changed
their residences from one ward to another,
and the proper entries were made on the
registration books. The Registers. there
fore, dealt with 8, 756 Names and they de-
mand $2.27 for each name. We ask the
gentlemen who compose the Committee OH
Claims in the City Council whether, as
custodians of the peoples money, sworn
to take care of their interests, they do not
consider the bill little extravagant.
The american of Monday last still has
some more developments. 1t says
Every day brings out some new fact con-
corning that most extraordinary bill for