Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-02-24
RING WORK.
The Philadelphia Election Car.
ried by Fraud.

RepeaterS. Policemen, and Election
Officers Prevent an Honest Election
-The scheme Exposed by the Chair
man of the Citizens Investigating
Committee
From the New York Tribune, Feb. 2l.
Although many persons feared that
the municipal government OF Phlladel-
phia would be reelected by fraud, there
was nevertheless a great deal of aston
ishment among the people Of the city
when they learned theresult of the late
contest. W. B. Hazleton, chairman of
the Citizens Investigating Committee,
in letter to the Press, says this aston
ishment has yielded to a general be-
lief that the victors' majority sprang
from fraud, organized and carried out
in accordance with a comprehensive
plot. perfected ON the eve of the elec-
ton" He says evidence of the ex-
istence of such a scheme IS to be found
in the universality of intimidation, re-
peating, false personating, bribery and
fraudulent voting Of all descriptions. "
The committee, he says, has collected
sufficient facts "to show not only the
exact course pursued by the Ring to
perpetuate its power, also to prove IN
disputably that Senator Mcclure was in
reality elected by a handsome major
ity.' For the present Mr.. HazeltOn
confines his disclosures TO general
statements. but promises that "the
people of Philadelphia may rest assur-
ed that the boasted triumph of the
office-holders Will prove the deares;
victory money ever purchased" =. be
gives details of several representative
cases of fraudulent voting, the princi-
pal points of which are given below:
Large bodies of repeaters from New
York. Baltimore, and other places,
marshaled by prominent local Politi-
clans, did their work effectively IN the
First, Tenth, Nineteenth and Twenty
sixth Wards. In the First Ward they
voted without opposition, many OF the
election officers having been heavily
bribed and the police instructed to
cover their operations. In one division
of the ward board was nailed up at
the polling window so as to etfectually
conceal the voters from the scrutiny of
the minority officers, and 1t was kept
in place despite the earnest protests OF
the inspector and Oyerseer. In one IN
stance the window-bOok men, both Of
them bribed, put the votes in them
selves for the repeaters as often as they
appeared.
At the Sixth Division of the Tenth
Ward the polls, under the efficient pro-
lection of three policemen, more than
half the entire vote cast was polled by
repeaters. The same state OF affairs
existed IN other divisions of the same
ward. A careful estimate from the de-
tectiyes and the manner of distribution
indicates that nearly 1000 votes were
polled in this way. Inlone instance
man was dressed IN full naval uniform
at a district station-house and voted IN
the name of a captain IN the navy who
was out of town. The minority IN
spector. an intlmSte acquaintance and
neighbor of the Captain, challenged
the voter. but was Overruled by the
iudoes who allowed the fraudulent vote
to he cast. The issue of the fraudu-
lent tax receipts amounted to thous-
ands. and nearly if not quite all
served the purpose of the Ring.
With scarcely any exception the police
force ON active duty cO-Operated with
the repeaters and roundsmen to intlmi-
date voters and compel the reception
of ballots openly acknowledged to be
fraudulent. In many instances they
not only refused to arrest illegal voters
at the call of the ''inside officers" ;" but
assaulted window book men andlnnocent
by standers. Therulingof Judge Finlet-
ter that no policeman, unless engaged
in making an arrest; should stand
nearer than 80 feet from the window,
was universally ignored. In several
cases those who challenged repeaters
were arrested and brutally treated by