New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-28
INUTUEH RLINUIR.

ANOTHER BLUNDER.
Every step of the Democracy, not only In
| Congress- but in the States and cities, ~
watched by those whose votes bring victory or
defeat. Even the words of public men and
Journals are thus watched. When Gov. Tilden
made war on the Canal Ring, he brought TO
his party the confidence and votes Of thou
sands who care not q straw for either political
organization, sayc a. il may serve the public
But the deeds of The Democracy have not
always been such as 10 give it greater strength.
We have spoken or mind frankly upon IFS
behavior on several recent occasions, and now
we have another and very fragrant specimen Of
the same sort of criminal folly by which it
seems 10 have been doing its best TO disgust
the Independent voters who supported its ticket
once in order to rebnke Republican tickery
and dishonesty.
st. Louis is the home of thousands Of Lib
erals, who have done much to give Democracy
the opportunity it now enjoys. To that city,
tho home of Senator Schurz, Germans
throughout tho West not unnaturally look for
the practical results of Democratic Success. In
March Democratic convention nominated Mr.
Barrett for Mayor, and the Republicans nomi-
mated Col. Mcguire the Collector of Internal
Revenue, whose resignation has just been ac-
ccpted because of enormous whisky frauds
| in his district. Many independent voters,
not satisfied with either party candidate,
called out Mr. Ovcrstolz a Democrat, less
than q week before the election. The strength
of the Independent vote was startling. The
whole body of Liberal Republicans left COL
MagHile, and thousands of Democrats left Slr.
Barrel, who was elected by plurality Of only
75O Though Mr.. OycrstOlz had no party
behind him, he received -, 1919 votes, Barret
1919, and Mcguire 1923. Mr.. Barlet died
suddenly new election was ordered, and
Mr.. Oyerstolz was again candidate. The
Democrats might have made a good stroke
of policy by abstaining from any nom
nation. But greed of place and plum
der prevailed. They nominated Col. BrittOn
and tho partisan ring, openly and
zealously aided by the so-called straight
Republicans" and the entire Whisky Ring,
contrived by the most glaring frauds to secure
return of 10, 72j votes for lritton against
14,S77 for Ovcrst0z. In two precincts alone
LAG majority was returned for Britton, the
pretended vote for him being larger by nearly
200 than had been cast for Barret n month
DeIofc. over ttO Oh IDl- lHtIttst-InoIc
Britton's pretended majority--was in one pre-
cinct, in which legally appointed Judge was
driven from the polls by force, and tho return
claimed that / ,50S votes had been cast, though
only $50 in all had been registered. In the
whole city, 80, 6O2 persons voted out Of II, 596
registered.
These facts justified contest Under the
law, each ballot must be numbered to CORE
sp0nd with the number of the voter, and III
case OF contest the ballots must be examined
by the Council. But the Democratic Register
refused 10 deliver up The boxes, and in order
TO prevent the recount Of ballots, and protect
tie Registcr in his refusal Democratic Judge
granted an Injunction on the prcteAt that the
law requiring inspection of ballots in ease of
contest was unconstitutional. The effect of
this decision, which has hardly ever been
eXcelled in impudencc, even in the days of
TamIuany and Barnard, is that no false return
however ilaerant, no stufing OF ballOt-bOyes
however shameless, can be exposed by the re-
count of ballots and inspection Of numbers
which the law requires.
This step is confession that the Democracy
knows that its candidate was not Legally
elected. II is an attempt 20 place man in
office, first by fraud, and thon by setting aside
laws for the cNpo.utc of fraud. IL viii be re-
galded by thousands OF independent voters
throughout the West IA strong evidence that
the Democratic party il unworthy of trust.
True, il is but the work of pnrtisans in a single
city. Yet what Democrats elsewhere will
rcbuko it For that party it is unfortunate
that the independent candidate was supported
almost unanimously by voters of German birth,
who believe that he was honestly elected, and
whose dcnuncations of the methods taken to
defeat him will not 20 unbeard by independ-
ent Germans in other North " estern States. The
Democracy cannot afford TO commit many such
plumbers as this if it cares for success here
after