, 1875-04-25
ACT OF 1877.
TAxp.

The result OF tho election was the general
to! &c OF couve1Batlon III Official circles especially
:.:!;oag those most likely to be affected by the
Irtposed reorganization under the new law. In
tI:1i crowds
FRAUD VAS THE wATcHwoRD,
md each had q tale to tell OF what had been
Ioea or heard. Commissioner Sheridan
Was particularly exercised upon tho sub
vas at tie Arznory, and around lin we're Il half
luzen "cops," engaged in cursiug, not 80 much
TIE resu]t as the means which purchased It..
sa,d he As It is terrible to think OF, the idea OF
told lne to-day that he stood BIZ and eaH I Judge
Of election III the Seventh Ward stuff the ballot
t;o1-he viii eweat tn it. too He told the 1udeo
le would report on him. and Senator hehoo
fused to give the name Of the gentleman, how
ever, but nuid it would be forthcoming in duo
ueason. Speaking Of
TIE L1GHTu WARD
he said tho list ballot polled WAS numbered 7s0,
.s.,,d that he WAS xStonlshed to fnd the returns
show that 4 113 votes had beon polled. He said a
challenger Nns refused 10 the ward which might
account for the result in = measure In this
t.onnecuon it may not be au1iss to Say that up to
IL o'clock .he Gay Of election, no record was
Kept by tile Judges OF the votes takon, and that
in the three hours preceding the judges estimat-
Cd that about 500 votes had been poIled. The
.:atims:e was very liberal. bnt does not Justify
.ae result, From IL o'clock, until the cloee Of
the polls, the ballots we're all numbered. and. il
rho numbering only reached $50, over 800 votes
remain ,1naccoupted for, except upon the theory
IT the Cpumiasiouer that tho ballot-box
Mas stuffed to that amount, which is by no
1neaue unlikely in view Of the character Of ce1-
tain officers Of the election. They may explain
the over-plus of ba:lots4 however. By claiming
that they neglected" to remo5e all the tickets
51o2l tie boz IN advance Of the polls being
o;ened. About
rm SECOND WARD
tie Commissioner wss equally sanguine that
gross frauds h2d been perpetIated- Said he, #
Em in receipt of information OF + trustworthy
character tint the bal!ot~box WIS stuffed" 4
gentleman had told him TINT the ballot-ho1 Was
taken from tue place Of election to certain
boarding house on Van Buren, street. to = room
which had beeu rendered tho judges; that it
was followed to certain room by his inform
INT, xho WAS denied admission; that it was
left there while the judges went to supper.
and that his informant, While the judges were a.
supper, SEW two parties tampering With it, but
to What extent, Of course, is unknoWn-
That the Commissioners charge OF ba1lot.box
StI.fdnC, frauds, etc, il not without foundation,
would seem from
coMPAnISoK OF The VOTE
pnllod in several CT the wards, with that Of las.
f3!:. In the F1rst Ward the total rote for Con-
E1essnzn was 1oM against 7l2 At the late elee-
t,451 orer the vote Of 1872. Il the Second
Ward the Tote for Congressman was Ills,
against 1.525 At the late election. an
increase OF IL In the Seventh, Eighth,
kad Ninth Wards the vote also ap-
peazs slightly increased, but not enough
over the csual vote TO account for the alleged
frauds. In these wards, however, the German
vote was very SMALL hence the taly Of the total
vote with that Of former yearB cannot be taken
rs IN index t. &ny designed fairneAs IN the COD
duo. of the election, but rather as m indication
that wlEtayor frauds we're perpettnted we're slll-
fully dune
On tue other hand, comparison Of tte vote
&tnk kn-S tr}tp Y,fy afeT,1, ,nYarS-
lAticn predomiuasea, mostly German, and uhcro
I better surveillance OF the polls Was kept, and
where challencers Tere On hand, shows large
falling Of T. ths vate ton ton that p0ied last 3a!i
Side, the vote Of Friday VAS 1,o12.
against 2,s0e in November IN the Sixteenth
Ward, TO against 2, 184; in the Seventeenth, eo7
.sai1st ego; in the Eighteenth, 1,oG2 against
twentieth, 1,27e against 2007. Il these iigur.s
:,c4n anything, ii is that tho election in fhess
Wards WIS conducted With m unusual degree Of
fairness aaa That the people manifested an in
difference ~ to The result, which is IN nowise
.aamendab1e.
Whore tho "stufing WAS done the figures
ell. Who did II, let the Ctigens Association
md the rany tale-bearers TO Commissioner
Eheridaa find out and explain.
xaa IN q continuous buzz And excitement all yes
sord.y. Groups Of Aldermen and others gath
Ered here and thers inside the dusty rookezy. and
si.her e1ulted OF uoutned the disastrous pro-
seedings Of Friday. Groups OF constituents
gathered around their representative Aldeimen
IN yain esndesvozs to ascertain just what the!
had voted fori groups Of anxloas citlzens gath
e1ed in SA-ious Offices for the purpose Of
Lscersaauing xha* the mischievous spow-
s1s that be-" intended to do, Or to
rhat depths thsy intended to drsg
poor Chicago with their stuffed bailot-boxes.
fheir inquiries were il vain, however, even TIC
Mayor himseH not knowing vhers he stood Off
rally. EiA olaee WIS unusually quie. during tho