The New York herald., 1875-11-02
Recorder Hackett's Charge
to the Grand jury.
Holding the Law in TerrOrem Over
the Criminal Glasses.
VIOLATING THE ELECTION LAWS.
Election Frauds the MeaneSt and
Greatest of Crimes.
LEGAL SEIRNlSHNG IN THE TWEED CIVIL SUIT.

terday for the November term tho Grand Jury were
sworn in, Mr. George Griswod, OF No II Wall street.
being the foreman Recorder Hackett then proceeded
10 charge the Grand Jury, which he did in his usual
clear, decisive and bold manner The following s the
charge in which, as will be SEEN among other grave
crimes 10 which he called attention that OF violation
Of the election laws which very naturally Mt this time
subject Of special interest and which portion of the
charge should be wholesome warning Of the severe
penalties be meted those found guilty of vio-
lating the statutes governing our elections.
Mr. FOREMAN AND GENTLEMEN or THE GRAsD
JuRY-t the agreeable duty Of the Court to inform
you that your labors viii not be excessive The calen
dars Of complaint awaiting your examination are not
extraordinarily large owing, perhaps the fact that
during the past month have been in session
for trial of criminal cases-the oyer and Termner
and this Cour-and they have transacted vast amount
OF business will call your attention, gentlemen 70
one thing which will save you very much LABOR and
this Court great deal OF time that is say, IN the
various offences which will be submitted for your
examination that you should very carefully dis
tingush between the grades Or crime, and
satisfy yourselves beyond all peradventure of doubt
that the testimony presented % You Is such as
fixes the crime which is charged. From very imper-
feet examination OF testimony By the Grand Jury we
often find case trial in higher court than u
should be. The public mind Is excited over the fact
that grave crimes such murder charged to have
been committed which upon examination are found to
be no more than
LOWER CASES OF MASsLArGHTER.
You will save this Court great deal Of trouble BY
carefully examining the testimony and pr ~nting
trivial cases from coming before
am directed, gentlemen invite your attention,
now do, to offences against the liquor lcence, the
usury the lotteries and the emigration statutes and
also call your the offence Of disclosing the
fact that indictment has been found against in
dvfdual before he Is arrested This should DO re-
garded by you very grave offence as ii enables
criminals to escape from the law, also, gentlemen
call your attention to offences committed by public
officers in demanding and receiving foes which they
entitled by law collect also call your attention
90 the fraudulent sale Of tickets and suppress
obscene literature. ! also directed to especially
charge you on
ELECTION oFFEHcEs
That direction IS now very appropriate. Tomorrow
the general election Whoever attempts to
vote and is illegally registered any particular OF
name residence and identity commits felony. Who
ever obstructs the polls voting; whoever commits
perjury In the challenge oaths any inspector guilty Of
oppression, deceit fraud either In taking
ing votes frauduleny adding registry names during
voting hours substituting ballots-each an all
init felony. In my judgment any voter who tampers
with the franchise, and any Inspector who betrays his
trust commits tho meaDest well the greatest OF
crimes The machinery of elections is necessarily
based upon confidence bad enough for partisans
to cheat voters by changing ballots BY making frandu
lent preences TO ballots by giving bogus bal
lots; bad enough money buy away pedler Of
ballots a challenger but 1t is infinitely worse and
meaner for inspector to egordemain away
the win Of freeman when the inspector re-
ceves the ballot, for the canvasser 10 nscal or
miscount ballot He who robs the charity Lox OF a
church infinitely less criminal thar the voter or in
spector who designedly robs the elective franchise
The Illegal use Of money in campaign election
is also felony. In this connection read letter
you which the District Attorney has from the
Governor Of the State-
EXECUTIVE CHAMBER ALBANY Oc. 2o 1878
SR-The improper and illegal use OF money elec.
tons Is, portions of the State, serious and
growing evil sometimes thwartng the unbiased win
of the people and always debauching the public
OF both officers and electors. You familiar with the
stringent statutes and the conditional provisions
adopted last year relating to the subject and
that # they vigorously enforced this evil Will
be eradicatc expect that you will be vlglant in de-
tectng and ailgent 10 prosecuting persons guilty OF
the crime referred TO within your county, and shall
regard any derelcton Of duty in this respect suf
hcent cause Tor removal from Office. am, yours
truly, SAMUEL J. TILDEN
Nor is il very possible many complaints for election
offences may before you. Perhaps some against
canvassers u not annexing copies ballots 10 their
returns, ~ ~ not properly completing signing or
sealing them, Or for not allowing Tree the
count But whatsoever complaint may be- postpone
consideration of other offences until you conclude your
investigation of election offences. Postpone even
considerations or
CASES
He who stabs the elective franchise commits the
greatest Of crimes. Informed BY q Police Com.
missioner that several hundred illegal names nave
already been discovered upon the registry hsts-names
OF men who have died. names Of men registered as v-
ing at coal yards and vacant houses and unmproyed
lots, and names Of others utterly unknown the
vicinity Of the places they had assigned FOR their
raj residences therefore charge you particularly to
give your immediate and earnest attention 70 al such
complaints may be submitted to you for violation
q any Of the provisions connected with tho election
law You will now, gentlemen, retire TO your chamber
and deliberate.
THE TWEED SIX MILLION SUIT.