Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1875-03-20
DEMOCRATIC FRA UDS ~. NEW HAKP
SHIRE.

SHIRE.
The facts finding their way before the
public in regard to the New Hampshire
election prove that systematic, bold and
extensive frauds were practised by the de-
mocracy to secure their success. The
tactics Of Tammany were resorted TO with
out reserve. Repeaters were brought
from Boston and other localities outside OF
New Hampshire, who were paid to vote
and did vote early and often for the dem
ocratic candidates in Manchester and a,
other points where they could ply their
trade. Naturalization frauds were perpe-
trated in large numbers, while bullying at
the polls and other methods of preventing
an honest aud fair vote were practised.
There is little doubt that fair, honest,
unbought vote would have given the re-
publicans the entire Congressional delega-
ton and elected Mr.. Cheney by a popular
majority. The Manchester Mirror throws
light upon the scandalous proceedings
which took place in that city on the day of
election, which seem hardly possible to
have occurred in New England commu-
nifty. Says the Mirror:
when election day came. repeaters
brought here from other cities went back
and forth from one democratic ward to an.
other, voting on the fictitious names which
the democratic selectmen had prepared for
them. At length night came. and it was
supposed that darkness would put an end
to this shameless attempt to wipe out by
fraud the republican majority in the city,
but it proved otherwise.
At six o'clock the polls in Ward Six
were closed. In all the other wards except
Ward Five they had been closed before,
and at half-past six it was known that out
side of Ward Five the republicans had
majority of more than 300 in the city. Then
begun in Ward Five the most disgraceful,
outrageous and villainous proceedings,
which were ever witnessed in New Eng
land city. A gang of ruffians took posses
sion of the Ward-room. and it was an
nounced that any republicans who at
tempted to enter it would be thrown out
or killed. The repeaters. some of whom
were drunk, and all of whom were of
course villains, were taken into building
near by, and, in order to shield them from
future arrest and punishment, were fur
nished by an officer ofthe Police-Court and
other democrats with a change of cloth
ing, and then led into the ward-room and
voted, and this was kept up until mid
night, until some men who had voted in
three other wards during the day had
voted at least seven times in Ward Five,
and until votes enough had been got into
the ballot box to Offset the republican ma
jority in the rest OF the city and give Rob
erts plurality of six. Meantime. the
republicans. who, in the early part OF the
evening. were in the ward-room, were
knocked down and thrown out of the
room, and warned not to return. And it
was to these proceedings. to the violence
and repeating of Ward Five after dark,
that Mr.. Bell owes his plurality in this
congressional district, that Mr.. Gay owes
his election as Mayor and that Mr.. Mar
tin owes his claims to seat in the Sen
ate.
All we have previously said in regard to
the naturalization perjuries and checklist
villainies might be given, and will be in
time proved in the courts, but we have
not space for them now, and if we had, 1t
might defeat the ends of justice to publish
them. There is no doubt but at least 400
fraudulent votes were polled in this city,
and every one of them against the repub-
lican ticket. Leading, thoughtful men
feel Inundated, and it will take years TO
wipe out the disgrace, to bring the city to
the public as one where good order, JUS
tice and right are in the ascendency. The
worst of it is, that the innocent suffer, and
the guilty do not. The latter have no
moral sense to be affected; they do not
care if this has the reputation of being
iawless, reckless, rowdy city.
One thing may be relied upon, the
guilty will be exposed in our courts, and
rascalities of which our readers were fore
warned. be legally put before the pub
lie"
1t appears that vigorous measures are
to be taken to discover and punish the
scoundrels engaged in these outrages.
Mr.. Bell, we presume, feels secure of his
seat in Congress, since the democratic ma
jority will be sure to admit him, but the
fraud by which he has succeeded will
stick to him and destroy his influence in
spite of what his associates may do in his
behalf. To those republicans who have
been half inclined to trust the democrats
as reform party, study of their course
in the New Hampshire election will be
valuable. 1t is fitting supplement to
their management of the State govern
ment the past year. Let the people of
other States consider New Hampshire
since the control it passed into democrat
ic hands and they will be cured of all ham
kering to increase the power of that par
ty.
The Hawaiian reciprocity treaty
passed the Senate by the unexpectedly