The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1876-08-17
TILDEN AND THE PURITY OF THE
BALLOT-BOX.

racy against a free expression of the will
of the people at the ballot-box. In the
South, threats of loss of employment,
intimi dation, violence and, on occasion,
murder. Witness Mississippi. In the
North, the naturalization of unqualified
voters, repeating, and all manner of
fraud. Witness New York city. And
it would seem to be something more
than an accidental coincidence that the
most stupendous frauds ever perpet-
rated at New York were committed with
at least the passive acquiescence of the
st. Louis candidate for the presidency.
In 1864, Iilden was chosen by lam
many for the position of corporation
counsel. Tweed had become ambitious.
His mastery of New York city was
complete. and his dream was first to Sc
cure equally absolute control of the
State, and then to take possession of the
national government by the election of
John S. Hoffman to the presidency.
Tilden was the man who assisted him in
these schemes, SO he made him chair
man of the Democratic State Central
Committee. Immediately he became
more lmpudent and aggressive in his
frauds and robberies than even, seeming
to derive fresh assurance rom the en-
The frauds at the polls in New York
had been notorious for years. But there
tofore they had consisted of repeating.
Gangs would assemble at designated rem
dezvous on election day and march from
precinct to precinct. voting at each.
Some times these repeaters would in
dulge in the empty form of changing
hats and coats; but such precautions
seem to have been entirely unnecessary
1t was to prevent these frauds that the
registration law was passed by the Re
publican Legislature of 1856. How it
was rendered ineffective will presently
appear. It was 1868 that the practice
of wholesale naturalization was entered
on. The Infamous judges Barnard and
McCunn were assigned to this work
They sat from 7 O'Clock in morning I'M
til often midnight. From the 9Th to the
23d of October, McCunn made an ave-
rage Of 1415 per day. Barnard was
scarcely less rapid. Both swore appli-
capts and witnesses in groups, and men
were kept in constant attendant to vouch
for unknown applicants. So the num-
Der of persons naturalized in 1868 was
IL, 112, four times the previous average.
Then it became necessary to attend to
the registration. For this purpose du-
plicate Lists Of names were made ont,
and a street and liunner assigned to
each, Tweed's house provided a hypo-
thetical home for six OF these worthless,
Senator Michael .Norton's for thirty,
his brothers for twenty-four, and SO on.
Then the repeaters were mustered at
headquarters in each ward, and told
what their names and residence. were. for
that ward. Next they were taken i'll
gangs before the boards OF registration
and their names entered on the rolls.
On election day they wepe again muster
ed and led to the polls, where they voted
then passed to the next voting place to
vote again. An investigation of these
frauds having been made by commit
tee of Congress, the feposb concluded
that the total fraudulent and Illegal votes
cast in the State of New York at tie
election in November, 1868, was not less
than, and probably exceeded $4,000
votes. r. 3.
The Democrats were not contented
with bogus naturalizations and wholesale
and systematized repeating. They had
determined to do whatever was necessary
to secure a majority for Seymour for
president and Hoffman for governor.
Mr.. Tilden sent out circular marked
''Private and strictly confidential, (which
was designed to secure information from
all parts of the State, Immediately after
the closing OF the polls, as to the prob
able result in every town and ward
Then the canvassers of New York city
were called together and instructed by
Oakley Hall to count every name on
every ticket separately. The purpose
and effect of this was to delay the count
until Tweed and Iilden could hear from
other parts of the State md estimate
how large majority it was necessary to
manufacture in New York city in order
to carry tbs State.
That the returns were falsified to q
greater or less extent, in addition to the
enormous frauds by naturalization and
repeating, can not be doubted. Let
few figures tell the tale. The whole
number Of votes cast in New York county
in the years named is as follows
1866 Governor .114, 166
1867 Secretary of State. ...... Ill, 962
1905 PRESIDENT lb6, O54
1869 Secretary of State :. ...... .116,373
1870 Governor .I21, O59
1872 President 132, 481
This shows that the vote in 1868 was
A. 900 more than 1867, 40, 900 more than
in 1869, and $4,000 more than in 1872.
Of COURSE, there is only one possible e4-
PLANTATION of these facts.
Now the man who can doubt Tilden's
completely in these frauds must have
obtuse mental perception. He was i'll
active and intimate association with
Tweed and his gang during the whole
time, he signed and sent out the ''pri-
vate and strictly confidential" circular !;
he was the manager of the campaign in
all of its details. Here is little witness:
New YORK, Sept. S, 196S.-The Ma
tional Broadway Bank will pay to the
order OF Ailiiaaa Tweed, $4,000,
(Signed) WILLIAM III. TWEED.
Endorsed: Pay s. J. Tilden or order.
William M. Tweed. For deposit in the
North America. S. J. Tilden.
Mr. Iilden knew no one better, that
when Tweed was first elected to Office,
he was poor he knew that his salary
and lawful income were not sufficient to
pay his expenses. Then he must have
known that this $4,000 which he received
from him was stolen from the taxpayers
of New York. 1t was not without clear
understanding of the facts connected
with these frauds that Horace Greeley
said to MIR. Hidden, 'ffou are as deeply
implicated in them to-day rs though
your name was Tweed, O'Brien OF Oakley
Hall. ''-Sentinet.
IT will be remembered that the House
refused to appropriate the small sum
necessary to cQnt!nue the examination
of the rebel archives. The motive for
this refusal will appear from the follow
ing little incident. A man named De