New-York tribune., 1876-08-11
"LETrFR TO A PCLTTJIaN."

=
10 SAMUEL }. rILUEN cAa'rnar Ds"oereie SIT. Corr
ri"ee.
SIR: You and 1 are growing Old We came
.re Young mon from the country aid have lived ond
stru.ed side by side for nearly 20 years We have paf-
tic,patod n rently in many political struggles aUays on
d,dCreot sides You we're the pupil aud p.o sst o Van
Bncen and Silas wright; q disciple ana follower OF
Henry Clay But this viii say fcr yen, that an conf
dent you have sought 70 enrich on6e by politics.
or at hs expense ~ the pUbl'ctha- wha yer u wealth
you may acquired eniovcd was earned IN yont
profession a awyeraud that yyur instincts and your
influence parsanship apart, have ,cnery been felt
on the side of economy in pnbhc expenditure ana up
ri2nlness In the conduct o! pubic Affairs OF my course
in these respects you welcome " say yoU
think true.
On ono very important point hOwoycr, your bitter
Jess as partisan has impolcd you 10 ignore and come
short OF our duty a citiz- and profess gpholder
Of government by People; and for tnls iercciUu
here arragn you. aliude to tho preservation OF the
purity OF the Banst-box.
You and grew up in tho country, and are FAMILIAR
with elections there conducted. We both KNOW that
except n few districts whero the voters arc al on ono
side 10 morally Impossible that any considerable pro-
portion OF fraud Ilent should there DO r0cd For
those wlro attend poll are nearly all vel kno"r 70
each Other and hardly 7 entitled TO vote who
IS not known 10 be so 10 mcn OF each party. II ore
shoud Offer who is not known. he Is challenged
aud questioned OF course, and. his answers viii convict
him IL bogus voter DO not believe that the III gal
vote IN the rIfI districts per cent OF the
whole amber pOllcd, when there registIa
tiCu OF legal votera
How dinercHt Is the case in cities, and especially In
this Babel you very well know. Long ycu have lived
on Gramcrcy Park, and eminent in social position and
foriuro az arc thc inhabitants Of that favored locality
you Jud not tell within twenty which OF the rcs ens
IN SIGHT OF your front door aud which not entitled
90 yoto yOu could not make list OF tue csa voters TO
siding Oh that square which would approach accu-
raey. How 1t must be- then. with the nOnao denizens
OF back srms" and OF great tOnetncnt houses
how utterly Impossible II is that any should know
which among and which not legal voters,
an whether the offers to yOte at IL a. t
ono poll already voted several times az different
pOe and whether hc or is not his way 10 vote st
ofteneI at other polls you cannot btlp Enowine you
wond. I can imagine hOw a man may shut LIS cyes 10
auy things which he deems It convenient pot 10 know,
bat speak Of what yon must know, however sou may
wish or seek TO be ignorant OF IT.
The matter to which call your attention IS vital to
lc very existence Of free, popular government When
ever II generally understood hat The rcsuits OF
the elections arc not determined by ballots OF legal
ysters but 10y frauds In voting frauds IN counting
then the advent Of avowed. nequivocal desposn must
D. near at hand Between the rule o. an emperor ana
the rule OF Clique OF eaot1o staers, every ntelli
GENT man must prefer the loss raracous and
more responsible. When honest citizens shall avoid the
polls asking. What is tho OF Yotinsf the result is
already nxod" the days OF tho Republic VIII be nun
bered Between ruler who prohibits voting altogether
aud the gang who make II sham by filing the Lsllo
boxes with Illegal votes, misoounng those actually
cast the sway OF the former is every way preferable
Mr. Tiden I have been voting here FOR 81 years. and
an act We politician for more than 30 OF them and sp
peal TO God for my sincerity and 70 mypnbc record for
witnoss that all those years have earnestly sought
and aborod elections decided by legal
snd mono other Seeing how great arc tho temDtaops