The Portland daily press., 1876-07-03
ELECTION FRAUDS.
A Leaf from the Political History of
Tilden, Tweed, O'Brien & Co.
HORACE GREELEY,S LETTER TO
POLITICIAN TILDEN.
How Tiiden and Tammnny Carried New
York for Seymour.
PORTLAND, July 1, 1876.

PORTLAND, July 1, 1876.
To the Editor of the Press:
In looking over my scrap book today, I came
across the notable letter of Horace Greeley to
Samuel j. Tilden, who was Chairman of the
Democratic State Committee of New York, at
that period when the greatest frauds were per-
petrated upon the ballot box in the city of New
York by the Democratic leaders, under
Tilden, Tweed, O'Brien and Oakley Hail. As
Mr.. Tilden now goes forth as "Reformer,"
the letter and the facts will tend to show how
recent and how remarkable has been the change
from Tilden the confederate of Tweed & Co.,
in stuffing ballot boxes to Tilden the loud
mouthed reformer. 1t is useful, too, to warn
Republicans that they have at the head of the
Democratic ticket the most unscrupulous par
tisan in the country-one who has amassed
fortune of millions by sharp and unscrupulous
acts, and who will stop at no outrage which
will secure his election. His money will be
poured out freely and thousands of his ill-gotten
wealth will find its way to Maine to be used in
cutting down the Republican majority.
In the campaign of 1865 the Democratic
leaders felt it all important to carry New York
State. They had no show in the country, but
Tammany controlled every voting place in New
York city and could poll any amount Of uotes re-
quared to carry the election. How should that
number be approximately known? The fol-
lowing circular marked 'tpriuate and strictly
coafdential," was sent to scores of local Demo-
cratic leaders in the rural portions of the State:
Rooms OF TAE DEMOCRATIC STATE Coo,MMsaIaTgTE,l 9,
NV Dear Sir-Piease at once to Communicates with
reliable person in three tour principal towns
and in each city of your county, and request him
Expenses duly arranged for this end to telegraph to
William NJ. Tweed, Tammany Hall, at the minute of
closing the polls not waiting for the count such per-
follows: .Ths town WE will will show Democratic gain
Tor lossl over last year-(number]i or this one, If
sufficiently certain: "This town win give Repub-
course important object to be obtained By stimuli
td',eous transmission at the ho Of closing he polls
tb @ not Ge N cam pc Q,
lines before actual results begin to be declared,
and before the Associated Press absorb the telegraph
with returns and interfere with individual messages
and give orders to watch carefully the count.
SAMUEL j. TILDEN. Chairman.
The important object to be obtained was to
know how many Democratic votes must be
stuffed into the boxes by the counters, and how
many frauds must be made to appear in the re-
turns to overcome the honest Republican ma
jorities in the intarior of the State, The sequel
is well known. 1t was late at night before the
result in New York city was known, and the
reports of the "slum" wards came in slowly.
but bearing on their face the evidence of the
most astounding frauds ever known in this
country. Republican votes were thrown outby
thousands and Democratic substituted in larger
numbers. In fact, the plan of Tilden, Tweed
& Co. worked so well that their frauds made
difference in favor of the Democratic ticket of
10000 votes, electing the Democratic State
ticket, and. thereby continuing the outrageous
rule of Tammany in New York city. Such
was Samuel J. Tilden iu 1S68-the unscru-
pulous leader of the New York Democracy.
In October, 1869, before the next State elec-
ton, Horace Greeley addressed the following
letter to Mr.. Tilden, through the Tribune
Don't fail to read il:
LETTER TO A POLITICIAN.
To Samuel j. 1iIaen, Chairman Democratic State
SIR: You and are growing old. We came here.
from the country, and have lived and struggled side
by side for nearly forty years we have participated
ferent sides. On one ceTy important point
holcerer, your bitterness partisan has impelled
zen and professional aphotder of government by
.the people and for this derelction here arraiga
goa. atade to the preservation OF the 6attot-6or.
Long as you have lived on Gramercy Park. and
eminent in social position and fortune as are the in
habtants of that favored locality, you could not tell
within twenty which of the residents in sight of your
front door are and which not entitled to vote
you could not make list of the legal voters residing
that square which would even approach accuracy
How must it be- then, with the nOmadic denizens OF
our 'back sums'' and our great tenement-houses?
How utterly Impossible it is that any one should
Ef,ntu ruhi aUonn nd w 10
gal voters and whether man who offers to vote at
II has has not already voted several times
at different polls and whether he is Is not his
way to vote still otener at other polls, you cannot
help knowing il you would. can imagine how a
man may shut his eyes to many things which he
deems it convenient not to know; but must speak
| of what you must know, however you may wish or
seek to be ignorant oflt, The matter to which
call your attention is vital to the very existence Of
generally understood that the results of elections
are not determined by the boots of legal voters, but
by frauds in counting then the advent of avowed,
| unequivocal despotism must be near at hand. Be-
tween the rule Of an Emperor and the rule OF clique
of ballot-box suffers every intelligent man must
prefer the former less rapaci0us and more respOn
sble. When honest citizens shall avoid the polls
asking "What is the use of voting? the result Is al
ready fixed," the days of the Republic numbered
Between ruler who prohibits voting altogether and
the gang who make it sham by filling the ballot
boxes with illegal votes or miscounng those actual
ly cast the sway of the former is in every preferable
You hold a most responsibleland influential posi-
ton in the counsels of great party. You could
make that party content itself with legal votes you
only would. In our late Constitutional Convention
tried to erect some fresh barriers against election
frauds. Did you? The very little that was enab.
led to effect in this direction shall try to have rat
fed by the people at ensuing election Will you
Mr. Tilden you cannot escape responsibility by say
| ing, with the guilty Macbeth.
| "Thou canst not say 1 did it never shake
| Those CORY locks at me"
for you were at least passive accomplice in the
giant frauds of last November.
Your name was used, without public protest on
/ your part, in circulars sowed broadcast over the
State, whereof the manifest intent was to make
surance doubly sure that the frauds here perpetra
ed should not be oyerborne by the honest vote OF
rural district. And you, not merely by silence, but
by positive assumption, HAVE COVERED THosT
FRAUDS WITH THE MANTLE OF YOUR REsPEcTA'
| BILTTy.
On the principle that 'the receiver is as bad as the
| thiet," YOU ARE AS DEEPLY IMPLICATED IN THEM
| TO-DAY AS THOUGH YOUR NAME WERE TWEED
| OBRIEN OR OAKEY HALL.
( Mr. nd I ardp artio 7