The Morning herald., 1876-09-28
~ IyfAneDs FIjSr sxfssxD.

n IT,
No election infamy ever devl5ed squa
in internal ingenuity the plotof Came
!, . on's henchmen, to defraud the voters (
j Ohio and Indiana at the approaching elec
ton. The scheme is known in all its de
, tails, and we do not say word about
! which cannot be proven beyond doub1
The conspiracy is marked by such diaboli
cal ingenuity that it seems at first glanc
like visionary romance, but q careful
Examination will convince any one lha
unless previously exposed, it was SO Gun
ningly contrived as almost to defy detec
ton. Like all great works Of art, it Ii
marked by simplicity, and all who know
anything of the history of Pennsylvania
know that Cameron's henchmen are mas.
ters in the art of fraud.
Failing in his plan to dragon the South
Cameron determined to have Ohio and
Indiana at all hazards. He needed for
the job, no ordinary workmen, or prentice
hands, but the most skilful in the black
art of cheatery men whom he knew, on
whose boldness and dash in villainy he
could rely, and who as yet had never failed.
So he summoned his old and trusty pals
his fellow pupils under his father-and,
with his counsel, the infamous scheme was
perfected, and put into operation. 1t was
agreed that not word should be written,
SO that no evidence might remain. The
lesson of the Addition, Division and 81
lence' letter was not forgotten.
Twenty-Five men were picked out, sup
posed to be the most reliable for such work
in the whole State of Pennsylvania. Each
man was given his instructions separately,
so that one might know the destination Of
another, or the details of his mission. Twol
chiefs were chosen, each to communicate
with selected member of the State Com
nittee of Ohio and Indiana. Under the
orders of these chiefs each subordinate was
o take charge Of designated district, and
elect the judge or inspector Of election to
larry out the scheme in each. The scheme
n detail, is. The selected judge or m-I
pector, after OR during the voting, drops a
,iven number Of radical ballots in the lot
o be counted. l.
The count disclosing by comparison with
he total of the poll-list an excess of bal
OTIS over lawful voters, the question arises
that to do with the deficiency. After hes
tation, the Republican election officer will
propose, with apparent fairness, to settle
he excess BY Withdrawing an equal num-
er of votes from each side. For example, u
be excess being ten, to throw off FIVE
Democratic and five Republican ballots.
his proposition seems on its face, fair and
le Democratic inspector, unless unusually
lspicious and keen, is very likely, in the
urry and excitement of canyassing the
otes, to agree TO the request rather than
itiate the poll or confess that fraud has t
cen committed through his neglect. Soil
lie ten voteS are Withdrawn, five on each
de, but the ten votes fraudulentlv intro
iced still remain in the count. An aver
,e change of ten votes in each of the 532
olling precincts Of Indiana would make a |
aud Of $500 votes, and the same opera ?
on in each OF the 1900 precincts of
hlo would make change Of
1000 votes. OF course wherever thel
ing Agent found dishonest or stupid :,
emocratic official, many more than ten
3tes would be introduced. In some
aces the scheme would fail altogether,
Ut the conspirators are counting on an
'erase fraud by this plan OF ten votes at
ch poll, or IS, 300 votes in the twol =
ates. This is their exact calculation. II "
res not matter whether the votes are
lmpsd from tkt boxes before counting, or n
ch vote be taken from the box singly, ?
lere will be in either case ample oppor-
nifty during the day TO introduce the
excess. Neither does i. matter i
neither the votes are Withdrawn by equal
lection, or by chanse. A slight indiffer- c
ice in the size or folding of the ballot, or
the texture Of paper, will enable the in. e
ructed expert TO withdraw none of the
audulent ballots. Even if number be !. 4
i:hdrawn fairly and indiscrimlnatelv. lc
ere will be naturally as many in pro-
'rtion Of Democratic as Republican votes $
lthdrawn, and the votes fraudulently in. k
oduced will always tell in the count. !, II