The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-03

Among all the outrages against deceucv
propriety, and the laws. which have dis
tinguished GRANTS Administration. there
has been nothing more shameful than
the encouragement and support given by
the President to frauds upon the ballot
box, and TO the persons who have been
concerned in them. We have had several
Presidents whose policy has not always
met with the approval of the people; but
ULYSSES :. GRANT is the first President OF
the United States who has ever appeared
rs the eucourager and protector of ballot
box suffers aud repeaters.
In Arkansas, before that State was re-
deemed from carpet-bag rule, the most
hudaciOus frauds were committed Mt the
polling places, in the reg stratiou of voters,
and IN the counting of votes in order to
maintain the Republican party in power
POWELL CLAYTON, now United States
Senator, and for years the leader of the
GRANT party in Arkansas, was in1icte by
q Grand Jury mainly composed of Repub-
iicans, for participation in some OF these
frauds, ana his prospects for serving term
In the penitentiary, instead of the Senate,
were most promising. when President
GRANT clme to his relief by removing the
Republican United States District Attor-
ney and the United States Marshal who
had permitted the return Of the mdict-
meut, and by appointing in their place
two officials designated by CLAYTON HIM
self. OF course, under these circumstances,
the prosecution fell, and CLAYTON escaped
punishment. But the peril he had incur
red seems TO have endeared him To the
President, and he has ever since had much
influence with the Administration.
The action of the Republican senate in
the case OF PINCHBACK established beyond
controversy the fact that the spurious
KELLOGG Government in Louisiana was "A
creation of fraud; that, after b ing de-
feated ut the polls, IT was deliberately
pouuted in by the same infimou. Return
Ing Board which is expected to perform a
Iimilar work at the present election.
GRANr knew these facts when he used
the United states army 10 drive law
fully elected members Of the LEGISLATURE
out Of the state Capitol. aul II install I
spurious Government IN the place Of the
one which had b en- chosen by the pco.
pie And the men in Louisiana who insti-
gated these frauds ana assisted IN pcipa-
tintine them, have been invested with The
control OF Federal patronage there, aud
have always had the frien ishi . aud sup
port Of the Pr -ident.
la ls'2, when GRANT was a candidate for
his second term, the +, suit ct the Ooiobor
election Ia Pennsylvania wa, regarded "a.
of supreme Importance n an indication Of
the way IA which the Presidential contest
would be decided. In that year the frauds
upon the ballot box in the city Of Phihl-
delphia, in Pittsburgh, an / else where, sur
passed anything previously known oven IN
Pennsylvania, and resulted in fabricated
Republican majority IN the State OF over
Bj,O01. This virtually decided tho rcGlec-
ton Of GRANT, which followed in tho on
suing month.
In October Of that year the election
frauds perpotrated IN Phlalcluhia were so
Outrageous as to arouse tho indignation OF
decent men of all parties. Gings Of re-
pciters sent from this city openly voted in
the different polling precincts under the
protection of a partisan police, vino IN
tome instance, arrested aud imprisoned
p'ino'railc supervisors for refusing 10 10.
celVe illegal votes, Thousands of lawful
VOTERS were per,ouaie n tho polls by Re-
publican REPEATER, vino voted in thelr
names; and If the voters thus fYudulnntly
personated complained, aud insisted upln
the exercise OF their right OF franchise.
they were either clubbs ut away from the
polls by tho police, or locked mp in pgis IN.
Ana, finally, when it came TO counting the
votes. according apublislied declaration
flgucl 10y Messls. IlESRY G. LEA and l.. i.
AsuMrAD, Of the Citizens Muntipil r e.
form association, mot loss than 1000
votes were bodily subtractcd from the r. e.
form ticket aud added to the side that WAS
prede.tiued to WIN"
Notwithstanding the boldness Of the
frauds committed IN Philadelphia AZ tho
October election Of ~, we believe thlt
but Que OF nc villains engaged in them WAS