The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-12-22
DID WE HAVE A FAIR VOTE?
THE SEARCH ron FRAUDS IN AND
NEAR NEW YORK CITY.


An Imposing krrav Of Witnesses who Ind
not Heard Of any Election Irresuiar.ties-
One who X nows Every Man In Jersey CITY.
The Congressional Committee examined
Samuel Mitohell Of Eas, New York yesterday.
He was at the polls on election day. he said. and
saw persons voting " bo, he knew. were residents
Of Brooklyn. and were not entitled to vote In
New Lots They entered the town by wagon
loads and were offered at so much per head.
In half hour he saw hllf dozen
non-resIdents vote. Tho vote was excessive.
Usually the town Gives two or three hundred
Democratic majority. At the last election the
Democratic majority ran up to seven hundred.
lie knew a block Of buildings that has been
vacant for months, except just before election.
Most Of the persons that moved In then just be-
fore election we're men. They voted In New
Lots. The houses were vacated just after cleo
ton, and are now empty. lie WAS willing to swear
that foreigners who had not been IN the country
slx months took out their naturalization papers
ana voted lie could not Give the names Of any
OF these because there Ia no registry In New
Lots, and there are no other means OF obtaining
the names. One lrishman boosted that he he'd
not been IN the country SIX months. and he
shook his naturalization papers In witness's
tace Witness challenged one illegal voter and
provoked nght in which he was forced To
Mr. Cox-Are the Republicans In tho habit OF
choking people at the polls2
Mr. Mitchel-lt wonld be a good thing n they
did more VI It. There was no use challenging.
heard an inspector say that any man who WAS
a 90 d Democrat could vote.
Further croes-cxamined, Mitchell admitted
that much uf his testimony related u the spring
election. Inc vote then ran up to LOO, oulN 10
less tn IN was polled at the last election, aud the
selling ~ voters by the wagon load was done
then aud not III November.
Alderman Robert llill OF Lbs Fulton avenue.
brooklyn, testified thtt ne WIS morally certain
thar Illegal voting was done. but no Instances of
II came within his observation. That voters
were colon Led might be Inferred from the iact
that many previously unoccupied houses were
ned up just before the election, and ennptted
again Immediately afterward. The vote Of his
ward was 2,tOO, about so In excess Of previous
votes, and l2O votes we're lost by the clOsing OF
the polls. a poll CLERK can modify an election
good deal by Writing slowly or rapidly as the line
OF voters Is against or for his side.
Dudley :. Gregory OF Jersey Clty testified that
he nad seen nothing that Indicated fraud or un-
fairness III Jersey City.
j. n. springer, car conductor. OF East New
YORK, testified that on election day. at the Sec
ond polling distinct, wien he went - vote he
saw three men III the line in front OF him whom
he knew to be residents Of East Brooklyn.
heir votes were accepted 10y the inspectors.
They were not ch llenged. His opinion was
that about 7OJ OF the votes polled al the last
election were in ported.
Nj. {, put on the stand John McGeohan Of
New Lots, vino swore fhUt he was an Inspector
uf election at the firrt Election District polls. le
observed nothlhs ira lduleht OF lresular ~ Tie
votes east. No non-resldents voted tnat he siw.
Only four votes we're ch llsuged and the vote
was adnltted ~ every case. lie mas hnO"n tIe
peoui. of that election district fer eight years.
A Federl supervisor Of election. who was sta
toned al the pOil~ tn re. was fully satisfied OF
the regularly OF the vote. In this district tho
residence OF every voter wa- taken as has
ballot deposited, aud the list
made Is now IN tue County Clerks once.
IL IA the largest district IN the town, polling
Many Of the Gem previously Republicans
voted tue Democrats ticKet. " u tNO years
voted for Tllden IN November.
Mr.. Waddell offered a resolution to strike ont
all tne testimony tnat has teen taken hitherto
II.H ..l.4
the four DAYS devoted to investigating that town
had been clear waste. The Keplblican commit
mory that would connect the election there
with the election in BROOKLYN, so As To orilg II
within the Jurisdiction of the committee. Hay-
INK lailsd ~ DO go, he tnuugnt 1t abou. time to
close r..
d,uce would be produced to show that the
frauds IN Ea-t New Yotk uad had inhucuce In
TIE election II Brooklyn CoLgreesmau.
Nit. Maddvii tuen moyed u postpone consid-
ertuOu vl the resolution flT a day.
Ihom"s liqese, C.ere 4 tue superior Court.
you u peheve that there were any frsudul, at
na,ur,liz 'tions this YEAR, lhe answer was,
No, Oh tue contrary, unusual n1rts were made
! ty both parties TO prevent sur h frauds.
mere nas been no charge Of fraud
AZ compared witn the vote Of ~. the ir creased
vot. Is easily accounted for. la that year very
| many Democrats refused 10 register and
vote for Horace Gfeeley. Then, agnu. there aie
many weil-tO- do persons VINO talk politics loud
| is enough, out tney wont register because they
| dread JIry DUTY. Both these ci lsses re
| hrought out by the unusual interest II me
last cauvass. l have not ne RI natarall
| zntion tuuGs or ol~cti IA frauds even hinte. at
| hy any who we're IN % position to kuOW whereof
! they Oke. Ihe Kepuulic'ns Mere especially
conndsut OF fairness. BECAUSE INSPECTORS Of eicc-
| non "nu pom cieIha Nere cI"seh Nv A"o i.epuo-
| hcAn Police Commissioners. and with Daven-
Tort . lpetvise the rvsi'ifatiV.' 4rauus - inst
! them were hardly possible.
[. II. Benson tes ihed that he Is anewsplper
reporter. ana htes III the lhird Assembly Dis-
| ,rlct Of jersey Olty. lhe vote o. 1870 showed
! rttlO 10 thr population Of one voitr IN every =
| OF the population. INT Of 1875 showed about
the rame ratio, while the LIST election, N fair,
| showed tnat turre was one voter IN every II
! tue population. lie ~as Secretary Of tho itud-
! son County Republican General Committee. ILis
| matter Of di>prOVurtiOntu REGISTRATION nas uis-
! c.ssed by the committee. Tue SUI eryisor, WIN.
| Muirnead. was Consulted upon the best way Of
| y .rsing the registration. He consented to ap-
| point as watc iers, keput licans welllknOwu and
| uf approved IN. esriy hst Of such Was iur-
| uisued MIN by the committee, but wntn the list
! of nose agpuiuted was made pubic 10y Muir
! head, II "a, 10 nd that he h ID app pninted very
/ lew OF those recouLended " tue COmmt.ee.
! Muiruead was .Ked tn EXPLANATION OF TINS Ac-
| ton. lie repled tnat ne y. boss II th 4 Jup,
! ana iuteu.el To run II, II tie committee did
nj liz Il they nlsht 20 - hell.
Mr.. WaddolI-lOu know every person In Jer-
! scy Cib, Guy ~
B"usuu-l baNr attended professionally every
ball t-sem ly, nara IL, political meeting, churcn,
| once court. prize h-hI, rat az. aud Il night
! iu the ciiy Witniu l,ur OF i've years. aud tnvir
| f4ce- ou-h to be pretty well hnowu L. me.
MuiAm ". illrier f A. MuutNom street,
Jersry CIV, testified tnAt he saw Mhftul,-sn
the sugar fe1 per marshal turN of ms wDlk-
men at The y Ill Wla-ow, It'd calling them up
one by one Ri'e tnom hn open democratic uchrt,
witch tAey voted. lie uid not know tuat any Il
the men would have voted tue Republican
ticket.
The Chairman received a telegram from Ser.
geant At-ArI.s lLUml.son iniori ing the COM
III tfes tndt II had Oeen emI oNerel u iuvesti-
"a The era ges OF tho Hon. Auram :. Hewitt
relative To the alleg ed tauperns with hi- letters
~ mo NV iolh Post Onire. II was decided 80
summon ~ Levitt h, telesr"ni' and pioeocd
wish tuat inNcsiiga ion immediately.
tn l. NOND CiSE