The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1876-07-18
FRAUDS.
HORACE GREELEY ON SAMUEL
J. TllOEN.
ssis Biissesi.g Letter on Election
Erauds--sse Charges she Kespon-
sibiIisy DtrectIy ON samuel ..
TIIden -Mr. Tiiden's Circu-
lar Desigued IA Pro-
mote Fraud.

\ was overcome Dy II 1fhuuultnb mhlOIl-
ty in New York city. How il was pre-
pared aud managed is shown by the
following copy of Mr.. Tilden's famous
| circular:
C"Private aud Strictly Confidential.)
"RooMs OF DnMocRAr STATE Con-,
/ October ~, 1868.
"MY DEAR Sm:-Please at once to
communicate with some reliable per-
/ son, ia three on fonr principal towns
aud in each city of your county, aud
request him (expenses duly arranged
| for at this end) to telegraph to VIM.
NJ. Tweed, Tammapy Hall, mt the min
ute of closing the polls, not waiting
/ for the count, such persons estimate
Of the vote.
Let the telegram be as follows:
! This town will show n Democratic
! gain (or loss) over last year of (num-
| ber); or this one il sufficiently certain:
This town will give Republican Tor
/ Democratic) majority Of --.
! 'IHRRE IS, OF COURSE, Az IMPORTANT
OBJECT To BE ATTAINED by A sIACLrANE-
tU , TRASsNIssIoS AT THE HOUR or CLOS
ISG THE POLLS, But No LONGER WAITING.
! Opportunity eau he taken of the usual
half hour lull in the telegraphic COM
munications over lines before actual
results begin to be declared, and before
! the Associated Press absorb the tele-
graph with returns and interfere with
individual messages, and give orders
to watch carefully the count.
Very truly yours,
SAMUEL }. TILDRS, Chairman.
Mr.. eREELRY's OPINION or TfLDRY.
To Samuel J. Tidcn, Chairman Democratic
State Committee:
SIR:--You and are growing old.
We came here from the country and
have lived and struggled side by side
for nearly 40 years. We have partici-
pated ardently IN many political strug-
I gies, always on oirrerent rides.
On one very important point, however
your bitterness as partisan has i'm
PEELED you to ignore and comes short
Of your duty as citizen anu a profes-
sional upholder of the Government by
the people, and for this direiiction
here arraign you. allnde TO the pre-
servation of the pnrity of the ballot
box.
can imagine how n man may shut
his eyes to many things which he
deems il convenient not to know; but
must speak of what you must know,
HOWEVER You MAY WISH OR SEEK TO BE
IGNORANT OF 1T. The matter to which
call your attention is vital To the very
existence Of free, popular government.
Whenever IL shall be generally under
stood that the results of elections are
not determined by the ballots Of legal
voters, bnt by frauds in voting OF
frauds in counting, then the event of
avowed, unequiyUcal despotism must
be near at haKd. Between tine rule of
the emperor and the rule of a clique Of
ballot-box sruffers, every Intelligent
man must prefer the former as less IA
paciOus and more responsible. When
honest citizens <bnll avoid tho polls
asking "What is the use of voting? the
result is already fixed. =" the days Of the
Republic will be numbered. Between
ruler who prohibits voting altogether
and the gang who makes it sham by
filing the ballot-buxes with illegal
votes, or miscunuting those actually
cast, the sway Of the former is every
way preferable.
You hold q most responsible aud in
tlueutial position in the counsels of a
great party. You COULD MAKE THAT
PARTY CONTENT ITSELF WITH POLLING
LEGAL VOTES II YoU ONLY WOULD. In
our late constitutional convention |
tried 10 erect some fresh barriers
against election frauds. Did youf The
very little that was enabled to effect
IN this direction l shall try to have rat
ilied 10y the people at our cnsuing elec-
ton. Will you? Mr.. Tilden, you can
not escape responsibility by saying,
with the guilty Macbeth:
Thou cans't not say did II; never shake
Those CORY lock at me.
for YoU WERE Al LEAsT PASSIVE ACCOM-
PLICE ~ THE GIAST FRAUDS OF LAST NO
vHunEn.
Your name was used, without public
protest on your part, IN circulars sowed
broadcast over the State, whereof the
manifest intent was to''make assurance
douhly sure" that the frauds here per.
petrated should not be overborne by
the honest vote of the rural districts.
AND YoU, NOT MERELY By SILENCE, But
BY POSITIVE ASSUMPTION, HAVE COVERED
THOSE FRAUDS WITH THR MANTLE or
YoUR REsPECTABILITY.
On the principle that "tbc receiver
is as bad IA the thief, YoU ARE DEEPLY
IMPLICATED TODAY As THOUGH YUoH
NAME WAS TwRED, O'BRES, OR OAKEY
HALL.
Mr.. Tilden. ynu and | were ardent
participants in the struggle of lSN
wherein Martin NauBuren was ousted
from the Presidency by Gen. Harrison.
You know how thoroughly our city wa'
absorbed in that contest, wherein every
mar, woman and child took deep and
lively interest. Our elections were
then held throughout three days
There was registration freshly enact
ed which blacklegs had not yet learned
} to circumvent, the right Of snffrag,
was az widely difused az il now is. and
, no one ever complained that single
. legal voter was unable then To- poll hi,
vote. Aud though our city has since
largely increased its population, th'
lower wards were quite as populou
, then as they are to-day-several o
! them more so. They were full @
boarding houses crowded with clerk
and mechanics; many of these covere,
sites since given mp to great warehouse
, and manufactures; their denizens hav
| since moved up town, over To Brook
. lyn, or out on some of the railroad
that lead into the open country. Prac
tically the lower wards are being give
mp tn commerce, aud no longer shelte
10y night the multitules who thronge'
: their streets by day.
' Now look nj the vote Of four Of tbes
a wards ia 1910 aud 1858 respectively.
- pTcsilent, lSto Governor, lsCe.