The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-12-21
BULLD0ZING IN NEW YORK.


NOW JOHNNY DAVENPORT INTIMT-
DATED DEArOCRATIC VOTERy.
a Terrible Record Of outrases--Gross
Violations OF Law Offset to Tis-
sure Ballots.
On nmotion Of Fernando Wood, of
Now. York., q committee of the
House has been appointed to inves-
tigate the conduct of John 1. Daven-
port. chief supervisor of elections
for New York, who is charged with
Wholesale intimidation and gross
violations of law, in imprisoning
naturalized citizens for Attempting
to vote at the last election. Daven.
ports plea is that in 1868 num-
ber of fraudulent naturalization
papers were issued. During regis
tration he objected to many ap-
p'icants on the ground that they
were not entitled to vote. The
State courts decided that he had
no authority for his conduct, and
still more recently the Federal
judge discharged one of Davenport's
prisoners for the same reason. It
is charged by the Democrats that
Davenports conduct was conspira-
cy to frighten off oil voters (most of
whom are Democrats) who we're
naturalized in 1868, as he arrested
indiscriminately, without investigat-
ing whether the papers were regular
or not. The petition on which
Woods resolution WAS base /, signed
by sixty persons itlsy lily arrested,
sets forth the facts. from which VIC
make extracts, to show that in5imi-
dntion was not all on one side.
The law makes it a felony for any
person to use any certificate of
naturalization, knowing the same
to be forged or counterfeit or ante
dated, or kr owing the sumo to have
been procured by fraul or otherwise
unlawfully obtained, or without
lawful excuse knowingly to be pos
sessed OF any such piper. (Revisel
Statutes, sec. 5,426.) Even if the
paper is irregular, knowledgs Of that
fact by the voter is necessary to
constitute crime. There are l4l,-
600 naturalized citizens in New
York, and 10000 natives. OF the
former, at least ten thousand regis
tered in 1876 who were naturalized
in 1868. This year only. 5000
registered and 1000 voted, the
remainder being "bulldozed."'Ar,r,
THE PRINTED COMPLAINTS.
On the Sd and 4th days of No.
vember, 1878, the day preceding
the election, Commissioners John I.
Davenport caused the said Stephen
Mosher to swear before him to
about 1000 printed complaints
against the persons registered as
voters in the different election
districts III this city as having natu-
ralization papers issued in the year
1868, charging them with having
"unlawfully used certificate Of
naturalization, knowing that it had
been unlawfully issued or m .de, but
containing no further particulars,
said mosher having and being known
by Davenport to have no knowledge
whatever of theparties or the facts
except such as he might have OBJ
tanned from copies Ct the registry
lists" On each of these ;so-called
"complaints," many of which he ad-
mitted upon his recent examination
in court that he did not read, Com
missioner Davenport issued a war
rant for the arrest of the accused
and placed the same in the hands of
the marshals he had detailed
to the various polling places in the
city, so that they were there at the
opening of the polls, the proceed
ings being kept strictly secret -'}
DEMOCRATS DRAGGED FROM THE POLLS
Az soon as each voter who had
registered upon papers issued in
the year 1868 presented himself lie
was arrested and dragged from the
polls, unless known to be in favor
Of the combination ticket, when he
was not molested. Early in the day
the men were. arrested, and taken
away to. intimidate others. When
this result had been accomplishel