Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-05-20

means were lAktu 10 ONtINViut tuN WV VI
the rest Of the State by that OF the city.
But time fails, and these incidents must
serve merely as Illustrations of record
perfectly appalling. False registration and
repeating seemed almost 10 be the rule;
hundreds registered from houses where
only two lived; scores from buildings haV-
ing no existence; an army from vacant lots,
stables, beer-gardens, and houses OF pros
titutiou. What a picture! This Repub-
lie: This self-goyernmenti When the dis
graceful story was published our whole
nation trembled; its ruin was predicted by
the English Parliament, and this election
was the evidence. New York City was a
rcpruach, and her best citizens OF both
parties fully appreciated L. These cleo
ton frauds, increasing year by year. had
not been quietly acquiesced in. The New
York Assembly had enacted laws 10 pre-
vent and TO punish again and again. but
corrupt courts, packed grand juries, bribed
SheriiS, subSeryient policemen, the almost
unlimited power OF Tammany, the deSpot-
ism Of Tweed. the entire lack OF conscience
or moral sense IN the democracy or the
CITY, their intimate copartncrShip with
grog-shOps. gambliug-hellS, houses of pros
titution, and all other dens OF vice; their
adoption OF thieves, periurerS, a>SaSSinS,
State-priSun COnvictS and all the criminal
classes. had rendered every such attempt
futile But this immunity had made them
reckless, and their crime OF lists was SO
gigantic, 50 fun OF peril 20 the Republic,
that the whole country was aroused.
Against this record Of corruption,
we have set the results Of supervision 10y
United States officials:
In MAY. 1871, John |. Davenport was APP
pointed chief supervisor In that judicial
district including the city OF New York,
and AZ once entered upon the great work
AZ signed him. Against him was arraycd
the most powerful and INSCRIPTIONS COM
biuation ever known 10 the politics OF tins
or any other country. hut Davenport could
not De terrified, cajolcd, hribcd, or driven.
Bright. active. intelligent, yigilant, from
Investigations made, thoroughly 1cPuaint-
ell with the ways OF Tammany, hc went IN
90 the fight con amor, and came OIL CON
uucror. and now the yauqulshcd Zoe 10
decent. well-ordercd, and pure elections
demands his decapitatiou and the repeal OF
the laws he succeeded IN enforcing Is
this suggestive Of the thought that history
repeats itSclfy The task set before the SUI
peTvi>or was
/. To obtain posses sion OF from twenty
live 20 thirty thousand false and fraudulent
certificates of naturalization issued from
the supreme and superior courts In the
month Of October, \. u. ls6S, then IN use
in the city. the balance having been sold in
packages in New Jersey, Connecticut, and
other sections OF the State Of New York.
>. To discover and prevent false regis
tration whereby thousands claimed 10 re-
side in dwellings which were In fact brick
yards, vacant lots, parks, stables, gambling
houses, houses OF prostitution and a>signa-
ton.
>. To break up gangs OF rcpeatcrS, num-
bered by the hundreds, each OF whom was
registering and voting from ten TO thirty
times.
1. To discover the immense number Of
living men voting upon the names Of the
dead
;. To make correct roll of unparioned
criminals and cOnyictS.
q. To prevent false counting and cam
wasting.
The work was herCulcan, but the work
man was, too Davenport commenced his
operations with enthusiasm, prosecuted
them with great earnestneSS and uniagSing
zeal. He encountered opposition but
always triumphed over il. He was prose
cuted before the courts in 1874. The pre-
siding Judge not only acquitted him but
commended his ability, integrity, and de
cision in the administration OF the duties
OF his Office
Mr.. Frye gives an account OF Mr..
Davenports methods Of securing these
fraudulent certificates and of preventing
false registration, the latter being 50 per-
feet, Mr. Cox, in report to Congress
SAYS:
You cannot build wing 10 your house,
or change its number or add 10 its stories
or rooms, or change the character or quail
ity OF the dwelling, without its being reg
istered by the supervisor.
All vacant lots, parks, stables, houses OF
bad character, public buildings, sc, APP
pear so perfect was the machinery that
Mr.. Davenport says
| did not care how often they changed
the election districts, could take one block
and another block and make my election
districts as fast As they could change theirs,
and have IL within twenty-four hours.
Then the law was changed giving ten
dsys between final registration and cleo
ton. Every supervisor was required to
keep a copy of the registration in his dis
trict and return al once 10 the chief super
visor False registration and repeating
without detection became impossible.
As a result of this system and super
vision. we are invited TO examine some
figures from which correct conclusions are
inevitable:
.Sirth trard statistics. For President,
1850. 3, 225: for governor, 1864, 3,7sl; for
President, 1865, 5,4Ol; for secretary of
state, 1869 6,2s6; in May, 1870, for judges
OF the court of appeals, $3.50. Refer 10
the census aud YOU viii find this ward dur
ing this time steadily decreasing in number
OF inhabitants, but increasing in votes, as
the above shows.
The national act OF 1870 was enforced at
the November election in this ward, and
what was the result? For governor, No
vember, 1870, 1908; for Congress, Novem-
Der, 1870, 500. Supervision had affected
some the governors vote and reduced that
for members of Congress more than one
half, Now look at the following year,
1871, an odd year, with which United States
officers had nothing to do: For secretary
of state, 1871, 4,lO4.
In February, ISL, the United States laws
had been made more efficient. Now see
the result in the same ward President,
1872, 2,4S5; for Congress, 1872, 2,4l4.
Eighth Wdrd.-For several years, inhao-
itants decreasing, vote increasing under
the fostering care of Tammany For Pres
ident. 1868, 6,S03; for Congress, 1868,
4. 5s7: in Nav, 1870, for judges of court of
appeals. 9,5l2; for governor, November,
1870, 5,4l2; for Congress, November, 1870,
1907; for secretary of state, 1871, 1912 {;
for President, 1872, s.3ll; for Congress,