Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-04-28
pailp hennebst Journal.
Augusta, Monday Morn'g, April 80, 1879
Elections In New York.

exceedingly valuable as matters of refer
ence and for the light which they cast up
on the motives of the democrats in endeay-
oring to overthrow the safeguards to 4
fair and free ballot Itisnot the South that
the democrats are anxious about carrying
in 1880. The shotgun policy has given
them full control of that section But can
they carry States enough in the North, adj
ded to a solid democratic South, to give
them the election of a democratic Presl-
dent in 1880? That is the question with
them. and what they are endeavoring to
settle in their favor by again opening wide
the doors for the admission of all manner
of frauds and vilainies. So that they can
carry New York and some other northern
State or States for their candidate.
Mr.. Frye shows what elections were in
New York before the ballot was protected
and what they have been since. From
1888 down to 1865 elections in New ork
were disgrace to the country. In 1860
with the Tweed ring i'll full power, care
full examination of the registry lists dis
closed over fifteen thousand names not to
be found at the places they claimed to reg
lister from. In 1866 the power of fraud and
corruption was increased by the issue of
thousands of illegal naturalization papers
In one court citizens were made at the
rate of eight hundred day, on some
days. They were sworn in squads, a sim
gle runner swearing through regiments
The next year fraudulent naturalization
increased, and in 1868 so gross were the
frauds that the courts were charged with
being in league with the democrats to de-
stroy the astvestige ofpurity at the ballot
box. In October of that year there were
issued from the supreme and superior
courts the immense number of 63, 600 nat
uralization certificates. Each of these
judges must have averaged three thou
sand oaths and examined two thousand
witnesses daily in order to get through
with this work-an effort rs herculean rs
the cleansing of the Augean stables.
With this issuing of false naturalization
certificates other fraudulent methods kept
pace. False registration and repeating
seemed almost to be the rule; hundreds
registered from houses where only two
lived scores from buildings having ne
existence; an army from vacant lots,
stables, beer-gardens and houses of pros
titution. 1.-THE New York Assembly, =
says Mr.. Frye, chad enacted laws to pre-
vent and to punish again and again, but
corrupt courts, packed grand iuries, brbed
sheriffs, subservient policemen, the al
most unlimited power of Tammany, the
despotism of Tweed, the entire lack OF
conscience or moral sense in the democ-
racy of the city, their intimate copartner-
ship with grog-shops, gambling hel>.
houses of prostitution, and all other dens
of vice; their adoption of thieves. periur-
ers, assassins. State prison convicts. and
all the criminal classes, had rendered
every such attempt futile
But the frauds of 1868 were 81 notorious
and shameless that in November cf that
year an address was issued to the people,
among the signers of which was Horace
Greeley, declaring that the election was
carried by fraud and conspiracy, and de
manding that measures be taken by
Congress to protect the purity of
the ballot. In December Congress
passed resolution to investigate
the alleged frauds. An investiga-
ton followed which was thorough and ex-
haustive and terribly convincing to the
whole country that measures must be taxi
en- to protect the ballot-box or. our elec-
tons would be farces and the government
be endangered Through the committee
recommendations and the suggestions OF
Mr. Davenport, the laws which the demo
Gratis are now endeavoring to repeal
making amendments TO the naturalization
laws and providing for the appointment
OF supervisors--were enacted.
Under these laws John |. Davenport
was appointed supervisor of the judicial
district including the city of New York
and in 1871 began the work before him
In the prosecution Of this he was success
full, though he had to follow up and de
stroy from forty to sixty thousand false
naturalization papers, break up falls,
registration, destroy gangs of repeaters
and all the other illegal machinery 70
carrying elections which had grown to i'm
mense proportions bY the immunity from
punishment which it had enjoyed. Tn
effect was great Improvement in tn
character of the election of 1871. and still
greater in that of 1872. and now unde
the law as it stands they have fair an
peaceable elections in New York. Is,
this is precisely what the democrats d
not desire. A fair election in New Yor
next year will defeat the choice of a den
ocratic President The election law
therefore are attacked in the revolutionar
manner which we see pursued in Cor