The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-10-18

In 1860 the voting population Of tho city
numbered about thirty-iye thousand. AZ
the mayoralty election Of 1866 but 1893
votes were cast, Of which 2,601 were given
to Daniel Harvey, the conservative eandi-
date, and 5,392 to the Radical candidate,
John Lee Chapman, who was thus made
mayor Of city containing near three hun
dred thousand inhabitants. On the day
of election the bailot-boxes were in the
hands of partisan regular and special po-
lieemen and ofthoroughly partisan judges,
all selected by the police commissioners
for the express purpose Of securing par
tisan triumph. A meeting Of conserya-
tive citizens was held to protest against
the cruel disfranchisement, and in their
petition to the Legislature, signed by over
four thousand citizens, asking for the re-
moyal Of the commissioners, they repre-
sent that sit became the duty Of the board
OF police under the law to appoint two
hundred and forty judges Of election and
one hundred and sixty clerks prior to the
municipal election Of the 10th Of October
instant In view Of the great differences
Of opinion which are entertained ia regard
to the qualification, and the manner Of
conducting that election, the board Of po-
lice was appealed to by sober and discreet
citizens to select the judges of election
from among the members Of both political
parties in the city. Disregarding alike
the appeals of their fellow-citizens and
their own explicit oaths, they appointed the
two hundred and forty judges almost with
out exception from the political party TO
which they themselves arc members They
were then urged to appoint at least one
clerk Of election in each precinct from the
opposite party, and again disregardjng the
advice and requests of their fellow-citizens,
their duty and their explicit oaths, they
appointed nearly the entire number Of one
hundred and sixty clerks from the same
political party, aud instead Of selecting
clerks themselves they delegated that pow
er to the partisan judges Of election 10 the
several precincts. In like manner on the
day Of election they appointed special po-
lice in each precinct to the number 81 four
hundred, and nearly all Of them, as far as
is known, were likewise selected from the
same political party. *** The board
of police further, in violation Of law and
the liberty Of the citizens, gave orders to
the police justices not to hear any case, or
TO take bail or in any manner release any
person arrested or committed on the day
Of election, but in all cases to keep them con
fined until after six oclock in the evening
Of that day. The Judges of election
issued unofficial and inaccurate printed
lists of registered voters Of 1865, instead
Of the authentic official list of 1866, aud
caused to be arrested parties for no other
cause than that they had insisted upon
having their ballots in one or the other
! boxes. They also refused to use the sepa-
, rate box for rejected ballots. 81 In
, some Of the precincts the judges Of cleo
| ton refused to open the ballot-boxes and
count the ballots publicly, as required by
a law
! Upon this appeal, after due trial accor
ding to law, Governor Swami turned Po-
n lice Commissioners Woods and Hiudes oul
i Of Office and appointed Messrs. Valiant ant
g Young The Radical party, desiring tho
I suspended board to remain in power unit
it could settle, to their satisfaction, ths
issue to be determined at the then forth
! coming election on the Sd of November
+ procured the arrest, on warrant from
! Judge Bond. Of the new appointees aud
Sheriff Thomson, who was aiding them,
! and had them lodged in jail, where they
I were confined until the 9Th Of November
: During their confinement the Radical fac
+ tion, backed by an organized force of g..
800 special policeman and a military force
under General Grant, the State election
: was conducted like previous ones during
2 the civil war. Every effort that could be
devised to secure a majority for the radi.
cal party was unhesitatingly and unscru-
pulously resorted TO, but notwithstanding
only minority Of the citizens Of Balti.
more went to the polls the conservatives
carried every one of the three legislative
/. districts of the city. Had all the citizens
: who were fairly entitled to exercise the
4 elective franchise been permitted to vote
r the conservative ticket would have been
d elected by about thirty thousand majority.
!, Had all the registered voters been allowed
Il to deposit their ballots the majority for
q the conservatives would have been at least
fifteen thousand. In the city total vote
o Of 10000 was polled for State Comptroller
a Of which the conservatives cast {, ,513. and
: the radicals 7 7,493, showing a majority Of
y l,02O for the conservatives. They also
9 carried the State by very large minority
/ electing the comptroller aud a two-third.
|. majority iu both branches Of the Legisla
\ ture.
s Thus the Radical party, after having
e bullied the Governor and billed the Dem
d oerats--after having according to Gov
. ernor SWAMP "packed the precincts viii
4 judges from the peniteutiary,r and SEM
4 the police authorities and the sheriff ts
It jail, after having had the benefit Of Messrs
Q Strings and Stockbridge's high legal NOR
Y ality and Judge Bonds exalted judicial
y integrity, they were finally defeated ID
i their wild schemes Of pllrder and disfran.
chisement. On the day Of their defeat
they sent the following touching dispatch
! J to the Philadelphia Press
: "Col. John W. Foraey, Editor Of tie R.ess
b Philadelphia, baltimore, Nov. Eve
o have fought a good fight, but we are beaten
p Hereafter we hy the proper standard of
! Radical party Impartial suffrage and cqna
!. laws. Thanks for your generous and con
n 5tant ntd.
4 R. stoekett Matthews, A. Stirling, j.. jos
y. Cushing, Jr,, ]. i. Eaatman, j VI
Il Clayton.
|. As they had before this Town 40 III
Q proper standard, they Afterwards Jew ,
/ proper standard, with the Dag for ths
first time Of negro suffrage joined 70 thei,
!, proscriptive radiealism. Seeing The dan
. ger which threatened their party. az.
u wishing to perpetuate their power IN III
{ State, they were ultimately forced % ad
4 4 vocate negro suffrage to give them powe
= = where their honest whifo lellow.citizeu
!. would not. Following the lonehine epissI
q above was the following from Trick
e johnny y
70 Col. John W Fo5lsg, Editor effhs fsss,
1. l'hiladeLphia - Baltimore, N0yemhcr a.-
I. Beaten everywhere, but moi conoaeFes
3 The Radicals Of Balitimors thank eon Y
Il your noble efforts ia their cause. Than
I4tlU ALI IL