New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-10-08
1HE FIGHT foR H0YfSr ELECTIONS.

Now that the appointment OF inspectors oil
Elections is finished, ii is safe to say that
LuCius Robinson viii not he reelected Gov
crnor. He had just one chance. IL was pos
sible hat the same infamous tactics which
were employed with such success IN 106S
might again nave been employed, with mod
lfcations 10 suit the change of circumstances,
if the Tiden Ring had secured control OF the
ballot-box az certain districts. The absence,
inenciency or mfde.i,y of a single Republic
can Inspector might have given that control
to the Lalot-box manipulator-, had the Tilden
Ring been able to select both of the Demo-
cratic Inspectors The skill and training Of
the Democratic ward politicians il those jug
Cling tricks By which the vote Of the people
can be reversed or defeated does not now need
demonstration. With a majority to sustain
him, an expert Inspector can easily turn
majority Of 200 against the Ring, at any PIE
cinct, into a majority of 200 for the RING.
The whole effort of Mr.. 1ideu's clique has
been TO get themselves into such position
that the frauds of 1868 could be repeated in
a. many precincts ms possible
Thanks to the unyielding iiuoness Of the
Republican Commissioners, Mossrs. Wheeler
and French, and to the integrity aud good
sense Of the Judges who were called by Gov
erDor Robinson himself III the hope that they
could be used for partisan purpose, the
conspiracy has succeeded in few precincts, if
in any. In all there are Republican lnspec-
+,rs who are believed to be competent and
trustworthy, and who, ii is to be hoped, VIII
not be unable to attend to the work. In neatly
all. too. there are Democratic Inspectors who
are believed to oppose Governor Robinson,
though IN sympathy with the Democratic
marty otherwise, and who, being well ac-
auainted with the Democratic tricksters in
the precincts which they guard. ought to be
better able in some respects than any Repub-
Hcans to guard against fraud. 1t seems Ger
tain that no extensive or general fraud can
he perpetratcd in this city, and it Is probable
that Governor Robinson will need many thou
sand votes more in this city than he can get
by honest means.
1t is right that the real meaning of the
stubborn fight here should be understood by
Republicans, and 10y all honest citizens, in
other parts of the State. 1t has been a fight
for an honest election n fight to prevent
repetition of tho frauds which were perpe-
trated in 1865, when Mr.. Tilden was the
chairman of the Democratic State Com
mittee. The Republicans in this city have
never been foolish enough to indulge the
hone that they were able to defIaud the Dem
ocrats here, even if they had been ever so
willing; their effort for years has been to get
as honest Il vote in the city as they could
TO that end, they have employed all the powers
which the Federal and State election laws give
them Ii is but just to Mr.. Kelly to say that the
Tammany party, under his direction, has made
TO effort to rob the people Of their franchise
by Wholesale. was done III 1868. In some
wards or precincts, fraudulent practices have
at times succeeded. but the Republicans have
not hestated to bear witness that the recent
elections here have been Oh the whole quite
as fair as could be expected III a great city.
Ii is cheering to have good reason 10 believe
that the next election VIII be not less fair.
Mr.. Tilden's absolute reliance upon moral
" forces has been more fully shown in this
contest than in any other since " Denmark "
failed to make successful use of "Copenha-
"gen in 1876. For what has he done 1t
has been peculiarly Mr.. Tilden's fight from
the beginning. The Governor and his tools,
the Mayor and his tools, have been moved as
puppets by wires from Cipher Alley. The con-
duet of Mr.. Tildens agents has been so shame
full and so lawless that scarcely a single Dem
ocratc paper has attempted to justify them.
The very Court To which Governor
Robinson appealed as last resort, to
prevent the reinstating of Police Commits
sioners who had been unlawfully and
unjustly removed was compelled to declare
that the Tilden Ring had disregarded lay and
Justice in its attempt to secure Inspectors rep
resenting the Tilden faction of the Demo-
cratic party only. Every step of the whole
performance has been in defiance of intelli-