New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-29

the voting or the counting the actual sentiment
Of the district was not accurately represented N
the state of the poll, we may be sure at least OF
one thing, that the Democratic party ilid not
suffer by it. There was always that sstisfac-
ton.
In this comfortable condition Of affairs
under which the vote of the State was givea Tor
HOratio Seymour for President, John 4. Hoff-
man was elected Governor, and the city enjoyed
the blessings of Mr.. Tweed's administra at on
the ODpressOr Davenport appeared. Using inc
powers granted him by the law OF Congress
he began-te-imterfere with the freedom OF the
ballot, and to arrest Democrats who attempted
to vote more than once at the same election, OF
who did not possess the requisite QUALIFICATIONS
No wonder there was indignation in the party
and Davenport was denounced by the leaders In
Congress and the press as a bold, bad man, VINO
was trampIing under foot the rights OF man.
No wonder that it broke out in Congress at the
first session in which the Democrats found
themselves in the control Of both branches OF
the legislative department Mr.. Wood opened
it I'D, and was followed by others in the same
wratbfnl and indignant strain. A Committee
of Investigation was appointed. 1t mVesn-
gated. 1t sent for persons and papers, ana IL
came to New York to pursue its inquiries on
the ground. Much was expected from IT,
Nothing less than new Book of Martyrs ana o
series of lifting recitas of the sutferings OF
DavenpOrt's victims was looked for as the result
of the committees labors. The public has been
disappointed there has been nothing Of the
kind. For some reason or other, public interest
in the Davenport tyranny has been permitted
to Wane, and the whole subject has almost
passed out of memory through the neglect OF
the committee.
But the other day in the Senate, Mr.. Thur
man, who seems not to have forgotten the inn
preston made upon him by the speeches OF Mr..
Wood and others year ago, embraced the OPP
pOrtunity offered by the tendency of the Super
visOrs bill. to get in a whack at the Oppressor
in the shape Of an amendment providing that
no person now holding or who has held the
office of Chief Supervisor of elections shall be
@reappointed." He did this, he said, because of |
the zone bad man" among the supervisors, |
whose name, he thinks will be infamous in |
the history of this country" whom he pro- |
posed to prevent from holding that Office here |
after. And this, we suppose, is the issue, and |
all that comes of the attack opened by Mr.. /
Wood, and followed up with such tremendous |
vigor ali along the line. There are no martyrs, |
no tales of distress, Of prison hardshiDs and |
brutal treatment, no labOred report to fire the |
Democratic heart Nothing comes of it except |
that Mr.. Thurman calls him bad man, and |
aims special provision of general statute |
against his continuance in Office. And his bad |
ness so far as we can see from the record 10 this
matter, consists in having devised and effectu- |
ally carried out plan for preventing repeaters |
and rogues from defrauding honest men Of their |
rights. For a fight that began with such a |
sounding Of trumpets this seems an uncom- |
monty small outcome.