The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-04-17
The Party of Fraud.


Republican party for the character of
the federal election laws, and it has
passed laws providing for the nav.
ment of fines that have been or NAV
be imposed upon State officers for
the violation of these laws. But as
to the bad character of its own cleo.
ton laws, it displays no sensitive
ness whatever, although there is no.
where else in the Union statutes so
void of protection against the COM
mission of fraud and so soaked with
partisan unfairness. The federal cleo.
ton law divide the supervisors of
election between the two great Ma
tional parties; it provides for their
appointment ty judges whose life
tenure removes them as far as posi-
BILE from corrupting influences, and
who are some of one party andsome
of another. The law has recently
been amended so as to provide that
the deputy marshals appointed to
serve at elections shall also bediyi.
ded between the two great parties,
and that they shall tie appointed by
the United States courts. Let us
compare this legislation with our
State enactments on the same sub
ject.
In the first place, the legislation of
the Democratic party in this city is
assiduous in providing for the con-
troll of election machinery. The
Board of Police Commissioners are
elected by the legislature, and,are all
partisan ; their unscrupulous beha-
yior at the election of 1875 caused
the appointment of judges and
clerks of election to be taken away
from them and given to board of
supervisors. which also is composed
wholly of Democratic politicians.
UP to 1876 there was no requirement
that the opposition should have any
representation at the polls but the
legislature in that year provided
that one Judge and one clerk in each
polling place should be appointed
from the opposition party. There is
however, nowhere any permission
given to the opposition to be repre-
scented by its own agents either at
the registration or at the polls, and
the registration, the fairness of which
is essential to fair elections, is given
wholly over to the discretion and
authority of partisans, many of them
persons devoid of respectable char
acter and reputation. If the Repub,
lican Legislature of New York should
adopt the tactics of the Democratic
party of this State, they could easily
overthrow its Democratic majority.
But instead of themselves electing
a partisan board of police commits
sioners, they have provided fof the
appointment by the Mayor of New
York of board, the members of
which must be divided between the
two parties; and the law REQUIRES
that the judges and clerks who pre-
side oyer the registration of voters
(Which is taken afresh before every
electionl and the taking of the vote
shall also be equally divided between
the two parties. Furthermore, par
ties and candidates are authorized to
appoint challengers, with full pow
ers of scrutiny, to represent them at
the registration and at the polls, so
that partisan zeal is turned to good
account in securing the purity of
elections. The result of these ar
engagements is seen in the fact that
the people of New York city are
really able to declare their will at the
polls, and changes of popular senti-
ment and discrimination between
candidates are constantly evidenced
ia election results.
In this State the majority in the
legislature has steadily manifested a
determination to retain all possible
opportunities for election frauds. No
one denies that fraudulent practices
are pre- valent; in fact, elections in
this city are joke and a by-word
among politicians. They have formed
the subject of messages from the
Governor; have been brought to the
attention of the legislature by me-
morals from the most prominent
citizens of the community mass
meetings have been held to agitate
for reform; exposure, remonstrance
and appeal have not been spared and
yet, the party managers cling to their
wretched and diegraceful election
arrangements with a tenacity that
shows either extraordinary boldness
or else confident reliance upon the
snpineness of the community. The
audacity with which the public is
lied to and played with in this matter
argues great contempt for the in
telligence and earnestness of our peo-