Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-11-02

In the elections 10 take place tomorrow that
Of New York is the most important. Within a
week or two the democratic prospects have been
steadily improving. ana but for the danger OF
Ioss TO the general ticket by vote-tradiny in
New York city for local officers a good deal OF
confidence would be felt in the election of Hill
The fear that is felt of loss in this way and the
vigorous efforts being made To stop of vote
trading is shown by double-leaded article a.
the head of the editorial columns Of the New
York Sun today, IN which IL Is set forth that
the election of Hill can be blocked only "oy
fraud and treachery In the printing, punching
and distributing of ballots" The Sun then pro
ceeds to crack the whip at the suspected partie:
in the following threatening style:
among the democratic politicians of this
city. those who have at once sufficient ability
and carry out a plot tor robbing Mr.. Hill Of his
legitimate majority, can be counted on the I'M
gers of one hand. Ii will be easy, therefore, to
Xix the responsibility for an organized betrayal
of the popular VIII where il belongs. The men
who have the power and who are suspected of a
men who can afford to provoke at this juncfure
an outburst of vindictive wrath from the peo-
pie OF this city: They may need ,. a. any
sources which they may yet retain In this
community for the work of self-defense.
They had better let the ballot box alone. The
democratic voters in earnest in this business,
and their trusted represen tatives in the public
press intend to see To 10 that they are not cnea-
the boxes of the County democracy, of Tam
many Hall and Irving Hall must beaJ the name
cratic voter will look for that name on his bal
lot before he casts 10, and IL he does not find 1t
there he will want to know the reason why: He
our advice to millionaire cOnspiritOrs is, Hands
of. Call of your dogs! This is an unhealthy
year for fraud
elected it Is estimated by plurality in the
neighborhood OF 5000, but the democrats ex-
pect to make important gains In the legislature.
In Pennsylvania the prospect is that Quay,
republican, will be elected state treasurer by u
fair majority and that Rowan republican, will
be elected sheriff of Philadelphia county,
though both are opposed by the independents.
In Maryland the German or regular demo-
cratic ticket will undoubtedly win as fore
Swallowed by the test vote in the Baltimore
municipal election.
In Virginia both parties express confidence,
hut To impartial observers it seems that the
dem Ocrats have the most reliable claim to the
election o1both governor and legislature.
The Atlanta Constitution cites, as q proof OF the
brilIiancy of Robert Toombs' wit, that once,
when Randolph Tucker corrected n false report
OF his own death Toombs remarked that Tucker
such liar that he didn't know whether to
believe the correction not. The Springfield
Republican. commenting on this joke, says it is
old as the celebrated chronicles OF SchwartZen-
brod in the dark ages.
1t il always hazardous to attempt to say just
how old a good joke is. This one is certainly
very aged In a collection Of jests compiled by
III Alexandrian Greek named Hierocles, who
lourisbed about the middle of the fifth century
Il occurs in the following setting: "a pedant
meeting another said: Why, heard you were
ueadt but you may rest assured 1 am still
alive Well, 1 don't know about that; the
who told me was much worthier OF belief
than you" Ii is highly probable, too, that
Hierocies merely gathered up the floating jests
as they came down the stream of tradition, so
that Mr.. Toombs' brilliant retort is very likely
as old as the tower OF Babel