Wichita eagle., 1888-10-31
NEW YORK DEMOCRATS PANIC
STRICKEN.

NEW YORK, Oct. 30-The Democratic
scare in this state has grown into panic.
All sorts of schemes are being Matched and
every opportunity is being seized upon to
make excuses for a small Democratic ma
;ority in this city on election day. The
fear expressed now by the Democratic
managers is that Democratic voters will
not be able to cast their votes in some OF
the uptown election precincts on account
of the heavy registration and the voting
facilities. Under the law in this state
whenever more than 400 votes are cast in
an election district it is subdivided, but
this division is made only once III two
years. This spring the police commits
sioners took last years registration
and added about forty more voting places.
1t was discovered at the close of reglstra-
ton on Saturday, however, that IN some
of the uptown precincts 800, go and 200.
and in one place over ZOO votes are down
for one polling place. The polls are open
ten hours and ii is alleged by the Demo
Gratis that the highest number of votes
that can be received IN each polling place
is coo, or at the rate of one minute. They
claim that in the large precincts this viii
disfranchise many voters. There IS no
remedy whatever under the laws. In fact,
nothing can be done till the Legislature
meets, or until two years from now, when
she districts are again laid out. Governor
Hill has been asked to call an extra session
of the legislature to Xix the matter up, but
1t is too late for that. The governor, how
ever, in an interview printed in the Dem
ocratic papers this evening practically adj
vises his followers to bulldoze and intim-
tdate the Republicans at the polls Here
Is what Hill says:
There is nothing that can be done now
Ia the way of extending the legal hours of
voting or increasing the number of lnspec-
Tor or poll clerks that will relieve the pres
sure at the polls. The votes will be de-
posted, however, you aydepend upon it,
even in that prize district in the. Twenty
second assembly, where it is said
there are 1,l07 registered votes
The sun does not always set at
4 o'clock, and very often when the legisla-
ture SAYS it will adjourn at IL O'Clock, it
clocks outside the chamber were a good
deal taste than the Legislative time piece
Every man who is entitled to vote should
be permitted to do so"
Suppose an attempt is made to delay
the voting of the polls by the Republicans
in the heavy districts"
In such cases. if the Democrats thought
they were being cheated, they would prob
ably block the game in short order by TAX
ing possession OF the polls and seeing that
their votes were properly recorded. If the
Democrats III any of the heavy districts
think there is going to be trouble about
tlepositing their votes, il Is safe to say that
they will be on hand as early as their adj
Versaries and that they will stay there
until every one OF their votes Is counted,
or an very much mistaken"
Another thing that has driven Demo
Gratis almost out of their minds is the
rumor that 32,02l registrations OF last
Saturday were illegal and would be
thrown out. The point is this: Under
the laws of the state Saturday afternoon
is legal half holiday. The boards OF
registration were in session from Il. N.
to 3 p m. last saturday. and it is asserted
by many lawyers that inasmuch as
these boards were state officers,
every voter registered by them
after noon on Saturday was in viola
ton of the law. As il Is impossible to tell
who registered before and who after noon,
II is said by some that the courts would
throw out the whole days work. The
Democratic district attorney, however,
ridicules this idea. He said that if this
construction was TO be placed upon the law
it would also apply to election day. That
day WAS n legal holiday, Yet votes were re-
ceived and counted If they could be
counted on a legal holiday, they
certainly could be registered on one
John !. Davenport and a number of as
sislants are making a canvass of the city
trying to catch the Democratic repeaters
and illegal voters Mr.. Davenport is
quoted as saving that 10000 fraudulent
votes were cast for Cleveland in this city
in 1884, aud that there are 1900 crooked
names on the registry this year. The mat
Ter is being thoroughly investigated and
already several arrests have been made
and warrants are being issued for the ap-
prehension Of hundreds of repeaters.