New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-11-09
rrrcr,oyS AT ALBAyr AND TROY.

| ELECTIONS AT ALB3Nf AM 1hOi'
"The Albany Union" compacently points to
the fact that Albany County shows Demo-
cratic gain of 9 500 over 1887 on total vote
of about 30, On the strength of these
figures 1.-THE Unionu claims that Albany is
the banner Democratic county" If the re-
sult had been achieved by an honest count Of
honest votes the claim might be allowed. But
H. is not that sort of result. 1t is result
which is tainted with rascality Even so thor
ough-going a Democratic newspaper as Inc
| Albany Times,' admits this 1t speaks OF " the
many frauds by repeaters and other corrupt
agencies" which were employed at the capital on
Election Day, and states that lit has been the
general belief that Judge Mott (the Republican
and Independent candidate for County Judge)
would certainly be counted out unless his ma
jority was so large as to make that process. I'M
practcablen Now this is Democratic testi-
mony in regard to what the Democratic man
ayers in Albany intended to do and actually
did accomplish. They conspired to defraud the
voters, and the voters were defrauded
In so doing these scoundres were simply
maintaining the dsgraceful reputation of the
Democracy of Albany. That organization for
MANY years has been controlled by It's most
disreputable eements-men who always stand
ready to carry through their candidates by
fou means when fair ones will not answer.
They made a desperate effort two years ago
N swindIe the Republican candidate out of the
Senatorship for which he had been named by
the majority vote few years earlier they
succeeded in having Democrat installed as
Nlayor. although Republican, DIR. Swinburne,
4l.o,. oil nj no
on to the stolen Office until the courts compelled
him to relinquish his grasp " banner Dem
ocratic county? Yes; so far as crookedness
at the polls is concerned.
As for Albany's neighbor, Troy, it's i!l-fame
in this respect is even worse. We have already
called attention to the fact that the Troy CORE
spondent of so prominent Democratic journal
as 1.-THE WorIdr telegraphed on Tuesday even
ing that the election in that city had been
characterized by bold and persistent repeat
ing.n "The Troy Times'' states that gangs
Of Democratic repeaters were herded from dis
trict to district, and the names Of citizens were
voted on by repeaters in nearly every ward"
One of the Republican inspectors of elections
of Troy states that in his ward no one was al
lowed to challenge votes; that the police re-
fused to arrest repeaterS; that many OF the
Christian Brothers who teach in the asylum
were registered, and repeaters would come to
the polling-booth and give the names of the
Brothers, Their votes would be challenged
and they would swear them in, while the police
would smile and refuse to make arrests"
1t is superiluous to point out that this state
of things in Albany and Troy is to the last
degree disgracefu There can be no more
heinous crime against popular government than
that which aims to render the right of suffrage
a mere mOckery. What do the reputable cit
liens of Troy propose to do about it "The
Troy Tines suggests that the election frauds
in question would form a proper subject for
investigation by the Legislature to the end
that their nature and extent may be clearly
revealed to the people Of the entire State.
Yes; that certainly ought to be done, and yet
what will it avail unless the public sentiment
of Albany and Troy can be so aroused that all
decent men of both parties shall unite to pro-
tect the balot-boX from pollution? Who would
be free themselves must strike the bOw-and
what is more, if they strike the blow they be-
come free. If the ballot-box in Albany and
Troy is at the mercy of repeaters, it is so, pl1ic
tically speaking, with the consent of the gov
erned.n