The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-07-05
ENDORSING THE VERDICT.
A Triumph of Justice.


From the Netcork Daily Advertiser.
The four election officers who have boon
on trial in Jersey City, during the past
week, have been found guilty of CON
spiracy. On Monday next they will be
sentenced. They may be sent tothe State
Prison for two years and be ordered to
pay a fine of $500 each. Considering the
immunity from punishment with which
the gang to which those men belong have
pursued their nefarious practices. this is
a signal and gratifying triumph of Justice.
There were two lines of defence open to
the counsel for the accused. One was
that the alleged frauds were merely In
nocent irregularities, the result OF lgnor-
ance and inexperience; the other was the
plea that this could not be a conspiracy,
as charged, since a conspiracy implies an
agreement, q formal covenant OF the
parties entering into q compact TO DO
q certain thing. 1t Yves hardly
necessary to explain to the july
ignorant and unintelligenG. They knew
perfectly well what they were doing;
and the apparent audacity n brutal dis
regard of law with which they went about
their work was not due to their uncon-
s~ciousness of ill doing, but to their appar-
ent security from detection. They knew
perfectly well that this sort of thing was
common among the Democratic election
officers of Hudson county. 1t had been
resorted to again and again without I'M
due publicityand consequent punIshment
following it. use doth harden q man."
and these rascals were so familiar with
these crimeslthat they had ceased TO re-
gard them as such, and they never
dreamed that their crooked work would
be laid open TO the clear light of day n
their guilt be made manifest to all men.
That fact should be recalled that the step
hat resulted in opening these polluted
ballot boxes was taken only q few days
before the expiration of the time in which
their examination was possible.
Judge LipDincott, who has conducted
the trial with great skill and vigor, made
short work of the plea that to prove q con-
spiracy it is necessary to produce evidence
OF an express agreement entered into at a
particular time. There might be, and
certainly was. "a tacit understanding en-
tered into by the conSpiratorS, the exis-
tence of which was proved by their acts.
In this case, the acts Of the accused Off
GERS were evidently designed to fit into
and supplement- each other. There was
the Illegal registration, the acceptance of
votes from unregistered persons, the fail
ure to enter names on the poll lists. the
placing of ballot boxes out OF sight, the
failure to make out the records as re-
quired by law, the false counting and
tallying, the certifying to more votes than
tliCl0 MC1C A0A4kOo VII tAO AADto Va FO1OAoy
and there was the presence in the box of
ballots that were clearly intended for
fraudulent use, and could not have been
so used without the guilty knowledge of
the accused officers. Evidently, the jury
were not TO be beguiled by the Sophism
that there had been no proof OF conspiracy,
though no witness to the formal agree.
ment and the assignment of parts had
been produced. They found the four
prisoners guilty as charged, after delib-
Grating one hour.
Prosecutor Winfield has pressed this
case with zeal and ability. We do not
care to discuss the political complications
that must have been presented to his
mind when he undertook the prosecution.
The defendants were members of his own
political party. Their party leader has
been his leader, and still is at the head Of
the Democratic county organization of
Hudson; and the attitude of the Demo-
cratic leaders in the State-Goyernor,
Senators and Assemblymen-has been
one OF GOODNESS toward the prosecution.
But Mr.. Winfield's course in every parti-
cular, since he began the work OF pursus
ing the thieves, has been worthy Of high
commentator for his strict adherence to
obvious lines of duty. Judge Llppin-
colts charge should be read and pondered
by every citizen. 1t recalls to the minds
OF men the fundamental truths on which
is built the structure OF a government by
the people. 1t is nom too soon that a
trumpet-blast like this is sounded in the
ears of a careless people whose birthright
is being stolen away by artfui knaves.
To the whole country it will be a great
gain il this conviction and the condign
punishment of the criminals shall teach
political rascals everywhere that q crime
committed against the ballot box is no
less a crime because inspired by a desire
TO serve a party.