The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-23
Exciting Scenes in the SEN
ate During the Reading
Of the Reports.
The SHAMEFUL TALLY,
Sen ators Hang Their
Heads as They Vote
Under the Par
ty Lash.
Special to The Jersey citv Ne.vs.

Special to the JERSEY City Netvs.
TRENTON, May 23. 1890. The depths of
lnfamy to whica Republicans can sink
when party advantage is TO be gained
were shown yesterday afternoon, when
the Republican Senators. sinking all
their sense of honor and manhood, like
whipped slaves submissiyely bent to the
lash of the party leaders and voted to
give Senator McDonald's seat to the rene
gade Stuhr.
Some of them WINGED and whined and
cast their votes in q manner that was al
most as pitiful as it was despicable. But
the majority, as if hardened in dishoner,
appeared to glory in their infamy.
Long before the session began the gal
leries were crowded and every seat on
the floor and in the cloak and committee
rooms was occupied While the debate
was in progress the House adjourned and
hastened over to hear the speeches. Then
wherever it was possible on the floor TO
place a human being members OF the
Legislature and State officers crowded
each other to the wall, Stuhr was on
hand, sinking as usual about the COM
Elittee rooms.
GARDNER t EEs TIE LEAD
Senator Gardner began the proceedings
by introducing the ma ajority report which
1t took the clerk almost an hour to read.
After prelimi1aries, this precious docu-
ment says:
- Your committee at the outset Of its investiga-
tion discovered evidence of extensive frauds by
the election officers in Hudson county, covering
so many precincts and SO connected in method
and purpose as to demonstrate common con-
spiracy. These frauds were all in the interest of
the political candidates on the regular Demo-
cratic ticket, one of whom was Mr.. Mcdonald,
and it became therefore necessary to enter into
broad and laborious investigation. commen-
surate with the wide range of the conspiracy
Then comes cry for boodle:-
The State owes no debt to the payment Of
which its honor is more sacredly pledged. and
provision for its payment should give precedence
to that for no other purpose.
The fact that 129 ballot boxes were ex-
Rmined in Trenton is exploited and this
contemplate misstatement nader
Resistance to the authority of the Senate was
en otlntered even afcer the ballots and registry
lists had been brought to the State House. it be-
ng claimed that the ballot boxes and their con-
bSnts should still remain in the charge of the
city clerk.
The long, disgusting examination into
the registry lis,s is excused by this state
ment:A
The disclosures Of fraud by the election officers
shown by the mere recount of votes and inspec-
ton of the poll books and registry lists rendered
1t necessary to push the inquiries farther and to
determine whether suspicious OF the additional
crime of repeating were well founded.
A table is presented to show that frauds
McDonald's vote from q, 922 to "a, 743 and
increasing Stuhr's vote from 1852 to
1880.
THE JOKER BALLOTS.
The second section is devoted to the
forged stamps on some OF the joker bal
lots and says
We find that in twenty-e eight precincts of Jer-
sey City and Hoboken 1,764 Democratic ballots
we're counted and placed upon the strings as
genuine ballots which had been stamped milled
and punctured by mechanism other than tnai
upon the boxes In which the committee found
them.
The fourth section deals with repeating
and recital of the amount of this species
Of fraud, all of course in the interest OF
Senator Mcdonald and takes up eight
pages. This statement will possess all Jne
charm of novelty for those VINO carefully
followed the testimony as taken before
the committee:--
Evidence was produced indicating that gangs
Of repeaters were brought to Jersey City from
The Bowery lodging houses in New YORK, who
voted about ten times each in the Fourth Assem-
bly, District and other districts Considerable
information corrohorative of this evidence
reached the committee and much OF the other
evidence produced tended TO corroborate it.
In the sixth section intimidation and
violence are alleged. The presence of
Captain Christie Smith (the committee
evidently don't know Christie) and
eighteen OF his men at one polling place
Is the basis of the charge. as well as the
evidence of several witnesses that they
did not challenge illegal voters because it
would do no good or because they were
afraid Of getting hurt.
THE CONSPIRACY CHARGE.
The report goes on:-
In reaching conclusion upon the remarkable
case before then1 case of election crimes llu-
precedented In the annals of the State, your
committee have taken into consideration on as IL
part OF the evidence before them, the course of
legislation, the division of partes the results of
public record, Of common knowledge and gem
eral history.
The repeal OF the sunset election law,
the personal registration law and the jury
commission law are set forth as part OF
the conspiracy, aud the county commit
tee and Sheriff Davis are painted in coll
Drs exceedingly black The rise and tall
of the fusion ticket is dwelt upon aud the
frantic attempts OF the committees to dis
cover the joker ballots set forth, includ-
Ing the testimony Of Mr.. Birnee, as Clerk
Honeyman insisted upon accenting AS
semblyman Byrne's name, much to that
statesman's disgust. The report tries to
excuse the failure to order new election
by saying
officers placed under bail for their offences by
the Judges of the criminal courts. have counted
themselves again into control Of the elections.
10 order new election Is to invite renewal OF
these crimes
The report concludes:
Since the early days Of the investigation no re-
spousible person has denied the existence Of
gross and monstrous fraud.
Thst tho election Was enveloped in fraud and