New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-11-25

THE FRAUD IN THE XVTH DISTRICT
Osborne has been counted in for Senator in
the XVIII District. The majority of the voters
of that district chose the late Gilbert A. Deane
for the place-there is no more doubt of that
than there is of Mr.. Flowers election to the
Governorship. We verify believe that not an
honest man in Duchess, Columbia or Putnam,
the three counties composing the district, Will
dispute this proposition. Osbornes title to the
seat is no better than his title to the throne OF
Russia. Indeed were it not for the fact that
Hill. Murphy, Croker and other desperate Dem
ocratic bosses had made up their mind at all
hazards to count out enough Republicans who
had been fairly elected to give the control OF
the Legislature to the Democrats, the brazen at
tempt to set aside Deane would never have been
made But, although there was not shadow
of a justification for contest in the XVIII Dis
trict the majority for Deane was slender one,
and in the Board of Supervisors of Dutchess-a
Democratic Board-were number of Hills
tools, officials as INSCRIPTIONS as their master.
Accordingly, by means of tactics so infamous
that the Democratic Supervisors who resOrted to
them may well feel that they have earned long
residence at Sing Sing, the district was simply
stolen and handed over to Osborne.
The details OF the outrage were presented in
the dispatch from Poughkeepsie which we print
ed yesterday and which is supplemented to-day
with some additional salient particulars. 1t will
be seen that the action of this Democratic Board
was to the last degree lawless 1t is perfectly
clear that the Board was organized for fraud.
that its majority members had determined to
capture the district in utter disregard of the vote
cast on the Sd of November These disgraced
officials did not pretend to respect the provisions
Of the new Ballot Act. They rejected, for ex-
ample, SO Deane ballots on the ground that they
were marked. 1t is not conceded that these
ballots were marked, but suppose they were, did
the Board have a right to reject them? Not at
all for the law expressly provides that marked
ballots shall be counted along with the Others.
In to-days dispatch our correspondent takes up
the tally sheet which the Democratic Supervisors
presented and pushed through, showing just how
they secured the figures by which they elect
Osborne. There isn't repeater, a ballot-box
suffer, or any sort of an enemy of honest cleo.
tons, who will not applaud their work. But il
is well calculated to arouse the indignation of
every fair-minded man in the State, whatever
may be his politics.
NOW "hdt arc hc icPuedoio Puphc-sPuipeu
citizens of Duchess, Columbia and Putnam going
to do about it? We greatly mistake their char
acter if they do not band themselves together
to prevent the consummation of this glaring
fraud, which is an insult to every man of them.
Lot them fight these Senatorial-seat stealefs at
all points by every legal weapon at their COM
mand No expense ought to be spared looking
to the retention of the district where the ma
jorty of the voters placed it on Election Day
in the Republican column; and none ought to
be spared looking to the conviction and punish
ment of every maefactor, from the Governor
down. who had anything to do with this abom-