New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-02
TAMMANY ELECTION FRAUDS
DEMOCRATIC SwINDLES UPON ELECTORS
DURING HALF A CENTURY.
EVERY SAFEGUARD IS OF REPUBLICAN, CREATION
AND EVERY INCENTIVE TO FrAUD
OF TAMMANY ORIGIN.

who t. known u have had during Ia yer" Va VIZ"
experience In watching prosecuting election I'"lS
half century back, received 'hN ''''i'"'
him: -. -
"Opponen,s Of modern Democracy ne said' "'e
NO, likely ot this late tay in tn political campaigns
OF the country TO Initiate those fraudulent P"'"'''
against the elective FRI nclse which !or nan century
Tammany IIau has stemaiica'y o'ntena ''e'' y"
n is a signlhcan; fact that ciui tbs n 40 '''-
sainab,c charge Of such fnvd la, eve. leca p'fe Tea
saainst other political organizations. one may
vainy ransack the pigeon holes OF the oM'" Oh Tue
Clerk Of the Courts Of SESSIONS 10 lind one c-nP'l'"'
OF ,anpcring with ballots OF tieir count wIlch I"u
been filed agaiu,t R'p'Lli'an Inspector OF 'V
publican club. Moreover, no return of any hri"'
lean Cfliceholder from THIS city hae evr even pc"
chspcn.c cd In Washington Or Albany or In the ''N
Hall because of corrupt practices in behalf OF ms
election; while many pgeredcn;s could lie '''cu III
similar challenges 3g.inai Tamm ny ian c"""'u"'''
"What veteran politician Ia, forgotten the charge
made by Mike Walsh ia Old pewter mug "'"cH "''
he vas defra,dcd Of his election 20 Congress In iaVf
OF John Kelly, his competitor; or the Allegation" /
Michael Connolly that the same fortunate I""'nanS
lender had defraudrd him OF ihr Office " sheriff an
allegation that few WHO st'd'fd ina mparfu ''' "'"
returns could doubt. The ul,uceS'iiE attempt ~
defiaud the late william r. Dodgc Of lis seat u l IL
gross that WAS made Ly Taminany Ill., acting In be
half of It's competing candidate. las become '"a Ter
OF historic record. Any student Of newspaper files
extending from the time Of the 1910 Harrison cam
paign 10 the existing can find abundant PROOF d
methods persstent!y pursued by Tammany llai! ior
ampering with the electoral will 10 lis own ad'
vantage. During that fist Harrison campaign Tam
many endeavorcd to shield ITSELF from suspicion Of
frauds by raising against Wing adcs cry Of cheat
ery-known rs allegation Of pipe laying frauds;
but. Notwithstanding the cnio", cooperation in -he
matter IL a Tammany Hal Kreo;ter and DISH {
Attorney toward fastening fraud upon those leaders
the Official efforts Iecpiied u lOoneraDg>. Indeed
for his pa,sOn nspracy public opinion compelled
and ob-ained that Recorders apeac hrent and re
moval
Metropolitan election fraud, are believed TO haze
originated when there three days devoted In this
city election. and before registration came into
vogue. OF course. with many hour, devoted 10
canvaS,ing or observation 10 how an election was
tending there We're great opportunities fol repeated
voting by the same individual especially as then u
residence of only night in election district WAS
necessary. When the Yy va> practically governed
through wards. and their Aldermen and assistants ia
Common Council convened, held governmental privi-
legrs that sftcrwad. and now. were controlled By
departments and bureaus there arose much emulation
for close contentious between parties. in those DAYS
II that reporters were born. DISCUSSES were then
widely rSed. Change of hats coats and false boards
used by cODniacr, could we'll serve fraudulent voter,
and especially whom police regulations we're then
feebly conceived le'ily Iu into operation. More.
over poll Inspectors then elective; rs thcs, yet
in many rural ncislboriocd~
These fraud, hlshgated registration !, Gu lion
precedent 10 exercising the elective franchise This
demanded and obtained by the party antagonlslc
u Tammany Hall. That organization. together with
Its sdhercnts throughout the state Violently OppH'd
tie registration scheme ane pronounced # uncOnsrtl
uonnl-that convenient word which In our political
history has been So often and conveniently used
by Democrats, who made ii Il syuonymc with the word
dislike.
"Ncve'thc"SS. when r'el,t 'atljn became a legal ne
ceSSity, IsmEany gan ngenlou>ll 10 the sys
TEN Of fraud. Isaiah Eyndersa
clever TamTany politician Of the eia-waS credited
with invcntng false OF danny reg> trsltlon. The
method was u employ say two Or three hundred men
al fixed Price head generally brought from The ad
jaocnt cities OF New Jersey debar the dan ger
OF identit,-vho furnished with written li>ts
to The various name, they 10 adopt and n -
what varfous polling places they 10 visit.
Fraudulent district leaders Of Tammany 90 far AS
TO arrange meetings for rehearsalS OF the, re-
peatrrs. which orators Of the school now known as
the Cochran and Fellows school would attend ana In
quiet caucus eloqucntly iEpart suitable Instruction..
That kind OF fraud soon became supplemented by
fraudulent manipulation Of district and county re
turns BhnkS FOR returns furni he'd by the Taa
many County Clerk 10 the different polling places. and
Of course he kept In extra supply Of blanks
that could be used fresh substitute when doctor
ING was needed after the polls pubcly closed Richard
b. Connolly OF whom Ci ocr early became apt pupil
In the Twenty frs. Ward. and Harry Genet. patron of
Tom Gilr'N, In Harlem. While they We're rammany
County Clerks. BEGAN" credited with neeniously con
oooiing mOdcs by which those extra blank could
10 used to what they whim,ically termed ad
vantage DOcl Oring returns. at &c hands of In
speciors and poll clerks. Was next initiated by 'he
Iammany Supervisors. who each held custody Of the
returns prior 10 u>e In the county canvass Each
Supervisor in the doctorng during the initial
counting had not become safe next had opportunity
sti. " lt.f,t IfedW
such fresh blaEA..
~ and b. under the regime II Tweed super
vIors. they with their compaI,;nt clcr., a1d
lightning calcnlgtor, OF figure, O.. aimed Is county
ean,assers third opportunity OF doctoring
turns particularly wien their private cOmpaiaon
Of fcturnS n the gross or detail could readily
discover what az. how, numerically, changes might
be made, 50 rs 10 produce false Tammany result,
to nciense locally already ohainei MAJORITY which
coud overtop Republican ma1ortcs from beyond The
Harlem River
These Tammany varieties Of fnua. were how
foilcd AT various times by Republican statute
which provided watchers al The polls by Gay aud
night and awarded to political organizations the right
detail such watchers. Under fun Tammauy jurI>dic
uoi; ana prbT TO such statutes the counting 0i votes
would be secretly proceeded with-evrn with the at
tendant policeman being dispensed with.
1t is noteworthy that all NewYork statutes now
existing IN ad OF homes; voting ard honest count
ing and honest canvass Of Understanding the one
relating to glass ballot boxes are exclusively Of RI"
publican origin, and large extent were during
enactment. opposed by Democratic legislators. II
Tammany influence which originally obtained the
peal OF the election OF Inspectors IA hi- city. and il
was the same Influence which last winter repealed
the Republican enactment that had awarded cint-
lily OF inspectors To both parties. and that In H.
place. majority OF each I;osr u Inspectors ~
Tammany Hall: thereby pl"cNg Republican electors
nj the mercy Of the Tiger.
Under all these circumstances and incidents how.
like the tabled Cry u Wolf. wolf sscr warnings "
Tammany organ against vcpublic0n fraud. or ut
tacks upon Federal supervisors OF election. that relate
to choice ~ electoral college and tOngrps,
In old fashioned hacS and cries against thief. how
often the latter swelcd the turfiilt and adrn;y
denvOred 10 turn piciOn upon some other p"drS-
trian.7
BIG PARADE AND MEETING AZ BETHLEHEM.