New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-12

,,,napement in Troy but that which stands IN
,boir ,yav Ms in the way also of every movement
that looks toward the city's emancipation, is The
serie. OF charter amendments which the ring drew
ne its prize from the Democratic Legislature last
winter.
Theae amendments were numerous ana sweep
inc Two wears ago. in the fall OF $780, the
ring nominated Mayor Whelan as its candidate
for the Office he now holds. 1t was Con-
cressional year and United States marshas were
present at every poll When repeaters came for
ward to vote on the ntncs of dead men, they
were numcrously arrested. Many voted, many
did not: and when the polls closed the ing was
defeated Troy went 10 bed that night rejoicing
in the election Of Colonel Frank Mann, the Kc-
pnbcan candidate, but 1t woke up the next
morning to find that the returns on lie IN INC
county clerks Office showed the election OIL
Whelan by majority Of 1913 votes How, wheh
or where he got those votes nobody VINO KNOWS
will tell but it was done at some time between
2 o'clock and . o'clock in the morning OF the day
after re election. This experience convinced inc
ring that il was absolutely necessary 10 divorce
municipal from Congressional elections III Unl'ed
States marshas were TO he allowed TO stand arouhu
the polls and seize industrious rcpeaters without
let or hindrancc, it was plain that the oo''oni
| wouId soon drop out of the ring One of the first
provided for a new election of Mayor and Alder
mon in the spring of 1892, and fixed their term OF
| Nico at two years Troy was thereafter TO have
snring elections for municipal Offices and the dan
| cor of interference from United States Marshals
was successfully avertcd. This bill promptly went
| into operation, and the ring rcnominated Mayor
| Whclan His majority in 1890 OF l2S, obtained
| not in the ballot boxes, but in the tally Sheets
| was converted last March into majority of over
| 6 600 and a clergyman of Troy who presides over
ono Of thc largest and finest churches in the city,
told me Yesterday that at his poll he saw man
swear in his vote eight times under eight differ
ent names within forty minutes! OF course the
Republican watchers protested but the Demo
cratic inspectors and watchers with one accord told
| them to shut up, and when they refused 10 shut
| I'D. police sergeant, standing by told them tha1
if they didn't he would bust their heads for
EN-: and when they still refused he proceeded 10
carry out his threat and after striking them with
his club. he picked them up and threw them out
of the polling place The clergyman did not vote
He went home and reflected.
Mayor Whclan had 5000 of this kind OF ma
| orty. and is now in Office for two years more
all rs the result cf the first Of 1roys "polucai
bills" The greatest iniquity. however, was per
netratod in connection with the reorganization
Of the police force Some years ago when senator
Mac Arthur represented Rensselaer, County In the
State Senate he secured for Troy the passage OF
q bill organizing the Board of Police Commits
sioncrs on the non-partisan plan then eXlsting IN
NcwV,rl, CITY The Commission consisted oil
four persons divided equally between me TWO
principal political parties To them was cOn nil
nmit,et the appointment OF inspectors ana poll
clerks For every poll four inspectors Wcr 70
bc named, and they, too. were required 10 y.
divided equally between the Inrues Inc resmiI
was that until last spring Troy had an electoral
i.evs,ap, which WAS law clulI nldNe IT.
If dishonesty occurred at the polls ~ war I 5m.
fault of human nature, not OF me system, nus
all this was changed ny the IaSt INeisi"'"'
The power Of appointing the Police Commission
was lodged in the Mayor, ana he was cna" rat,
appoint a majority from among his own party.
The power of appointing election inspectors . Wa
Iodrcd in the commission, and they were permltleu
10 appoint a majority from thclr parry
fee and il was provided that three INSPECTORS
should he hereafter appointed for each eleclion
district two of whom might belong 70 the same
nolit;cai marty The custody OF the ballot boxes
was placed in the hands of the Police commission
In a word the absolute control OF all inc elccloral
| machinery of the city of Troy was lodged III .lc
| hands Of the ring As the law stands to,Uay tir
| ring is supreme 1t can make Mayor Whelan
maioritics as easily 100000 as 5000. ~ can VOTE
| n rcpeater not eight times but eighty times, an
but for the fact that we have, applicable TO this
State n Federal Election law which WI en H,
Supervisor DaIenP3rt to place t d Tro2 neSt 10
| yembcr there would be no earthly use Of running
n Republican electoral ticket in the state OF New
| York The capacity for fraud Of the Troy rinS
alone would I've enough TO defeat H.
| The methods OF the ring are the simplest ~
| the world They bring in gangs OF rePcaler7
| from New-YOrk City and other places, who arr
| said TO report for their instructions Ill some IN
| stances 10 captains and sergeants OF the ponce
| force As election day draws near the Demo
cratic inspcctors inside the booths furnish 10 thc
| Democratic heclers outside list Of the names OF
! persons who have not yet voted ana not lhlfe,
| nuentv the names Of many persons who nave, ana
| then the rcpeatcrS file in and vote oach on 'lr
| name assigned 10 him At one poll tins spring y
| i a matter Of record that SIX men Vpted uhlet
the same name. In one instance man voted
! on the name of a wel-known elderly colored man
| Later the real owner Of the name presented mn
self and was blandly Informed by the Democratic
| INSPECTOR that he had already voted lie IN
dignantly denied having done so, insisted that ms
| name was what it was, and that he sh0uIh DC
| permitted 10 cast his vote. Thcreupon lie was
| informed that if he did not go away he would
be arrested for false pcrsonati1H
| When these stories are told and the question
follows them. is there no redress? Have you
| no courts Of Justice in 1roy?' the first answer
| is ALWAYS an elevation Of the eyebrows ana a
| somewhat weary smile Then it. is explained
| that the police magistrate, before whom such
| eases 90 is man who retired from Office some
| wears since under charges Of blackmail. but who,
| having STAYED out of Office until the clouds blew
| away was quietly rcapp0lnted He Is in the
| LAGER beer business whcs not dispensing justice,
| and when man comes before him charged with
| voting the Democratic ticket too often, ne admits
| him 10 bail and that is the end Of It, H. L. q.