New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-04
raUIESSNESS AT GRAVESEND.

,.;oo culon dsappoiutcd public expectation
,.,;n;p, IN intervene I'm the interest OF
-. o,oc,iops In Graycsend. He dismissed
the application for a mandanl'is 10 colhPe' JON"
v NcKanc's registrars to obey the law. nc
had nlo,,sible explanations 10 Oner Ior HIS hcSr
,.,,or The evidence Of Mr.. GaynOrs repre-
,,,o,ivos was contradctcd by the registrars
rho Court held that il could not presume that
a., ,,snoctors I'm Gravesend intended to neg
loo, tbcr duty. We think it could safely have
.oro 60 ON tbc strength Of the afiidavits show
inc, that the lists had been withheld. Justice
Cuen found it more cXpedient, or possibly
moro convenient, to deny the application ior
m,ndomus and then to read the inspectors Il
,loip lesson upon their duty. ending with a
hopcvolcnt expression of personal belief that
they would not neglect it.
II is hardly necessary to say that II JUSTICE
Cullen had persuaded himself that the election
officers appointed by McKanc were Ew-aDld-
i'm, citizens. who would set their faces against
fraud and aid Mr. Gaynor in preventing Illegal
v,,iup. he occupied a unique position'n Brook
Ivn. His crcduliiy was not shared by any other
Intelligent man. Technical issues ana petit
forrinr devices had nothing to do with the
, main question The registry returns on thclr
face furnished conclusive evidence Of a dellb-
crate conspiracy 10 violate the law. with Il
ronulotion of S4lS by the last census II was I'M
possiblc to have G2lS legally registered voters
in Glrlvcscnd The men who had placed those
fake lists on tho registry and were obs,ructlng
every effort to obtain copies of them hau doh'
80 for the purpose of casting fraudulent vote
| next TUESDAY No other conclusion WAS open
| to any airnndod man who examined the ig-
| urcs Even If the same foul and dastafdly
| game had not been played year after year until
il WAS II notorious public scandal, the registry
lists which were ardaciously withheld from IN
! srcction were conclusive proofs of guilt.
Justice Cullen would have done better to
hold no barley with the rascalS and lawbreak'
crs of Gravcscnl He gave them the dement,
| Of the doubt and they magntcd the favor INTO
a decision unrescrycdly in their favor. The
| Court had practically decided that citizens de-
| handing copies OF the lists were entitled to
| them by law. AMI must have them. The gang
Of lawbrcakcrs paid no heed to the intcrprc'a-
| ton of the law. nor To the threats win which
| il WAS accompanied. When Mr.. GaynorS force
Of fifteen copyis's arrived ut Gravcsend ana
demanded what the Court had declared must
| be- given up To them. they got nothing Dut den
ancc and jccrs The inspectors so far from
being moved by the Justices moral s'iasion
and intlulgent faith in their good intentions
| were confident that the Boss had the Court be
hind him. and that lawbrcaking had been sane
| toned by the dismissal of the application for
II mandamus.
| Justice Cullen was thus placed under obliga
| ton To carry out the threats which had been
| made in The morning. lie had promised thi'
the full resources Of the law would he en-
| ployed IL his instructions should be UNDECIDED
| Accordingly, late in the day he issued IN order
| for the arrest Of one of the inspectors and sum
| moncd the others 10 appear before him to-day
| We trust that he will deal with them vigor
| ouslv The law must be enforced in Graves
end. even If every regiment in Brooklyn has
10 be ordered out.
| Indeed the election in Kings County has De
| come nothing less than a direct issue OF hon
esty and law on one side against fraud ano
| lavlcssness on the other. Whoever votes VIII
the Democracy will he nothing less than an ac
complicc Of election thieves and awbrcakcrS.