The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-06
REPUBLICAN FRAUD.
Much F1agrant Corruption
"
Brought to Light in the
Atlantic County
Contest.
RIDDLE CLEARLY ELECTED.
Negroes Voted From Vacant Lots,
Stables, Flagmen's shanties
and Coal Yards.
RIDDLE CLEARLY ELECTED.
Special to The Jersey city Ne,vs.


Republicans invariably rolied-up in this
city and county. The people again and
again, dissatisfied with the corruption OF
Republican rule. have gone to the polls
aud voted against the existing regime
only to find the same old corruptionists
turning up smilingly with the usual ma
jorities on the day after election. That
these majorities were secured by fraud
no one had any doubt but SO possible
were such dishonest practices under the
election law; so many opportunities did
it offer the rascals for hiding their ini-
qrities. and sc adroit were the Republic
can leaders In availing themselves OF
these opportunities that contest or
judicial enquiry into an election was sels
dom undertaken.
With the advent of the new ballot law
this state of affairs underwent change
and the Republican maiorities began to
tremble. In 1889 the last year of the old
law John J. Gardner was elected Senator
by 224 plurality and Sheppard S. Hudson
was sent to the Assembly bv 455 plurality
In 1890 the first year the new ballot re-
form law was in :force, Smith E. johnson
was elected Assemblyman by 1875 plural
ity and at the election last fall Samuel D.
Hoffman was elected Senator by plural
lily Of So.
CoLoRED COLONIZATION.
One of the chief agencies which the
Republicans made use OF to thwart the
will of the people was the wholesale
colonization of colored men from Phila-
aelphia and adjacent places, The fact
that Athlantic City contains 30 many
hotels all of which employ large num-
her Of colored men, was utilized by the
Repu blicans to account for the presence
Of SO many strange negroes in. the city.
For some years the Democratic leaders
have been certain that Atlantic was a
Democratic county and was only
Kept out of that column by the
Vaccinations of Boss Gardner and his
associates. So when the small majority
of Mr.. Hoffman was announced they de-
termiued to contest the election. An
appeal was made TO the Courts and re-
count was ordered before Master in
Chancery E. S. Perry. Allan McDermott
conducted the case in behalf of William
Riddle, the Democratic contestant. and
ex-Judge Pancoast appeared for Mr..
Hoffman. The recount has been going
on for about two weeks and has realized
ihe predictions of the Democrats.
RIDDLES MATERIAL GAIN.
In total of less than 800 votes Mr..
Riddle gains sixteen votes on the re-
count. In Egg Harbor township a false
return was made which gave Hoffman
ten votes more than he received. This
was only corrected when Lewis Evans.
the Republican County Clerk. on his oath
said that iJ was caused by mistake in
addition. Twelve Democratic ballots
were rejected by the Republican election
officers on the ground that they con-
tanned Distinguishing marks, which
marks were nothing more or less than
smudges caused by the soiled fingers of
the voter or by being carried folded up
iD the vest pocket. 1t is generally con-
dx6 hat iryhr nnrr 10 tofC
which the election officers rejected will
be gwen to Riddle and that forty-seven
upmistakably fraudulent Republican
ballots will be thrown out by the Senate
Investigating Committee. Ii this is done.
counting the votes gained on the recount.
Riddle Will have a clear plurality over
Hoffman of twenty-five, with several pre-
cncts yet to be heard from, which will
undoubtedly increase his plurality.
No complaint has been made against,
or objection offered to. the manner In
which the recount has been made. Mr..
Hoffman and Mr.. Riddle have been
present at most of the hearings and have
carefully scrutinfzed the ballots as they
have been taken from the boxes. Judge
Thomas F. Noonan of Bayonne kept tally
for Mr.. Riddle and exJudge Pancoast
did the same for Mr.. Hoffman, while
Court Stenographer Kreedler of Common
Pleas No. of Philadelphia kept tally for
the Master. When each box had been
counted iJ was seen that the three tally
sheets agreed before another was
taken up.
Some of the evidence taken was exceed
ingly peculiar, and Notwithstanding the
gravity of the crime it revealed, highly
amusing. Joshua Foreman, q colored
man. of No. 901 Baltic avenue, from
whose house nineteen colored men
voted, when placed on the stand,
said that his house was a. small
&war CTR t1ofrr mi rtH1rr
rooms He could not recollect the names
of eight of his borders" to whose ldent-
ity and right to vote he had made afiida-
Wit at election time. nor could he tell
what mad become Of them since.
Robert Bsrrow. d colored waiter, testi-
fies that he lived at No. 1929 Baltic avenue,
and had barely room enough for himself,
wife and Child. He expressed much
astonishment when told that eight men
had voted from his home and declared
that he knew none of them. No voters
besides himself had lived in the house
within the past SIX years.
MORE CORRUPTION DISCOVERED.
The proceedings were continued yester-
day. and the testimony given showed the
rankest kind of corruption on the part of
the Republicans. 1t was shown that SIX
teen persons were registered In one pre-
cinct and voted from vacant houses. and
that two voted from vacant lots. The
homes of ten men, who claimed to reside
Ia the Sesoud Precinct of the Second
Ward, could not be found, and two West
Indian negroes. who had never been
naturaized, and who voted the Repub-
lcan ticket. were brought to light.
Thomas Harding. negro hotel waiter,
testified that he lived at Pomona, eighteen
miles from here, with his wife and four
children, yet he voted the entire RepuD-
ljcan ticket in this city.
In reply to Mr.. McDermott's questions.
he said he was registered by Charles
Evans, proprietor of the Sea side House.
Evans exercises great influence over the
coIored voter here and contributes con-
siderable money toward their political
and social organizations. Henry Rutter,
white man and property owner. testi-
fled that he had made Thorough canvass
of the colored district and was unable to
locate or learn anything defnite concern
ing at least half of the 900 negroes who
voted In this city on last election day. He
found that many of them had been regis
tered from stables. coal and lum-
ber Yards. fagmen's boxes along the rail-
road tracks on Baltic avenue, and few
from the garbage sheds on the meadows.
To the afternoon the ballots cast at
gomels Point and Pleasantville were
ro17rfa6 Rf1dla 0ainnd six votes in