New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-09
WILL LdNSTNGBCRG SCBMITi

1t is @, ident from all accounts that Lansing
| burg. Rensselaer, County, was the scene on
Tuesday of crimes of the most revolving and
alarming soit-crmes against government OF
| the people The charter election was TUNED
into hideous farce. The village swarincd
with repcatcrs who went from poll to poll
voting as Often as the bosses who hired them
directed them to vote. There was no pre-
tence, even, of fair play. Philosophical citi-
zens who challenged the bogus voters had their
labor for their pains, while some OF them were
knocked down for interfering Lawful cleo
| tors including wc-known residents of the
place. were prevented from exercising the right
OF suffrage because tho repeaters had voted
| on their names. In one Of the distrcts,' \
correspondent of "The Troy Times reports,
"a man was seen abstracting ballots. But
despite the fact that policemen were present
he was allowed to walk out of the place I'M
disturbed The ballots were counted as lost"
A TRIBUNE correspondent states that he saw
fifteen men in an alley back Of one of the
polling. places Changing coats. blackcning
their faces and in other ways trying to dis
guise themselves so that they could 60 again
before the election board and have their votes
received. They had voted at one Of the
polling places five times, but were anxious 70
try it again."
Now, this outrageous conspiracy against the
ballot-bOx was organized by Democrats, was
put through by Democrats, and had for its
object the theft of the public Offices of Lansing
burg for the benefit OF the Democracy. The
consprator- chief was Edward Murphy. r..
b.;, OF
Democratic Committee. II was at Mr.. Muir
phys rcquest-or, rather, on his demand-that
the last Legislature, trampling upon the prin-
ciple Of home rule passed n law which 50
amended the charter Of Lansingburg a 20
open the way for the outragcs which were per-
petlated on Tuesday. Under the amended
charter the appointment of election inspectors
was taken ont Of the hands of tho Village
Trustees and given u the Democratic Board
of Police Commissioners. Tho change meant
knavery and nothing else. and Tuesdays car
nval of fraud and corruption was its legit-
mate outcome The chinery of elections was
controlled entirely by Democrats, hcclcrs Of
Murphy. capable Of any rascality which nigh;
be asked Of them and the Republicans were at
their mercy "Thc Republican voter" says
cur correspondent, IOOh'h III NiiI lpi ~
publican watcher or poll clerk at the polling
places he could not find one. All the men on
guard were Democrats. and they were Murphy
Democrats. Senator Murphy's orders were not
to allow a Republican inspector TO serve, and
no Republican did serve"
II is a sckening story. There can be no
decent man anywhere who believes in popular
government and therefore rcsents the pollution
Of the ballot box who will not be filled with
indignation as he reads il. But black as is this
chapter of the history of Lansingbnrg. it will
look infinitely blackcr il the honest people OF
the village fail to prove equal to the emergency
which conTronts them. They ought to band
themselves together, without regard to party
lines, strong in the determination TO apprchend
and punish the ropeaters and their bosses. Do
citizens OF Lansngburg care for their own
reputation? DO they believe in an honest
count Of honest votes? Are Edward Murphy,
r.. and his hcelers above the law? These are
pertinent questions. They grow out OF tho
atrocities Of Tuesday. What are the answers
to be?