New-York tribune., 1894-06-04
PAST ELECTION FRA UDS.
THEIR ORIGIN AND PROGRESS IN THIS
CITY DURING TIE HALF-CENTURY.
BALIOT-BoX sTUFFiNG FIRST REsORTED TO IN
1Sn-TAMMANY's APTNEss IN TAKING
LESSONS FROM THE WIGS.

origin ha.f a century ago. when polling consumed
three daysan nc.den; the exercise Of the elective
franchise doubtless unknown 10 the larger part OF
this generation. \ canvass ,lsiing through two
nights favored chlcanery over balot-boxes. 1t was
no; difficult - tally The drift OF the voting on the
frs, and second days 10 ins;lgate party
pressure the third day The election statutes Of
that era were elastic. AMI were not, as now. ron
clad to procedures. Inspectors Of election were
then elected yeary at the various polling precincts.
and these officers in localities were often WHOLLY Of
either the Wing Democratic parties. offering fu!
facilities for iegerdemain in taking anI counting
votes Much Of procedures was eff = the discre-
ton Of the inspectors AMI there was fte statutory
Uniformity Legal residence for a voter went by
wards ana not election districts. and the term Of
local residence was bref-thus aff,ring scope for
what became known as colonization That is 70
say. voters could be transferred In residence and
for a brief period from Whlg or Democratic ward
OF certain majority to THAI was In party
closely divided. II therefore local. ana
not state or National, polica; rivalry that siImu
lated fraui ny co.oHization; and 1t was especially
engaged in by part.sans Of the Alderman his
assistant. or Of the Ward Assessor Collector or
Constable.
The headquarters Of the Democrats nfiy years ago
in the same building now occupied by The
sun" ana those OF the Wings at National Hall.
in Clnal-st. near Centre. Leaders there at
eachAbu; the word Boss not then in the po-
lltlcar dictionary. The patronage OF the consabu-
,ary-poce. Of health. OF charities ana correction OF
paving. sewering, piping cleaning an1 lighting
streets and Of extinguish!nS fires belonged TO the
Common Council. and dstr5utiysly in each ward
to Its Alderman and assistant. There was then. as
now. a buying and selling OF patronage. but II was
in a small way. Moreover the cabre Of Common
Counci.men and OF Mayors then resicl on a higher
plane than ii does now. The system cf reg!s,ra-
ton. that only dates from about 1870 was raw and
iuchoate. anl VAS bitterly assarcl by the Democ-
racy tha; afiorward found how registration could
be made COAX for election frauds These mainly
consisted OF changing ballots when pTonerel. f1r X
was then lawful for parties and cnqucs to iniorse
ballots with any selected te-tale fJlt % type OF
some mystic typographical sign 50 that in
spector. when taking In his hand the ba.lois-anl
these were then invariably single for each officer
could a E.ance detect Its partisanship. AMI II
expert. change the ballot before H. dropped II.
There indeed expert inspectors IN both parties
who after the methods Of carIsharpsrs. could shake
from shrt-seeyes ballots for their own faction whe
cr.bb.ns AMI dropping the rendered ballot
The Wigs and not the Tamn.auy party really In
vented election frauds On large sca.e. and FOR the
first time extended them into National matters Tns
on occasion OF the Presidential. contest between
General Harrison the first and Martin Van Buren,.
4, WAS afterwari shown in legislative inyestsa-
ton and 10y "A tr.al IN the General sessions Wnig
Mayor ana Common Council anu of the initial
process Of introducing the Croton water that was
New-Jcrsey ana Philadelphia ia tAe persons ~ ditch
G!ggers ana workmen a fow days before the eicc-
deed. tnen was originated wha, are now clN,a re
pct,''s IHts, -" .''l'' OF E,''I1 VT. -'' ~
work laying the CrOion pipes. arI 30 one time all
tac streets OF tke city that state OF dsor-
der Nh!ch TeceniN market Giy hfh"ays IN he
wrcs. That incident originated ihc phr.s" p.ae-
laying, whlcA -- onrt.l4"7 -i+4 lli- .9tt-Nr'i ln
n Tammany Hal. Who Wa then younS .l~ s'u-
--ni a.. ne ",HFkr ,'k ki'n ot i"2i PEI 100,
supreme 'oIIi Ju''.'r. w. tt'" l,' 'i -'t' ".'
NM, NM, l--'.xt a. ~ S. ", .'. I'm. c %
Wing .eldtrs anI ta,rc .~.7,' certain .ncrininat.
inf paper, VIC" To-, ne4 L. it.''" the iia11 oi
coIouzt.loh niNa ?. 'in
The fraud oi sfuilrg the bai!o'-box not 50 easily
L he reicciti uch' Tor ilr VOC .,'.',.r wac "'
i "o,i. az. sDt , u.s. i." gt tl' ~ ~'1 ""ss .,.y
Island ssiher'ani. practically took br,n tarns ne
NJ, r. .,.',. - - ~. -, - 'Xyf...
anI 20 exls;iog fra,ds SiperaddcI M maud = DE,
lDilNS it,uI" pm ~. - -,
came ltte doubt tnat me email myoniy Wh..n
wAich IL conn, non WIN i'r ',n .aiu ,t
frauds OF double voting 10 I.'''-.lNi sett'I 'h,
-. 'I 49, ~, mo- ~ d "a - ,n
hke Iesprci WIN "nlcn iorH yeat7 'A,'f ,l,tI J, S,',
cociei ne siha'' mh)o''V "h''h e'''''' ''e''''"'
pcnc'"irs o, sout,e v,fipp h,r,ver achieved
s.r W .,ti's o. q t,' ~ - 81 .'-.,' t De
Ger r IH. - ~ ,:. BIZ W s,
I#en'f mrs, MAri vr3"eI b'iis oi' o' uis 5is
e."i.s' -lu "''''1'" 81 W., W., 81, a. ''v -, ,,.
II w.s unif ineF aisilrr. NAY ih" hys'rh sem wa, wa,
inNehtei oI nf."s Hl'h ID k.ouP,' "n' VII VII i ,.
nished on paper win variety ~ names ana i'si-
aencc5 TOT th,m 10 aa. IiH' l,r p"i 80 %, 80
,ratPh ana ',s'is, OF VIII nam ' 81 i,IS ,S - ,n
te.fl Fltrfs "..3 "t'G "M'y 20 h'.'''. at" a., i
po'. A'.i lot Mnoin inr r,isna W. '| at s ~;
on e.a.l'h mDIN'HE. 't''iihF It u-''' ~
ers TINS system Inc.ul,I iAc bflpiis ot ,nOnT-.
h)II'Ts 70 c'FIly 20 me r'a.l'utrS tt'h u il'tty
were made. am al.' 20" .l'fIh l'''"s 81 -
from Ncw-Jersey VINO were - repeat: mus ~
men voting each ln twenty poInsp!ices unl,r
readily add toia! or 0vD yo'es 30 Ianimtny ~.
anu thA at 'o9' 20 "n.S fi''''' "" " - -. ~ -
Boss who can sell judicial nomination i)r the
IKE equiV1eni amount or any n,h'I "iilne 'h '|i-
didacy for smaller amounts. win running assess
menis upon incnmoenis a.s2I rms T,Pr1i.Ms was was
frauI dificut or detection, ana ItacHy com
initted, because "A name once registered ana AT
subsidized residence carried win u implication oi
repeater. De recognized under instruction by the
inspector OF his party.