New-York tribune., 1894-01-08
BALLOT FRAUD AT IT'S WORST.
BOSSES AND POLICE GUILTY.
THE GIGANTIC LAwLESSNEsS IN THE
LAST ELECTION DUE TO THEM.

HOW THE REPEATING AND STEALING OF VOTES
INCREASED WITHOUT UNITED STATES IN
srEcToRs AT THE PoLLs-soME sTRlK
ING COMPARISONS or FIGURES IN
THE LAST THREE YEARS.
In various parts Of this State before and on
election Day last fall give ample evidence that
lnless some stronger safeguards thrown
,reund the elective franchise than now exist
success as q rule. will go with the political
party which controls the election machinery.
The election machinery in this state. at least
n many portions OF it, IS controlled mainly by
few political bosses. Ii IS they who are di-
.ectly responsible for the crimes which are COM
ni.ted at the polls, for If it were not for their
orders the real election officials would not dare
perform the dastardly acts OF which many Of
them have been guilty Next in authority and
in responsibility to the political boss under the
existing order of things as election officials come
first the police, and next in order the inspectors
Of election pol-cerks and watchers. An honest
police captain, as a rule, can prevent fraud
throughout the precinct of which he is in conf
mand, and dishonest one, on the other hand.
can turn the final result of an entire city, county
or State, and elect defeat candidates for
the Presidency. Let police superintendent or
police captain tell the members Of his command
that the law must be obeyed and tell them in
such way that they will understand that he
means II. and there will be little or no fraud
committed. II policeman knows that his Of
fetal head depends upon the honesty with which
Is conducted the election at the particular poll
ing place at which he is stationed. inspectors.
watchers and workers will not do many acts Of
OF all parties will be accorded their rights; in
timdation. budozing. assaults. bribery, fraud
and corruption will not be known to any ap
preciable extent. II is the fear OF the political
boss which makes policemen aid and abet crimes
on the election. This has been shown beyond the
question Of doubt by the conduct of these guar
dams of the peace" in the election in this city,
at Gravesend. in Albany and Buffalo In nearly
every instance where fraud and violence were
committed in these places on last Election Day
the police either openly aided the thugs and
"heelers' who had been employed for this pur
pose. or. by a dastardly non-interference when
the basest sort Of crimes against the ballot
were being carried on. made their accomplish
ment an easy matter
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY FOR RAsCAI.s.
1t is mainly on what termed off years, |
years when there no United States marshas
al the pOllS 10 see lnal tne vote is HOneSuS cast
ard honestly counted. that such acts of violence
and corruption were seen last fall are COM
nitted The vest thug and the most desperate
political boss have a great deal Of respect for
one who has behind him the support Of the
United States Government and when marshals
ard Federal inspectors are on duty at a polling
place there is a small amount OF crime attempted
in comparison with that of other years when
only the county officials are in command. In
this respect the election Of last fall was looked
upon as one Of the right sort for political mana
gers to control. A wave Of popular Indignation
had spread over this State against the nomi-
ma ton of Isaac II. Maynard as the Democratic
candidate for the Court of Appeals and it was
known by those who were responsible for his
nomination that thousands Of Independent Demo
Gratis would vote against him. The vote Of this
element these bosses knew must be overcome
by q fraudulent vote secured in those cities in
which the machine and the police were in har-
mony. The places selected were the lower wards
of this city, Gravesend Albany. Troy and Buff
lalo. In New-York the bosses had better op-
to carry out the contemplated fraud
on the franchise. because the election officials
are not now equally divided between the two
parties. No matter how anxious the minority
Inspector may be to that the vote is
honestly cast and counted. with a majority Of
|
aiding them. he can do little to prevent fraud.
Appeal to the police is Of no avail. 1t was the .
intention Of the bosses to run up an enormous
majority in the I'D and lid Assembly districts,
and they started in to do this first by coloniZing
large numbers Of voters in cheap lodging houses
and. second, by registering them under number
Of assumed names at the various election places
These frauds were first discovered by reporters
Of The New-York Herald" who went over the
registry lists and found that large number OF
foaters had registered each several times. The |
police extremely slow in following up these
cases. and it was not until Alfred r. Conkng
md Charles II. Murray. with number Of other !
awyers went before the Grand Jury and secured
Indictments. upon Investigations which they had
made. that the police became at all active. Then
he activity of temporary nature only, and {
ew arrests were made. !
AN EVIDENCE OF REPEATING
The following table will show how the registry /
lists In these two districts must have been ,
added:
n ............ 1867 .....i2;ss 1880 t
ID 1893 ..............l340 406 1916 n
Ia isa2 osSi s1i
Id ..............1seS.. S............... 1886 0194
Increase OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. S55 1850
This table shows that within one year there !
,as an increase over 1892 in the number Of -
egistered votes in the Id Assembly District Of s.
D8, and an increase in the total vote Of 1896 ,
n the IIId Assembly District the increase In the d
sgistration over 1892 was $50. and In the total =
ote 1850. It is just to compare the two years t.
II evidences Of fraud. because In 1892. it being =.
Presidential year. both political parties worked d
ard to bring out n full vote. All factions Of .
,e Democratic party In this city were working bl
harmony to bring out large a vote as >,
,ssible and the registration of these districts ~