The record-union., 1897-02-04
THE ABSURD CHARGES OF FRAUD.

The original charge that there was
fraud in the late Presidential election
because there was a large vote in some
of peace and good order, Johann Prud-
hon Altgeld. 1t was then taken up by
Tray, Blanche and Sweetheart, and is
now barked in the columns of small and
disgruntled sheets throughout the land.
It is the only resort of some natures
when they cannot understand to cry
wolf" Let US see on what hinge the
Altgeld shout of fraud turns in the
chief of the cases cited by him. He
charges that there was fraud n favor OF
Mckinley because in Ohio there were
nearly 100000 votes more cast in 1876
than in 1892. This, said Altgeld, indi-
Gated an increase in the population Of
increase has been but 300 900. There
fore, shouted this Illinois anarchist,
there were cast in Ohio over $1,000
fraudulent votes; or if not cast, that
number of fraudulent ballots were
stuffed into the ballot boxes or tallies in
the counting On this line Of reasoning
he figured out that Bryan carried Ohio
by over 10000 votes.
The difficulty is that Altgeld, and all
who have echoed his cry, proceed upon
false premises. An increase in the total
Of State vote on four year comparisons
is not of necessity evidence of fraud In
deed, it is no evidence of fraud what
ever, for it is a fact in our political sta
tfctics that the relation Of the vote of
State to the population is very elastic
and is not Interchangeable. score of
instances can be shown FROM the rec
ords where a State vote has declined
under a rapid increase in population. 1t
can be shown also by indisputable rec
ords that a State vote mas increased
under a declining population. Indeed,
making comparisons between election
dates the huctuation will run up into the
thousands during the century, showing
that the relation between population
and voting manifestation is unstable
and indeterminate of anything, except
the degree of interest taken by the voter
in the issues. or the meteorological condi-
tons on the day of election, or the health
Of the communities, or the division Of
the people into numerous parties or upon
personal local and community causes
and issues, not Immediately related to
the State or Federal issues.
The New York Post" some time ago
cited the case of New York State when
S49. 1G6 votes We're cast in the Grant
Seymour campaign of 1868. and only
S29,G72 in the Grant Greeley contest Of
1872 Yet in the interim the popula-
ton of that State had greatly aug
mented. Again, in 1876, the vote of
New York by an apparent bound reach
ed 1.O15,J02 or nearly 100000 more
than in 1872.
Everyone cOnversant with political
history knows why thsre was this APP
parent abnormal increase Of the vote.
In 1872, says the Post" the October
elections had SO clearly foreshadowed
Greeleys defeat in November and there
was so much Democratic disgust over
his nomination, that tens of thousands
Of the party would not go to the polls.
In 1876, on the other hand, the contest
between Tilden and Hayes was so close
that both parties polled a remarkably
large proportion of their votes.
But let US take up the very State
Altgeld most hinges his monstrous
charges upon, namely Ohio. The vote
in that State in 1872 was but very little
larger than in 1865, though there was
a great increase of population in that
period, while in 1876 the vote jumped
Up from 500, sos to COS, $40, or nearly
100, 900 gain. But come down to later
years, when Ohio was still more thick
" settled; in 1855 the vote was
S4G.379, and in 1892 was but so, 166.
being less than 10000 gain. In the poll
OF 1892 the Republicans lost more than
10000 votes, as compared with the vote
Of the preceding period.
Now in 1896 the vote was in Ohio
/ Oh 91, being a gain in four years
rot Of nearly POO 000," but of 164. 600
proving Governor Altgeld to have
taken liberty with the truth to the ex-
tent Of 3G,000votes. But that is not sur
prising in one who permits his ami
mostly TO political enemies to control
lis delivery.
The vote in Ohio then being LOLA
297. the question of population is next
TO be considered. In 1890, by census re-
port, Ohio had 1,016,4 64 males over the
age of II. Between 1850 and 1890, ac-
cording to the same authority, the in
crease of population was at the rate of
II per cent, or nearly that. If the same
ratio obtained between 1890 and 1896,
the males of age should have been 90
600 mere than the vote of Ohio cast in
last.
But is it at all surprising that in
Ohio, the home of one of the candidates
for the Presidency. after such a cam
raign as that Of last year, with such
an educational process going on on
both sides with such a tremendous rail-
~ of forces, and such absorbing inter
est taken by the people that there
should be a very large vote in Ohio?
As the New York Post" we'll says:
\ man who bases the most wholesale
charges Of fraud in fifteen States, many
Of them among the largest in the
Union, on such an absurd misrepresen-
tation Of the facts in Ohio deserves no
I'm. In. tim OF course a.,s1.u-