New-York tribune., 1904-10-09

IRE earlier and greater political debauChery OF
that part Of the State which is the home Of
the Democratic candidate for Governor OF New
Jersey. The election Of 1850. which elevated
Leon Albeit TO the executive Office Tor the sec
end time. was the most notorious and venaI ever
held in New-Jersey. It left upon Hudson Coun-
" the black srnudge Of crime the outcome
o. which that of the sixty-seven ballot box
suffers who were indicted. sixty-six were con-
victed and sent TO prison. q
The trials OF these Democrats were begun in
1890 after a most searching investigation by
she Senate Committee Elections. which
composed OF John J. Gardner. of Atlantic Coun-
": Joseph B. Roe of Gloucester County. and
Robert Adrain. OF Middesex County. Hudson
County was then as II is now. the strongest
Democratic county in the State, and il was
with the greatest difficulty. because of the
Democratic control there. that the ballot box
cutters were indicted.
The investigation OF the ballot box frauds in
Hudson County was begun after the Inaugural
zion OF Governor ALBEIT in 1880. 1t vas at that
srne conceded on every hand that the Demo-
cratic majority in Hudson County of 1873 had
saved him from defeat, and it was believed from
s.,e end OF the State 10 the other that this re-
ported and counted Democratic majority was
fraudulent.
Although he was the beneficiary IN more WAYS
than one Of the election frauds which were
subsequently proven. and although It has never
been doubted that he was loyal 10 the rascals
who subsequently We're convicted. and that he
did all that he could do in their behalf with
out appearing in court as an attorney in their
defence. he could not, with all his great power
rs Governor Of the State and with all the aid OF
his political following in Hudson County. which
controlled every public utility and Office but the
courts save the perpetrators Of the crime from
the penalties and the disgrace which were Wis
tied upon them.
The investigation and exposure of the ballot
box frauds We're not, however. directly brought
about by the election OF Leon Albeit These
frauds were unearthed by a contested election
case which was brought in the New-Jersey Sem
ate by William 6. Stuhr against Edward F. Nc
Donald both Of whom had been candidates for
State Senator in Hudson County IN 1922. Nc
Donald was the candidate Of the regular Demo-
Gratis. who were known as the ring" not only
In that county, but everywhere in the State.
stuhr was the fusion candidate Of those Demo
Gratis and Republicans who were disguised with.
snd determined 10 overthrow, If possible. by
cohesion OF force. the disreputable ring. one
Of the longest and the most instructive. as Well
as the most interesting. chapters in Modern
Battles OF Trenton work Of five hundred
pages devoted 70 political warfare in New-Jer-
sey. and the changes incident thereto. is devoted
test beginning with the campaign between Nc
Donald and stuhr, the author says:
The canvass was a fierce and bitter one. The
chances were all against Stuhr because. as the
reckless ring men were fond Of saying We
have ths boxes and the returns sent in by
them from the election places gave the Demo
cratic e3ciCeE, which they had espoused. phenom-
EnGl ma5orjties. These were surprising as wei
as phenomenal. because the drift OF public sen
hmeut had intimated that II the Democratic
candidates could succeed at all in the county
ahsir uaajor4ries would be inapprecisbly small
pnes Six thousand would have been a gener-
Gus majority under the most favorable circun-
stances. When. at the close OF the polls on this
election night OF 1899, II was announced that
Albeit had carried the county by close on 10
fourteen thousand majority. and that Mcdonald
had Won it by equally overwhelming vote,
the figures were incredible that the people
accepted them furnishing the proofs in them
selves OF monumental frauds in the taking and
In the counting OF the votes Convinced that he
had been cheated by the election officers, Stuhr
prepared 10 contest McDonald's right to the
seat"
A little further IN the chapter OF the book
quoted from il appears that
The first OF the CballoD boxes that was
opened revealed the enormity of the crime
against the suffrage OF which the Democratic
ring in Hudson County had been guilty. The
Sisclosures-were startling, and every box subse-
Huently opened furnished a new sensation. Al
most every ballot removed from the boxes bore
the stamp. not merely OF fraud. but OF a con-
Epiracy as broad as the county itself The mill
.ng ana stamping were not such as the ma
,hinery Of the boxes could have produced. Poll
oooks cid not agree with registry books. Tally
sheets failed 10 corroborate the other records Of
he boxes The evidences Of a stupendous crime
Gere everywhere
When it had completed, the chapter con.
hnues, Its startling excursion through the bal
lot boxes the committee met in Jersey
City and prosecuted equally faithful explora-
lions into the registry and poll lists. The testi-
mony OF enc witness revealed passing glimpse
d a coach thai made the rounds OF the election
booths IN Jersey City before the hour for the
opening OF tasg polls with lot of rolls of paper
The committee intimated its belief that these
rolls Of paper were lists Of names for the use OF
the repeaters employed 10y she ring and the
ballot box suffers.
The committee engaged a corns ~ detectives
and. placing them AT the service of Captain
John Graham. directed him 10 learn If tn men
~hose names appeared on the poII lists as Of
those who intended 10 vote and IL Others whose
names appeared on the poll lists as Of those who
had voted, really lived 81 the places Of residence
assigned 10 them in the records The captain
was met at every stage Of his inquiry with
threats Of violence at the hands OF the hunted
ringEterE. but he went on fearlessly with his
task. Every dag he sent 10 the witness stand
Widows 20 testify that their husbands. recorded
as having voted. had lain in their shrouds for
years. and houseleepers 10 declare that they had
FYS N NJ