Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1905-11-10
Washlnqton s'tandara
OLYMPIA. WASH.
fhIhii MNeNiM. Nn'EnGlE 10. 1905.
The Situation in New York

Til. Situation in New York.
Whether Mcclellan or Hearst is
seated n Mayor Of New York, the
people are t. he congratulated upon
the prospect Of having an executive
VINO Will exert the whole power Of his
office against trusts and corporations.
With plurality OF less than 1000, in
an aggregate uf over GnOO0 ballots,
th,Ic j. mu,h room for doubt, and
every incentive ehor'd exist among
honest men to purge tie ballothux from
any suspicion Of corruption.
The friends of Mr.. Hearst claim
that over 80 900 OF his followers found -,
when they went to the polls to vote,
that their uamts had been approp-
rated 10y others, a most palpable evil
dence OF deliberate fraud. He de-
mands a recount, and is supported in
it by William T. Jerome, himself VIC
toiious in a single handed iigh, against
Tammany. Bird ). Coler, elected Presi-
dent Of the borough of Brooklyn, on
the municipal ownership ticket, like
wise supports Mr.. Hearst's view and
estimates lis plurality on fair count
to be at least 10 900. "The people have
elected him." Gays Mr.. Coler, land it
is only by the most open, outrageous
and brazen fraud, that Tammany is
trying to deprive him OF the Office
Mr.. Hearst expects that a recount
will result in reversal OF the face OF
the returns and show his election,
although probably not all the plur-
ality to which he is entitled. Where
there was so much intimidation and
outrage of voters at the polls, it is fair
to assume that organized unlawful
methods were used behind the polls,
to falsify the returns. While Mr..
Mcclellan may not he, and doubtless
is not, in any degree responsible for
these frauds. of which assumption his
high personal reputation is an ample
voucher, he passes through the con-
flict with the smell of fire on his gar
ments from the heated battle waged
by his supporters.
The lesson of the New York election,
like that of the Electoral Count in
1876, is too .eaching and democrat
izing of popular sentiment, to be al
lowed to triumph, if these allegations
are true. All parties should unite, as
they did in 1861 to suppress rebellion,
now for defeat of measure that strikes
as surely at the fundamental princi.
pies of our government, free express
sion OF the popular will and honest
methods of recording it.
If q recount is not sufficient to over.
come the email plurality that may be
the result Of error, if not design, q
much more sanguinary conflict will
be fought in the courts, in which it
will be shown that a well-organized
system of abuse and intimidation re-
suited in the loss of many votes OF the
poorer classes, who had to run the
gauntlet of jeer and threat that un-
doubtedly deferred many from voting
at all, or in casting their ballots to
placate the mob. If it goes into the
courts it may be several weeks before
we know who is really the Mayor of
the first city in the land, which is of
itself a foul blot on American poll.
tics that should make every true
patriot blush.
As q preliminary for the first step in
the contest, Mr.. Hearst's lawyers &C.
cured an order from Justice Gaynor, OF
Brooklyn, directing the placing Of all
ballot boxes in possession of the Board
of Elections, in Manhattan. The
Judge said in reply to the statement
that many of the boxes we're in posses.
sion of the police: "They have moth.
ing at all to do with the ballot-boxes,
and it is most astonishing they should
have had possession of them. They
have no right even to touchthem."
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LET pORTU ANN Mnur To THE Sra