Year: 1869




The select committee appointed By the
House OF Representatives, at the instance and
upon the memorial Of the Union League Club,
of this city, to investigate the alleged frauds
and Irregularities in the city and State of New
York in the recent election, made to the House
yesterday, through Mr.. Lawrence, Of Ohio, an
elaborate report. Or rather there are two re-
ports, namely-that Of the majority, which is
accepted as the report OF the committee, and
that Of the minority. The report OF the ma
jority opens with slashing puff Of the Union
League, and asserts that s'no stain Of dishonor
rests upon the organization or any Of its mem-
bers in conn ection with the recent election"
We are very happy to learn this, though we do
not sec how, when or where the committee
found out the purity of each immaculate indi-
vidual member Of the organization.


The committee, in accordance with the GUS
tom of such Congressional bodies, makes
hifalutin and long g-winded peroration of Bit
ter partisan character, by way of introducing
the evidence; but as every one knows the
nature Of these lucubrations 1t is unnecessary
to go over the ground again. There Is, how
ever, one thing worthy of notice as coming
from the radicals themselves. The radical
majority say :-''If, as is alleged, the precipi-
tate communication Of the privileges OF citi-
zenship to the inhabitants Of Italy at large
contributed to the downfall Of Rome, or if the
same causes scourged Syracuse by perpetual
sedtion, how much will be the dangers that
may environ our own republic?" This sort Of
moralizing on the evils of precipitate communi-
cation of the privileges of citizenship and Civ
ing historical examples smacks little Of native
how is it that these same radicals did precipi-
lately invest with citizenship four millions of
brutal and ignorant negroes who hardly knew
their right hand from their left? Did they
consider OF care about the utter un6tness Of
these people for such privileges, or the danger
to the republic? What fine specimen Of par
tisan logic is here exhibited!


The first part Of the majority report Is made
up to show that vast number Of people were
fraudulently naturalized, and the total number
for the State last year thus naturalized for
election purposes is assumed to be over sixty
thousand. There is no direct evidence Of such
extensive frauds, though many Irregularities
are proved. Conclusions are drawn from
assumptions based on general statements and
appearaAces. The majority say, ''as the evil
dence shows widespread conspiracy it is safe
to estimate this number of fraudulent certii-
Gates Of naturalization" In fact, both the
widespread conspiracy and the number of
frauds are simply assumed. The majority OF
the committee are pretty hard on our city
Judges, and particularly on John H. McCunn,
who, as they make it appear, manufactured
citizens by the Wholesale. No doubt McCunn
proved himself very smart at the business
for, by his own admission, he could natu-
ralze two citizens minute-that is, keeping
steadily at work eight hours day, he could
turn out nine hundred and sixty bran new citi-
zens each day. That is pretty good work, but
we have no doubt there are radicals who
could and would do as much If they had the
chance.


The majority report dwells with peculiar
severity, as il seized with holy horror, on
those intensely patriotic democrats called
ssrepeaters," who followed the standing injunc
ton of all parties to "vote early and often"
While we acknowledge there were cases of
repeating the votes there Is, no doubt, q great
deal Of exaggeration about this matter. A good
deal Of the evidence comes from rascals hired
to aid in the frauds for the purpose Of making
out case. The talk about men voting forty
times is all bosh. OF course, the RESPONSE
bility for all the frauds-and no doubt there
were many-is thrown upon the democratic
party and its managers. The truth is, the
democrats had greater facilities in this city for
carrying out election tricks than the radicals,
and this is the real cause Of radical indigna-
ton; for they are not bit more honest than
their opponents.


The committee recommends remedies for the
evils, such as taking the power Of naturaliza-
ton away from certain courts and having one
day throughout the United States for the cleo
ton Of representatives to Congress, with other
propositions TO the same end, many Of which
are good enough. In conclusion the majority
recommend an amendment to the constitu-
ton by which the choice of President and Vice
President Of the United States shall be made
through electors chosen in single districts and
to give Congress the power Of determining
both the validity Of the choice Of electors and
Of oontesting the right TO the odace Of Presi-
dent and Vice President. So We see
the labors Of the committee end in . pro-
position to increase the powers Of Con-
gress, and particularly to give that body the
extremely dangerous power Of questioning and
contesting the election Of President and Vice
President. After the report was submitted
yesterday bill embodied in II to prohibit the
Supreme Court, the Circuit Court and the
Court Of Oyer and Terminer Of the city and
county OF New York, and the Superior Court