Year: 1868




THE BROOKLYN VILL1TNY.


The Democratic Mayor and Supervisors of
Brooklyn have perpetrated political crime
which promises to make that city the center Of
painful interest in the November election.
1t foreshadows a deliberate conspiracy to elect
Hoffman and the Democratic State ticket by a
system of fraudulent voting and balot-stutiing
impracticable anywhere else IN the country,
and unparalleled even here in New-lork.
Here our inspectors and canyassers of election
are appointed by the Board of Police Commits
sioners. and, in accordance with the mode
which either law or usage has always and
everywhere compelled, these officers who have
charge of receiving and counting the ballots,
are chosen fairly from both political parties.
In no other way can elections be conducted
with purity, OF their results received with con
fidence. In other parts of the State the stat
utes insure the election of two inspectors be-
longing to the majority party and one from
the minority, by the simple expedent OF
allowing each voter to vote for only two out
of the three inspectors. But in Brooklyn these
officers arc appointed by two-thiIds vote OF
the City Supervisors. This year the
Democrats lack one Of having :, a two
thirds vote, and legally, therefore, could
not appoint single Inspector or canvasser
without the concurrence of Mt least one Re-
publican member. Determined TO ignore the
rights Of the Republican party to guard the
purity of the ballot box, the Mayor usurps the
power to make up the two-thirds by adding
his own vote-and by this pretended two-thirds
the appointment Of canvassers and inspectors
exclusively Democratic, or very nearly so, IS
perpetrated. The appointments were hurried
through under the previous question; some Re-
publican Supervisors were misnformed that the
division of appointments between the two par
ties was equal, and q thorough examination OF
the lists was refused. All the skulllng in
sigma of conscious crime attended the entire
transaction. Scarcely single Republican in
spector or canyasser is appointed. la the
Nineteenth Ward there arc two Democratic
canvassers for each Election District, and two
districts have each three Democratic inspectors
and one Republican. 1t ia plain that the
Mayors claim, as the presiding officer OF the
Board, TO cast his vote in order TO make the
requisite twO-thirds, is wholly Illegal and un-
warranted by the usage which allows a pre-
siding officer to cast his vote in the case OF
tie. Where q statute requires two-thirds vote
there can be no tie, and therefore no casting
vote by the presiding officer. If the count OF
votes shows the statutory two-thirds the meas
ure is carried IL il shows one less than the
two-thirds it is lost. There can be no tie. no
casting vote, aud no right in the presiding oih-
Ger TO vote under any circumstances.


These appointments are all, therefore Illegal
But whether it is practicable TO test their ille-
gality in time 20 have legal appointments made
before the day of election may be doubtful
But we respectfully advise our Democratic
antagonists in Brooklyn that they have mounted
into q very good place TO "climb down from.
They may succeed in adding new infamy to
the already enormous load which the name of
Democracy groans under But the election of
John +. Hoffman for Governor by means of
wholesale frauds at the coming election in
Brooklyn would only result in speedily depriv-
ing the Mayor and Supervisors of that city OF
the powers they have SO ilagrantly perverted,
and in setting aside the election of the pet
candidates in whose behalf this great crime
has been committed. For. on fair vote, Uofi
man cannot be elected. Let the Republicans
of Brooklyn arouse and defend themselves by
every means in their power against this brazen
outrage. Let it he set aside by The courts if
there be time. If not let it be neutralized as
far rs possible by vigilant watching and an
efficient volunteer corps Of Republican inspect
ors aud canvassers, who must attend from sun
rise to sunset, record every vote in duplicate,
and see that the count is right and that no
ballots are changed. Our adversaries have
given us fair notice what they intend to do
Therefore be ready for them