Year: 1876

NARY vENhLITY


GFRox STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUsE.l


NASHUA, n. H., March 11.-New Hampshire is
unique in one respect-while the population is de-
creasing the vote grows larger every year. Last
Spring the total number of votes was very nearly
$4,000, the highest number ever cast, and consider
ably greater than the total poll in preceding Pres-
Dental yeara. The population in 1870 was 300
and is probably not so large now by thousand OF
two. There is consequently one voter to about
every four inhabtants-an astonishing pro-
portion, when it is remembered that as in
all the New-Engand States, the female popu-
lation is considerably in excess of the male,
on account of the yearly emigration of
large numbers of enterprising young men to the
West and to the great cities Of the East in search of
more profitable fields of labor. To show the proper
tion of voters TO inhabitants in this and other New
England States, have prepared the following state
ment from the statistics Of elections and population
in THE TRIDUNL ALMANAC, taking in each case the
highest number of votes cast at any election since
1871:


New-lIsmpshire, voter TO 4.o2 inhabitants.


connecticut, one voter TO 532 inhabitants


Vermont. one voter to 5.03 inhabitants.


Maine one voter to 5.6S inhabitants


Massachusetts, one voter to 7.7S Inhabitants.


Rhode Island, one voter to 976 inhabitants.


On its face this statement presents strong pre-
sumptive evidence of n large fraudulent vote here,
and yet there are probably not over one thousand
illegal ballots put into the boxes at any election, and
false counting and false returns almost unknown
The explanation Is that the organization of both
parties is perfect, and the excitement of a-cam-
paign goes to such extreme lengths, that there is
absolutely no stay-at-home vote in a heated contest
like that of last year. Besides every New-lIamp-
shire who is living in other States, aud who has
the slightest prcext for asserting that his home is
still here is brought hack at the expense Of the State
Committee of his party. About 1000 men came
back in this wav last year. One journeyed all the way
from Colorado. If a young man goes to Boston,
New-York or Chicago TO live he has only to leave
an old trunk or an old hat where he last stayed IN
New-Hampshrc to enjoy free trip back every
Spring for ten years to come. There is landlord in
one of the close towns who has a dozen empty
trunks stored in the garret of his tavern and every
trunk represents a vote. As regularly as March
comes around the owners turn up from all parts of
the country to vote the strength of the personal
property they left as evidences of their continued
residence. The sick, the halt, the lame, and the
blind are all brought to the polls Nothing but the
actual presence of death excuses man from
party service. When a funeral procession
goes by Just before election, people ask
which ticket the dead would have
voted had he lived and the members
of the party that has thus lost vote appear to feel
an ill-wi toward the deceased for choosing such an
nopportune time to die. The other day coffin was
put on board train at o station on the railroad
between Manchester and Portsmouth, and among
the group of men looking on one said to another !:
"Too bad There's one Democratic vote lost, and
the towns going to be dreadful close, too" There
seemed to be nothing grotesque to the minds of the
listeners in this style of funeral lamentatlon.


toI audi nlipafn nl form
of State Government they have here The lower
branch of the Legislature is mass meeting in di-
mensions, having 365 members, while the Senate,
with its ~ MEMBERS is like reyisory committee to
correct the action of the House. Every town with
$50 voters has a representative, and many towns
that do not come anywhere near this minimum get
one by special act. For every 300 "ratable polls
an additional member is allowed, and ratable poll
is every man over 81 whom the Selectmen can find
in a town a week after election, whether he be
VOTER OF not. Each town is a little republic,
and seeks to obtain as large representation
as possible in the General Court. The re-
snlt of this effort is to increase the size of
the House, while the Senate remains fixed by
constitutional limitation. An actual majority of all
the votes east is required to elect State officers ana
where third ticket is run there is usually no choice
and the election is made by the Legislature in joint
session. The State is divided into five districts, each
of which chooses member of the Governors COun-
ell. The function of the Council is using rather
nelegant comparison) to sit on the Governors coat
tails He can do very little without the advice OF
majority of the Councillors. When the Democrats
got control of the State in 1874 they geTymandered
the districts so as To make them sure Of
three out of the fve and if the Repub-
licans reflect Gov. Cheney by 1000 majority the
Democrats will still control the Council and secure o
share of the official patronage. All the judicial
officers from justices of the peace upto Supreme Court
Judges are appointed by the Governor, with the ad-
vice of the Council and so are the sherltfs and many
other officials. No removals can be made however
except upon application of the Legislature, which Is
called an Address and is put in the form OF resoi-
ton declaring that the public good requires the re-
moval of an official named. When such an addressis
adopted the Governor lays it before the Council and
if majority approves it, and he also approves
the man is removed and hls successor appointed Of
the 12 Senatorial Districts the Democrats VIII prob
ably carry 6. The House will be very close, and
there will not be majority of dozen on either
side. The chances of the two parties for getting
control of this body appear 10 be about equal lhere
are some seventy towns that are classed doubtful
and in all of them the struggle l. exceedingly fierce
large share of the population give up most of their
time to electiOneering.


| do not believe that there are half dozen OF
thess close towns where money will not be used for
the purchase of the "foodwood vote" Bribery
has come to he a recognized part of the political sys-
TEN in New-Hurpshre. In my travels over the
State find il the first thing spoken of by the poll
ticlans of both parties wherever CO. would not
have il understood that there are not many honest
men in both political organizations who express
their consc entous convictions 10y their ballots The