Year: 1872

Twenty years ago ELECTION Day" was one of the
most maddening excitement-a season of con-
tnual eneae. Great crowds gathered in the
Streets filing them from curb to curb with black
swaying mass, where the use Of deadly weapons
was more frequent than pleasant, and which was
susceptible to the influence OF passion nerve
OF the human frame. barred by the surgeons knife,
to the keen edge of the merciless blade.
Popular impulse ruled the conduct OF the
ballot and determined what portion OF its
voice should be audible and potent.
Arrays and tumults filed the day with alarms,
and when, as the shades OF twilight would fall,
the last votes were deposited, a scene in Paris, on
the eve OF a fresh revolution, would not have had
more elements of grandeur, danger. anger and
anxious excitement. The force of muscle was
then supplementary to the instrumentauty of the
franchise, and the mobs OF New York had much to
do with deciding the nations destiny which. by
strange chance or mischance, still continues SUBJ
iect for conjecture As darkness deepened the
storehouses OF the oil merchants were frequently
attacked through the roofs, and barrels OF tar
and pitch were freely appropriated by the
crowds. All manner of wooden debris was piled
on the street; the combustible stun was lowered
down the dark outer walls OF the buildings by
means OF ropes and huge pyres were erected and
ignted and their red flame eaped up in not, hiss
ing, forked tongues to the sky to gorify success,
while the black masses OF people, with lurid faces
rejecting the restless fire, waved eagerly in the
gloom and sent up intermittent shouts that filed
the very air with continual tremor OF emotion
and excitement.


Yesterday in the most striking contrast with
that PERIOD or with the election OF 1860 when Lin
coin was elected despite the madness and fury OF
the mobs OF all the cities OF the Union. was more
peaceful than day OF the Olympic or Athenian
games in Greece. Before MONDAY it seemed like
sabbath: after MONDAY, for about two hours 1t
was like New Years Day, only 1t lacked the
frigidty of winter; and only AZ nour before the
closing OF the polls was there papable much
OF the excitement which has so long been
considered as characteristic of the use OF
the privilege OF franchise by the citizens
OF a great, free Republic The morning dawned
pleasant and cold, the air biting with shrewd-
ness that favored the exercise OF ones wits by
enectualy arousing most OF his faculties physical
and mental. which might otherwise be dormant.
The habit OF early voting was not so much prac.
tised as IL was at times when to be at the polls
late in the day was to endanger one's life; but
people went lazily and easily about the perform
ance of this great duty and right considered by a
large majority TO be great borel, and the tide OF
voters depositing their ballots In the glass
padocked receivers was quite steady in its
now until the hour oil Closing tne p0ilS, when the
great wave was but momentary, and ebbed away
as soon as begun.


The popularity OF yesterdays election that
II partook more OF the nature OF cold business
transaction than any previous one In the history
our city. In all the wards an unusual and almost
unnatural quiet prevailed and not single fight OF
any consequence occurred to annoy the prce
Illegal attempts to vote were less frequent than
ever before and the era OF balotbox stunng has
apparently passed away. When the last ticket was
cast the booths speedily vanished from the side.
walks, which they had encountered with
their ugness, and the small boys, who had
gathered In motley groups, grasped ca.
gerly the nutterng bits Of useless paper that were
then thrown regardessly to the wind. In many
places pyramids OF old barrels built and fired,
and late into the night they burned, without re-
gard to the success Of any candidate. Around the
HERALD building the crowds OF inqusitlve and
anxious people began early to gather, and as
the figures were placed before them on the huge
transparencies they were repeatedly greeted by
shouts as they excited the pleasure OF different
sections OF the multitude. Betting continued up to
the latest hour OF uncertainty and suspense, and in
all the hotels the excitement ragged at its highest
as the night waned into the wee sma' hours.