West Jersey Pioneer

Philadelphia Contested Elections.

Our readers will remember that in the elections for city officers last year, in that place, the Democratic party generally were declared victorious. The Mayoralty and all the important city offices were assigned to them. The District Attorneyship was given to Furman L. Sheppard, who whatever may or may not be his politics, is certainly one of the most learned and effective men, who have occupied that position for a long time. In connection with that election the most stupendous frauds were alleged, and we may add were proved. These were made the subject of legal action, and for a year the investigation has been going on. On Saturday of last week the Judges rendered their decision, to the effect that Daniel M. Fox, the Mayor, was elected by a majority of sixty-eight, and that all the rest of the officers were not elected by legal voters, and consequently their places must be vacated and given to their opponents. The majority of the enormous frauds were shown to have been on the victorious side of the question, but the Republicans were not able to show a perfectly clear record either. Some of them had gone into the same business, though not to the same extent. The ousted parties, some of them at least, have appealed to the Supreme Court on technical grounds, but as the equity of the case will probably be against them, on the ground that they did a larger business than their opponents, it is not probable that the decisions will be reversed. We could have wished that steps had been taken to punish the guilty parties, for without this the whole matter is pretty much a farce.