The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-03-09
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oh topic 81 general comment IA oas 81
~ cantinacs 10 b. the Fioteuss scenes by
which life wac lost and Chicago disgraoed
on clectiop day, an account of which APP
pea red in our paper OF last evening. On
sevsrnl p~reyipns occasions have demonstra-
,;nns al violence and lawiessness occurred
n our city, Tut never beture were hostih-
ties carried to 30 bloody aud fearful an ex-
t~snt--nsver has such lawlcssness prevailed,
"a many beads been pounded, bodies bruis.
ed. and lives endangered as in the riots in
The Tenth and Seventh Wards OR Tuesday
last. The yieinities OF the polls ia those
| wards were literal battle fields from noon
tifl evening, and it was unsafe for any cit
ixan 10 approach the bsllot-hox, unless he
was 4 "Democrat." indeed even that was
not always sufficient. 1t was dangerous to
81 Gsrynsn, no matter 10 aaas party ae oe-
loaoed. Smarting under the defeat ot iast
fall, 10 which The Republican Germans 50
largely contributed, they were singled out
and Get upon a. a class. and with shame be
LID said, many OF the police either encoafs9'
ed the attack, or were passive lockers On
while they were pursued and hunted ACROSS
lots, through alleys and by-ways, az u they
were 40 Inanv wolves; while Republican
voters generally pressed through the con.
srecayed and beligerent mob 10 deposlt their
votes, atthe risk OF being set upon and beat
en- like dogs. Even those ot our citizens
who had occasion to pass through the streets
in ,hose localities, on foot or with vehicles,
we're either violently assaulted or grossly
insuIted by the drunken and lawless rutians
who were employed as the champions IF
the Douslas Democracy to brow,beat aud
defeat the Republicans.
Such demon.tratious at elections are get.
ding TO be i~esriully common, and II is
time for the friends OF law, order and the
good name al our city to enquire into the
causes, and take some decisive steps Tor
he prevention Of their recurrence In The
future.
Now, we do not wish to be understood as
assuming tbs position o. umpire regarding
he bone OF contention between the Irish
and the Germsns. We state facts, with a
view Of coming to the point on which we
may hang a reason. There are many god
IRISH citi1ens in our midst. and they, We
doubt not, deprecate and deplore these out
RACES as much as we do.
Bur we INSIST that the party OF Slavery
4 responsible in the premises, To the
coarse brutality which marked the last ear
vas--,o the speeches OF Douglas himself in
this city, appealing to the deprsved passions
Of his hearers, aud ~deBouncing his oppo-
nents in language SO well calculated 70 IN
iame and excite-ls directly traceao3e these
5utfayes-ah ich Democratic keepers VI The
peace have led where they dared, end set
an the infuriated 10 mniti aud Kill AZ oppor.
unity might Offer.
It i. actually 4 fact, and a most shameful
one, that on Tuesday, among tbs most 'lo.
lent ro~dies were poIicemen-snd in sev.
eral instances the mobs were led OF urged
. Oh BY men wearing the police star upon
heir bressts. With the outgoing OF the
present administration, We most sincerely
trust oar city will cease to be tisgrsced BY
such a rufianIy and disgrsceiui police force
as hat no9 employed,
Let US have good, manly, fearless and
faithful policemen, no drinking saloons open
On election days, aud no Democratic" as
saults upon Republican Germans and Amer
cans, and in future our city will not be
d~isgraesd By riotoas demonstration oh cleo
lion days,-Chie. Jour.