The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-10-28

Although the municipal authorities have, as
conservators of the peace, the most obvious and
simple duties to perform, they have nearly sue
ceeded in convincing portion of the community
that they have no power to preserve order and arc
under no obligation TO protect citizens. After
an outrageous assault is committed, the police arc
perfectly willing 10 convey the offender to the sta
ton house, provided the injured party can point
him out; but they seem TO regard it rs no part OF
their business TO prevent the most open and DELHI
crate infringement of any mans rights Violence
may usurp possession ofthe polls fraud may decide
the issue Of the day, and in the majority Of in
stances, the officers Of the law fail 10 check the
one or TO rcbuke the other. When the work which
these evil agencies were set TO do has been accom-
pllshed, they, who have reaped its fruits invite
the disiranchised people to furnish legal proof of
the wro gs done, and to identify the perpetrators
and this is all the redress they offer. Bnt we are
entitled 10 look for something more than this at
the hands Of tie municipal government 1t is
rather bound to consider how it may defend us
against threatened violence to-day, than to deter
mine about the reparaon it may tender us to-mor-
row. Il is incumbent on it to take every prccau-
ton that may be necessary to deter ruffanism from
invading therights of citizens. and TO rcpel its first
aggressive movement. It has no valid excuse TO
give if it does not guaranty the personal safety of
the humhest citizen at the polls as well as else
where, upon election day, and protect him equally
in the exercise Of his political privileges and
civil rights. With the experience of the past TO
guide him. the MAYOR cannot ignorantly err in re-
ard To G.
command he cannot plead inability TO carry them
into execution. While we cannot hope that the
suggestions of the citizens, no matter how mmbly
offered, will he listened to any more respectfully
now than heretofore, it is still our duty TO make
known and to advocate their reasonable demands
They hoped, prior TO the last election that some
simple means, other than special orders, would
have been employed by the MAYOR to secure the
quiet and fairness of the proceedings, or, at least,
to encourage the peoples confidence in his integ
nty. The erection of barriers at the various polls
would have gone far to produce such results The
confusion around the windows would thus have
been ellectually prevented-the voting would have
proceeded with infinitely greater rapidly, and
law!essneSs would have been deprived of those op-
portunles to commit undetected outrages which
always present themselves in the midst of tumutu-
Gus crowds. Arrangements more judicious and
less Objectionable it is impossible to conceive Of
and it is hard to reconcile a refusal to adopt them
with sincere desire 10 secure a fair election We
presume no one could seriously question the power
OF the MAYOR and Judges 10 make these prepara-
tons when they believe them to be at all condu-
GIVE to the preservation of the peace and that few
would deny them TO be well adapted to promote
that end. Bat, notwithstanding the manifest adj
vantages which would have resulted TO every hon.
est voter in the community had this plan been pur-
sued in every ward, those who are responsible
for the purity aud good order of the elections
thought proper to abstain from making even this
slight effort to afford him some protection. In
almost every quarter Of the city the people were
INSTRUCTED, threatened or assaed in cndeavoring
to reach the ballot-bOx, and they received little
aid either from the government they toll to sup
port, or the police whom they are taxed to paw.
There is but one inference to he drawn from the
action of the authorities in this matter They did
not desire free expression of public opinion for
on no other ground could they have rejected every
proposition calculated to elicit it. Another cleo
ton is at hand, and behalf of those who desire
to participate therein under some assurance of free
dom and security, we renew the appeal to the
MAYOR and Judges to afford them thus much pro-
lection. They have been patient and long for
bearing, but they have not altogether forgot the
objects for which their government was instituted,
nor the rights which belong to them as citizens.
Unless the authorities have definitely determined
10 respect these longer it is time they took some
steps to uphold them