Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-10
How Summers Organ Justifies Military
Interference in Elections.

The National Int,ltg,neer Of Dec. 3. quo'e'
a statement from Sepahr suMsER's orssn' the
Boston Cemmonwsalth, whca freely ackno"l'
edpes the lawlessness oi the recent elteaons IN
Maryland and Delaware. and justhes the
"uill,arv interferepce" In those elections
The following is the statement In the Com
ason,csalth;
Wa do no. find fault with the machinery used
IN carry MARYLAND aud Delaware. Having
nearly lost the control OF the House ny Is
hl,ndsra In the conduct Of the war from March,
Is6I. 10 the iah Of 1862, the Administration
owed 10 TO the country to recover that controi
somsbov. To recover 1t regularly Was I'm
ro,sibls; 90 irregularity had TO be 10 of'eo 70.
Popular Institutions will not euner' iof Ine
copperhead element will have mucn larger
number Of members 10 both branches than tis
entitled 20 by Its populsr vote. OHIO, with iss
ninsty thousand Republican m'jority, will bs
represented BY Ave Republicans and dozen or
more copt srheads. Ii is h!ting that this mis-
eeprssepietion Of Topulsr sentiment In we
atss. State Of the West should be onse'' II
n.cessary, !, By loyal delegation from Ms'y,sno
and Delaware, toun spsn at The ssPen" Of MILD
~ inieyfsysacs II lave are silent amid tno
oi.nk Of arms, We mutt take care that the ag-
ussats public opinion Of the county obtains
recognition somehow tr other.
Tho oommsnvsalth, Il will be seen, avoWs
the a,rocious sentiment, that tho Administra.
tleu being In danger of losing the control Of
tho House Of Representatives, wss bound to
retain that control, right or wrong, BY means
fair or foul. The argument Of sUhHlRb homo
organ ID, tha, in erder to secure controlling
Administration majority In the House Of kep-
reseutatives, 1t was necessary to have "loysl"
or Administration delegations from Maryland
and Delaware, seven at the expense OF militia
~ interference" It had to be done, the
IacobIn organ ilslsti, somehow or other, and 1t
seems that In lie view II mAttered noi how II
was done.
ID n difficult to see on what ether ground
military or Federal interference with the elect
I've franchise can be justified. We may, there
fore, assume that Senator srMNER . organ speaks
shs sentiments Of the leaders of his political
party generally, who either justify military in-
.tsrierence In State elections, or ore silent In
regard to such interference. Bat II tuch q
principle be admitted as applicable In any State,
In which the State Govern uent and the Courts
State and Federal, are unobsruc!ed, upon aDy
plea whatever, where and when are We to
stop7 0
II "mIlitary interference" be juatlHsble In
Maryland or Delaware to enable the Adminls-
trstion to control Congress, 1t will be for the
same reason right for It to interfere In elec-
tlons In Ohio. Indiana or any othar State. If
such interference 10 to be justified and upheld
on the ground that it was Necessary, In trier
TO give the Administration party msjority In
the present Congress, 1t will be resOrted to by
the same party. 10 order to secure msj'rlty
OF The electors at the mex. Pre.identl Il election,
II Its leaders think there 10 any danger that
they may not have majority in fair and free
elections. A man made Piesldent by military
force weuld no. be the President Of tbe Aper-
lean Republic, but usurper-a military dos
not.